Pennsylvania Congressional candidate Raj Peter Bhakta is desi, so you figure he has an affinity for elephants. And he’s a Republican, so you figure he has an extra-special affinity for elephants. So it only makes sense that the brother would turn to some pachyderms to assist in his campaign.
Which brings us to… Brownsville, Texas, not exactly part of the suburban Philadelphia congressional district Raj hopes to represent, but the frontline in his topmost issue, the one that occupies front and center of his campaign website: Illegal immigration. On Tuesday, folks near Brownsville were surprised to see these three elephants in the Rio Grande, prompting, according to the breaking-news item in the Brownsville Herald, “reports that someone was crossing into the United States from Mexico on an elephant.”
Well, upon further investigation, it wasn’t quite Hannibal crossing the Alps, but instead a stunt occasioned by an epiphany:
He was in Brownsville to raise funds with friends and decided to get a first-hand look at border security while he was here, he said.
In Brownsville, he witnessed half a dozen men swim under one of the international bridges “with complete immunity” which in turn prompted him to take the immigration issue to the next level.
Bhakta decided to see if he could get an elephant accompanied by a six-piece mariachi band across the river.
The elephants splashed, the mariachi band played, the cameras rolled for the inevitable campaign commercial. Bhakta was shocked, shocked:
He said he was “staggered” by what happened on Tuesday and was planning on sharing the story with his potential constituents.
“If I can get an elephant led by a mariachi band into this country, I think Osama bin Laden could get across with all the weapons of mass destruction he could get into this country,” Bhakta said.
Well, Bud Kennedy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a different take. In a classic “don’t mess with Texas” column, he eviscerates Raj in many different ways. For one thing, he found out that the elephant supplier was kept in the dark and unhappy how his pachyderms were put to use:
Circus producer James Plunkett of rural Van Zandt County near Dallas said he thought he was renting out three elephants for a private party at a ranch east of Brownsville near Boca Chica beach and the mouth of the Rio Grande. He didn’t know until I called him Wednesday that the guy riding one elephant was not a birthday boy, or that the camera crew was not shooting a family video.
“These animals are treasures,” he said. “To put them in jeopardy or use them that way — that’s not something we would be party to.”
Moreover, Kennedy points out,
… any Texan knows that we can go down and fish or wade freely from parks and private ranches along the Rio Grande, with or without an elephant.
We want most of the river kept that way, although a few crossings could use better Border Patrol roads or a mile or two of fence.
A few miles from the border, though, somebody always stops you and asks who you are, your citizenship status and other pertinent questions.
Such as, “Where did you get the elephant?”
That’s what happened the moment Plunkett and his trailer hit the Border Patrol checkpoint, five miles from the ranch. If Bhakta wanted to prove how easy it is to sneak an elephant into the country, he wound up proving that the Border Patrol is on the job.
“It was amazing to me how many officers showed up when we hit the checkpoint,” Plunkett said. “They had two guys, then four guys, then 50 guys in a matter of minutes. They gave us a thorough workover. I came away very impressed with the Border Patrol.“
Even Bhakta’s host, a Republican on whose ranch he filmed, disagreed with the implications:
“They told me this guy wanted to come out and shoot a commercial,” Lerma said. “I figured it was a good way for him to learn something about the border. I live 20 yards from the water. I think the border’s pretty secure. I want all these people who want a big fence to tell me: Where do you want the fence? Right by my house? Where do I water my cattle?”
Kennedy’s pithy response: “Ask the guy from Philly.”
Lesson for future desi politicians?
When keepin’ it real goes wrong…
dammit.. being 1/2 brown he should have had a dholak, people dancing bhangra, and a groom sitting on top the elephant being escorted to a shaadi…..
better yet.. paint bhakta with zebra stripes and have him on a cage on top of the gentle giant.. now i’d pay money for that.
hypocritical for an immigrant to play the anti-immigrant card. But brilliant PR nonetheless. Does anyone know the poll numbers … does he have any chance of winning?
Ah Raj – good to see that he still has that streak of flamboyance!
I wonder why the elephant wasn’t wearing a bow tie…
I love how the strategy is to always appeal to the lowest common denominator. Sheesh.
no…no
correct me if i’m wrong, but raj is not an immigrant, his parents are. there’s a difference.
He was born in Philly.
Macaca Boy, wasn’t Raj born here?
correct me if i’m wrong, but raj is not an immigrant, his parents are. there’s a difference
OK, so it’s allright for his parents to immigrate here and enjoy the benefits of living here (and for their son to get a job with the US gov’t itself — if he wins), but let’s shut the door behind us and not let any one else do the same. sounds hypocritical to me.
Wow.. had no idea about this elephant stunt. I’m from the area he’ll be representing and I’m not going to vote for him (I’m a Democrat! PA sent enough Republicans to DC and we can’t send any more — even if he is half desi).
He’s really targetting the desis though! He did an appearance at the Patel Brothers store, a social hour at the temple, and doing fundraisers with desi community.
BTW, thanks for posting this business about the elephants. I see his signs all over here: Raj Bhakta – Secure our Borders.
I don’t know. I think he’s probably better off in Hollywood than DC. WTH is he in Brownsville TX?? I don’t see other Representatives doing this stuff.
Actually – I wanted to pop over to meet him though – more to chat about his Apprentice days than anything political. 🙂
I still think its hypocritical for the son of immigrants to be anti-immigrant.
What about the grandson of immigrants? Are you saying you the bar is lowered every generation you’re here?
guys chill…i think he is against “illegal” immigration not legal immigration. he is tryin to focus attention on the fact that there are major holes in the border.
Hmmm…. Raj didn’t answer some of the more specific questions about immigration when he “met the Mutiny” (or more specifically, he left for a fundraiser before some of those questions were asked — so fair enough). But if one tallies up the scorecard on this recent addition to Raj’s website, it seems to add up to “Raj supports H.R. 4437.” (Also known as the “Sensenbrenner bill,” which Abhi previously discussed here.)
It sounds hypocritical to me too.
i don’t think he’s against immigration, just critical of current immigration policy. again, two different things.
and by following your logic, does that mean it’s also hypocritical for any non-native american to criticize the genocide and colonization of native americans, but still remain in the US anyway?
it always hurts to see brown republicans…they make my top ten list of most annoying humans.
lavanya – stop trying to be all logical and shiz and drink some ale!
But 90% of desi Americans voted Dem in the last presidential election. If you look at doctors specifically, you’re probably right 🙂
beg to differ..most brownies that work/train with me are democratic…and i’m in the heart of the deep dirty south…
Folks in Philly are more worked up about illegal immigration than folks in Texas? Maybe they should just build a fence around Philly then.
BTW, this quote from the article:
Ouch…
Wow that’s hysterical and brilliant. I need detailed pictures. Did the elephant wear a bowtie? Did the Mariachi band play any bollywood songs? If Rajforcongress dies a bad death I say I’d campaign for Rajforhollywood just for him.
Whereas brown democrats are fine? Dandy?
Sure Raj Bhakta is a stunt puller with a ridiculous tie-fetish. But to judge his politics merely based on his antecedents is the sort of illogical thinking that let the Republicans make inroads into the solid Hispanic Democratic base.
One’s politics are a mix of one’s economic, social and cultural beliefs. His being brown is not a good reason for him not to be a Republican. As it turns out, he actually has a few sensible points to make. He styles himself as a progressive conservative – in the tradition of Goldwater and Gingrich.
And we are not even going to discuss the parochial ‘go back to Philly’ line by the Dallas guy.
Never call a Fort Worth guy a Dallas guy.
It’s all the same thing when you’re looking in from Austin.
Definitely true about doctors, and in fact I think any Desi American who is “ballin” is probably Republican, but on the sneak.
Especially when you’re stoned!
A politician pulling a stunt to draw attention? To quote Captain Renault from Casablanca, “I’m shocked, shocked…”
Dallas and Ft Worth are not the same. Ft Worth has culture, a better art museum, old money, Billy Bob’s, and it a bit more reserved. We folks from Dallas are pretentious $50,000 millionaires who drive Maseratis and hang out at private clubs like Sense and the Candle Room. Look out New York we now have ultra cool high rise apartment style buildings with a concierge AND a doorman.
Keep Austin weird man! Careful 4th St feels an awful lot like Dallas and Uptown these days….
What would be hypocritical is if he were an illegal immigrant who came to the US and then said he was against illegal immigation. There is nothing hypocritical about coming to the US legally and then saying you are against illegal immigration. To describe some who opposes uncontrolled illegal immigration as “anti-immigrant” is intellectually grotesque.
“intellectually grotesque”? Them be fightin’ words.
i honestly do believe that to support the republican party platform, one must be perfectly comfortable to sacrifice the needs of the masses for one’s own monetary agenda. i’m not saying the democratic party doesn’t have it’s share of flaws, but the overarching message of (liberal) democrats does not promote the growth of individual wealth at the expense of the most impoverished.
i’m a bay area brown liberal and i’m sticking to it!! take back congress, democrats!!
Pharmaceutical experimentation is the sole preserve of the Neocons. Spare us poor Austin folk please 🙂
Hat tip to Asha’s dad. We’re keeping Austin intellectually aesthetic.
Nonsense. He persecutes those who would immigrate as he himself only recently did (and no, I don’t give a damn if he was born in Philly– I was born in the US, and I still consider myself an immigrant– there’s no shame in the term– if anything, it’s an act of solidarity with one’s parents).
This is to be not only historically dumbfounded but also ethically castrated. It’s the perfect example of kicking away the ladder while others are still climbing. Sure, we can argue about the details (no one argues for limitless and unregulated immigration) but the fundamental attitude of honoring one’s precedents mustn’t be lost. That has nothing to do with being desi. It has everything to do with being a decent human being.
People need to recognize what side they’re on. We’re not the first of our line, nor will we be the last. The struggle did not begin with us, and neither will it end on our watch.
What’s up with combining elephants and Mariachis?
I can think of a few possibilities:
Yes, like John Kerry’s frugality, where he doesn’t own an SUV, only his family does.
ennis:
you have me rolling… 1. all brownies do look the same..or he just had his bow tie on too damn tight (brooks bros nonetheless)and had less circulation in his noggin hence believing 2. thinking that mexicans are republicans 3. or trying to get donnie trump to re-review the application.. maybe he’s vying for the spot that caroline had but was fired.. oh wait… i think mr. trumpie ‘i wear the most hideous hair EVER’ believes in nepotism..
vikram,
john kerry is not a liberal democrat…
Mr. Kobayashi:
Not so fast Kobayashi san. Your use of ‘as he himself’ is misleading. In all probability his parents immigrated legally. So, he is ‘persecuting’ illegal immigrants, who are not quite similar to him or his parents. And he makes his point out of concern for security, and not out of xenophobia. In fact, if anything, most wealthy money-grubbing Republicans love the concept of cheap labour from across the border. With this outrageous stunt he articulates the feeling that I get when I am scrutinised by the immigrations official each time I try to enter the US: ‘Dude, I am a graduate student. My career skills are limited to making equations in LaTeX. Please, stop with the ridiculous questions about what my research is all about. You won’t understand it. Hell my mom does not understand it! Now go ask those questions to the guys that step across the border from Matamoros.’
I guess you are right… there are apparently 10 Senators more liberal than Kerry.
Or the real world. 😉
And it’s your very inability to see the similarity that…ah, fuck it. Why do I bother?
And we’re convinced of this because….? In my view, it’s neither nor. I think he makes his point out of nebulous reasons that have to do with wielding power, and a mistaken sense of where his loyalties lie.
I love cunning stunts as much as the next guy, believe me, but this particular one wasn’t too bright.
I smell a dirty pun of sorts. But I can’t put my finger on it. Might touch a 3rd rail.
They must have missed the van…
Unfortunately, I somehow don’t think it’s because Raj has been reading a lot of Karen Leonard….
Interesting. Well I for one am pretty touched by this, but how would you rationalize it, considering that you’re technically not an immigrant?
Nothing to rationalize, Shruti. Acts of solidarity bypass technicalities. And it’s not even some altruistic thing: we simply gain much more than we lose if we stand with others in their struggle. At the very least, it’s enlightened self-interest to say, “I have something in common with those people.”
Because of this.
…which we know for sure because…? Oh wait, he is Republican. So that must follow immediately. Or can we keep this non-partisan for a second and judge actions only on merits, rather than allege motives to actions based on stereotypes?
I am touched by your solidarity with immigrants, and there must be good reasons as to why you consider yourself one too. But I suspect that your position is more that of a minority citizen in the US rather than as a fresh-off-the-boat (yes, I said fob[1] macacas!) immigrant.
And finally, I should thank you for
which I find an entirely convincing argument. It’s all crystal clear now.
[1] God please please let this thread not devolve into a ridiculous abcd-fob spat!