FLASHBACK: WHEN RAHM EMANUEL CALLED FOR “RECORD DEPORTATIONS OF CRIMINAL ALIENS:”

A treasure trove of documents from former President Bill Clinton’s administration shows a young staffer — Rahm Emanuel — pushing his boss to get tough on illegal immigrants and seize crime-fighting from the Republicans as a defining issue.

The previously restricted memos from Emanuel to Clinton are among thousands of White House documents made public this year through the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. The documents were kept secret until 12 years after Clinton’s second term ended in 2001.

That was also around the time that Harry Reid was a similarly anti-illegal immigration hardliner using remarkably Trumpian language:

Reid authored the Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993 to remove asylum seekers, end birthright citizenship, expand deportations, and exclude legal immigrants from public assistance. The bill also included amendments that closed loopholes dealing with criminal aliens and mandated more cooperation between local and federal law enforcement, the Conservative Review reported on Tuesday.

“Our borders have overflowed with illegal immigrants placing tremendous burdens on our criminal justice system, schools and social programs. The Immigration and Naturalization Service needs the ability to step up enforcement,” Reid said in a statement.

“Our federal wallet is stretched to the limit by illegal aliens getting welfare, food stamps, medical care and other benefits often without paying any taxes,” Reid continued. “Safeguards like welfare and free medical care are in place to boost Americans in need of short-term assistance. These programs were not meant to entice freeloaders and scam artists from around the world.”

So just to review, despite their obvious shortcomings in regards to the First and Second Amendments (some things never do change), the Democrats of the 1990s were anti-illegal immigration, pro-welfare reform, pro-defense of marriage, took a hard regime change-oriented stance towards Saddam Hussein, and when it came to the economy, as Bill Clinton said in 1993, “We’re Eisenhower Republicans here. Here we are, and we’re standing for lower deficits and free trade and the bond market. Isn’t that great?”

And it was, in spite of Bill’s sarcasm. No wonder the 1990s are looked upon so warmly by many.

Too bad Hillary is running against all of those policies, but you can’t have everything.