Lou Barletta and the Alt Right: Such is the Nature of Politics in America Today

Lou Barletta was sworn in as the mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania in 1999. The next year the U.S. Census Bureau broke down the population of his burg this way. Hazleton, located in the east central part of the state, was 92.7% white, 0.82% African American, 0.16% Native American, 2.15% Hispanic, plus a few other ethnic groups thrown in.

Things didn't stay that way for long. By the 2010 census Hazleton was listed as 59% non Hispanic white, 4.0% black, 0.2% Native American, and 37% Hispanic/Latino.

It didn't happen all at once, of course. The Hispanic population, most of them Dominicans on the move west from New York City and northern New Jersey, were flocking to Hazleton throughout the decade. By 2006, Barletta and the city council were, by God, tired of it.

That year they passed a city ordinance which was called, "The Illegal Alien Relief Act." The law denied business permits to anyone who employed illegal aliens. It also fined landlords $100 per each illegal immigrant living in their rental properties. At the same time the city fathers made English the official language of Hazleton.

The ordinance, which was eventually ruled incredibly unconstitutional, made national news. Barletta showed up on CBS's "60 Minutes," and FOX NEW's "O'Reilly Factor," where he proudly boasted half the Hispanic population got out of town as soon as the measure was passed. It was a dubious claim since 11 years later Hispanics comprised 40% of Hazleton's population, but that's neither here, nor there. What is of importance is, thanks to his media exposure and braggadocio, the Alcalde of Hazleton became the darling of a lot of people who fall into that toxic world known as the alt right.

Today CNN and KFile reports in 2006 he did an interview with a publication known as, "The American Free Press," during which he explained his anti-illegal immigrant stance. "The American Free Press is also known to routinely claim the 9-11 terrorist attack on New York City was a, "Jewish plot," and the Holocaust is a hoax.

At a 2007 Hazleton rally Barletta appeared with alt right activist and singer, Paul Topete. Topete is also a sometime Holocaust denier and 9-11 conspiracy theorist. During Barletta's speech at the rally, a full nine years before Donald Trump glided down the escalator that fateful day in New York, the mayor referred to illegals as, "murderers, rapists, thieves, and terrorists."

So why is any of that important? After all, at the time, the guy was mayor of a town with less than 25,000 people? Well in 2008, Lou Barletta ran for congress, but lost. Never one to take no for an answer, he ran once again in 2010 and won Pennsylvania's 11th district seat. He's been in the House of Representatives ever since. He doesn't plan on staying there much longer though.

In August of last year he announced he would seek the republican nomination for the United States Senate in 2018. It is a crowded field with five other candidates vying to challenge incumbent democratic Senator, Bob Casey.

When CNN asked about the interviews and appearances with not just Topete, "The American Free Press," but others sponsored by organizations run by off the wall alt right types, a Barletta spokesperson claimed the then mayor didn't know the backgrounds of any of them. He also pointed out Barletta wouldn't allow a proposed Ku Klux Klan march in Hazleton and renounced former Klan Grand Wizard, David Duke's support in the failed 2008 election.

Ah yes, it takes quite the moderate to garner support from David Duke, even if you refuse his help. Not to mention choosing to avoid a potential riot in your downtown by stopping a bunch of raging assholes from marching into it.

Indeed, occasionally doing the right thing doesn't excuse the fact all the wrong people think you're doing a great job.

And that's where a large portion of the republican party, including their man in the White House, is at during this year of our Lord, 2018. The Nazis, the Klan, and other evil idiots, think they're doing a great job.

Such is the nature of politics in America today.




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