Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, has taken into his pretty little head the notion that he gets to pick and choose which laws to enforce. He flouted state law when he performed bogus "marraiges" of homosexual couples, and now he has announced that he will flout any federal legislation that criminalizes assisting illegal immigration. The San Francsico Examiner reports:

Mayor Gavin Newsom said Thursday that The City will not comply with any federal legislation that criminalizes efforts to help illegal immigrants.

The mayor also denounced a bipartisan congressional proposal that would beef up border security and allow as many as 12 million illegal immigrants to gain legal status.

Newsom, who has not been afraid to wade into controversial national issues such as gay marriage, appeared with a group of elected officials on the steps of City Hall to support immigrants, 'documented as well as undocumented.'Newsom also signed a resolution sponsored by Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval, and passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors, urging San Francisco law enforcement not to comply with criminal provisions of any new immigration bill.

This is appalling behavior from an elected official. H will never be held responsible by the citizens of San Francisco. But his statement should be used to ensure that future legislation on topics of immigration shopuld contain provisions cutting off federal assistance to cities which refuse to comply with the law.

Hat tip: Lucianne.com

Thomas Lifson   4 7 06