NEXT AMERICA

Iowa's King Compares Immigrants to Dogs

By National Journal Staff

Updated: May 23, 2012 | 10:49 a.m.
May 23, 2012 | 7:05 a.m.

Representing western Iowa, Steve King, at a 2009 rally in Des Moines, is known for his sometimes impolitic comments. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, compared immigrants to dogs at a town hall meeting on Monday, saying that the United States should pick the best immigrants the way one chooses the “pick of the litter,” according to a story in Salon, which also carried a video clip of the incident.

King told constituents in Pocahontas, Iowa, that he’s owned lots of bird dogs over the years and advised, “You want a good bird dog? You want one that’s going to be aggressive? Pick the one that’s the friskiest … not the one that’s over there sleeping in the corner,” the online magazine reported.

“You get the pick of the litter and you got yourself a pretty good bird dog. Well, we’ve got the pick of every donor civilization on the planet,” King said. “We’ve got the vigor from the planet to come to America.” According to Salon, the liberal research group American Bridge captured the comments on video.

King, a conservative, is one of the most anti-illegal immigration members of Congress, and he is also known for his sometimes impolitic comments.

Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox. Sign up for National Journal's morning alert, Wake-Up Call, and afternoon newsletter, The Edge. Subscribe here.


Read & Post Comments
Leave A Comment
The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.
Comments powered by Disqus
@TheNextAmerica
twitterLogo
What is Next America?
Virtually every issue the United States contends with promises to be affected by deep currents of change illuminated by demographic shifts. With The Next America, National Journal unveils an unprecedented effort to explore the significant political, economic and social impact of profound racial and cultural changes.

The initiative includes polls, national and local events with thought leaders, magazine supplements and launch of a full website May 1.


The Story That Started It All

In 2010, Ronald Brownstein wrote The Gray and the Brown: A Generational Mismatch about America’s shift to an older, more ethnically diverse population and how these changes affect us as a nation.