Ve are ein people

Unity'08 is this outfit that wants to nominate a "non-partisan" presidential ticket. Their website says all the standard things about bipartisanship and getting things done and the extreme badness of gridlock and political division all the rest. Sounded good to some people. But.

On Thursday, Atrios posted the text of a message he'd gotten from Unity08 inviting him to join in "studying cultural opinions at a series of unique research sessions." In order to take part, participants had to agree to six criteria. The first three were agreeing to participate as a volunteer, promising to stay for the full session, and stating that neither you nor "anyone in my household or immediate family" has "worked in advertising or market research."

Okay, that last one sounds a little odd, but I suppose fair enough so far. But catch the next three:

My mother was born in the United States;
I was born in the United States and lived in the US until at least the age of 15; and,
Both my mother and I spoke in American English when I was growing up.

What the hell? This is "unity?" This blatant, anti-immigrant, paranoid bigotry represents "unity?" To be a participant, you not only have to be a citizen, you have to be a native-born citizen. You can't be an immigrant. In fact, you can't even be a second-generation immigrant because that likely means that your mother was not born here. You are by definition excluded from these sessions.

Seems to me that Unity'08 has some curious notions about just which Americans need to be "unified."

Hell, why not limit it to Mayflower descendants? 'Course, they were immigrants too, but, well, you know....

The email continued:

As this research is unique and attendance limited we will provide details, times and places only to those we confirm for each location on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Well, of course - we can't take a chance on any of them furriners trying to crash the place.

Footnote: I expect you see why I included no link for Unity'08. You can google it if you want.