What's the deal with Ron Paul and his supporters? How can Tom Tancredo keep a straight facing talking about "criminal aliens" when he hired undocumented workers to build his mansion? Speaking of immigration, why are politicians and the media all using the word "illegal" to describe undocumented people? Read about these and other stories in this issue of Rights & Liberties.

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The Editors

Tom Tancredo Hired Illegal Laborers to Renovate His McMansion
By Max Blumenthal, AlterNet
Anti-immigration zealot and GOP presidential candidate Tom Tancredo hired what he often refers to as "criminal aliens" to renovate his Colorado house. Read more »

Losing Our Minds Over Immigration
By Eric Haas, The Rockridge Institute
By repeating the phrase "illegal immigrants," the media and politicians have created a misleading framework to talk about immigration. Read more »

Human Rights Crusader Michael Ratner: We'll Keep Going After Bush and Cheney When They Leave Office
By Joshua Holland, AlterNet
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear the next major challenge to Bush's imperial power grab, AlterNet talks with Michael Ratner, who has been at the center of the battle over the administration's human rights assault. Read more »

Bush-Maliki Agreement Defies US Laws, Iraqi Parliament
By Maya Schenwar, TruthOut.org
Bush cuts a deal that will likely retain about 50,000 troops in Iraq over the long term. Read more »

Wall Street High-Flyers: Having It Their Way at Burger King
By Sam Pizzigati, Too Much: A Commentary on Excess and Inequality
Florida tomato pickers started a protest march last week at the Miami office of investment bank colossus Goldman Sachs. For good reason. Read more »

The Get-Tough-On-Crime Bug is Making Us Sick
By Sean Gonsalves, AlterNet
By imposing tougher penalties on those who break the law, we're becoming a society that is cutting off its nose to spite its face. Read more »

Swimming in Rosa Parks' Footsteps: Workers for the Wealthiest Still Struggle for Dignity
By Eliseo Medina, AlterNet
For the minority workers shipped into America's richest enclave, the fight for basic human dignity continues. Read more »