Sen. Martinez slams immigration bill opponents, challenges them to act

Sun Senteniel ^ | 6/29/07 | LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ

[chicagolady]

LAKE BUENA VISTA -- The Chairman of the Republican Party on Friday lambasted Democrats and Republicans who helped kill an immigration bill in the Senate and challenged them to come up with a solution beyond ``just build a fence along the border.''

``The voices of negativity now have a responsibility to come up with an answer,'' RNC Chairman and U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, R-Fla. said.

LocalLinks

``How will you fix the situation to make peoples' lives better? How will you continue to grow the economy? How will we bring people out of the shadows for our national security and for the sake of being a country that is just?'' he demanded.

Martinez spoke during a gathering of more than 1,000 Hispanic officials from across the country at Disney World, a day after the immigration bill's Senate supporters fell short of the 60 votes needed to limit debate and clear the way for its final passage.

Martinez promised to work with members of the U.S. House of Representatives to try to revive the legislation, a measure the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials supports.

Time for such efforts is tight before the 2008 presidential campaign heats up, Martinez told reporters, but he added, ``you can't live from election to election. We have to once in a while act as responsible, elected officials and resolve the nation's problems.''

A group of about half a dozen U.S. representatives planned to strategize over the weekend at the conference on how to revive the proposal.

Wednesday's immigration vote was 46 to 53, with three-quarters of the Senate's Republicans voting to derail the bill. But the Republican Party was not to blame for its failure, Martinez said.

[chicagolady]

Ok Folks QUIT relaxing, the HELAMONSTER is back

[johniegrad]

etl

[chicagolady]

Immigration PING!

It’s not over until the fat lady sings and I have not heard her sing yet!!

[chicagolady]

A group of about half a dozen U.S. representatives planned to strategize over the weekend at the conference on how to revive the proposal.

Traitors among us

[chicagolady]

http://video.nbc5.com/player/?id=124612

[ZGuy]

Mel, we’ve GOT an answer. The first step is getting rid of senators like you.

[golfisnr1]

My response to Martinez would get me permanently banned from FR.

[sirchtruth]

This kind of outrageous, arrogant, slam against your own constituents is absolutely unconscionable!

If there ever was a friggin' moderate that needs to be THROWN out on his rump it is this prick!

This is exactly the kind of "Republican" our party absolutely does not need, and we need to work diligently to remove A.S.A.P.!

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

Wow, all three (maybe more) of these same posts came up one after the other!

This one has over 200 comments already: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1858558/posts

[mtbopfuyn]

Martinez spoke during a gathering of more than 1,000 Hispanic officials from across the country at Disney World

What character was he dressed up like?

[chicagolady]

Goofy

[mtbopfuyn]

How will you fix the situation to make peoples' lives better?

Hmm, let's see. For a start, my life would be better with senators who do their duty by their constituents. My life would be better knowing my country's borers are secure. My life would be better when all illegals and those with expired papers are sent back where they came from. My life would be better not having to take food out of my children's mouths to feed, clothe, shelter, care for, and educate illegals. My life would be better knowing there are fewer illegal gang members and criminals roaming the streets causing harm to me and mine.

[moreisee]

“How will you fix the situation to make peoples’ lives better?”

Why should it be America’s responsibility to make Mexican citizens lives better? How about making American workers and taxpayers lives better by enforcing existing laws instead of your constant mantra that we have to legalize 20 million invaders before we can do anything.

[blam]

How long before he calls for the Mexicans to riot?

The GOP better make some adjustments, fast!!

[Travis McGee]

"....And challenged them to come up with a solution beyond ``just build a fence along the border.''

Build the fence for a start, if you want more than ZERO credibility on the rest of your amnesty dreams.

Here is the Duncan Hunter 15' fence, which is already being built along a few "showplace" miles of San Diego, mainly near the ports of entry, where politicians can conveniently show it off to gullible reporters. As you can see, the rusty runway mat wall is seen at the left side, Mexico begins on the other side. In areas with the 15 foot fence, dope smugglers and illegals will have to cross the open sand ("the government road" as it is called) before starting to try to get over the 15 foot fence.

This new fence is extremely tough, and resists cutting. Attacking the fence would have to be done right out in the open, in full view of cameras. This type of fence, on the U.S. side of the government road, will give the USBP a barrier to patrol, instead of forcing them to chase illegals around 100,000 square miles of wide-open frontier land, which is a fool's errand. Everywhere this modern multiple fence system has been built, crossings by illegals drop to almost nil.

This ain't rocket science, folks. We're not talking about something like the Hoover Dam project, (which we managed to build 70 years ago). The world's last superpower, which put a man on the moon 35 years ago, can build a couple thousand miles of simple and effective fencing.

This is how it's being built in San Diego county, along the last 14 miles out to the ocean. The total cost of the entire fence from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific would be about 5 billion dollars, or what we spend medicating, hospitalizing, educating, and incarcerating illegal aliens just about every month. In other words, the fence would pay for itself immediately.

Or, we can continue our current policy.

[alicewonders]

``How will you fix the situation to make peoples' lives better? How will you continue to grow the economy? How will we bring people out of the shadows for our national security and for the sake of being a country that is just?'' he demanded.

If Mel Martinez doesn't know the answers to these questions, then he is unfit for the office he holds.

Blatant incompetence or willful disregard for his constituents-

- either way, this man is an abomination.

[SampleMan]

I’ll act. I’ll do my best to see him defeated in the primary here in Florida.

[Dov in Houston]

As far as I am concerned the chairman of the Republican Party can go straight to he!!. El Presidente Jorge has destroyed the GOP and his attempt at SHamnesty would have destroyed the United States. (sadly I voted for him twice) I firmly believe he was so strong on the SHamnesty issue because he is trying to hide something he got caught doing elsewhere.

Until he follolws the Oath of Office he swore to and enforces our nations laws my support does not go to the GOP. Nor the DNC. Incumbent Independants get my support before I go GOP or DNC.

We may need immigration reform in the USA however we need enforcement of ourt laws first and then we might take a look at immigration reform.

[GoldCountryRedneck]

Martinez is a big part of the problem...

[Paperdoll]

SEND NO MONEY TO THE RNC. SEND MONEY DIRECTLY TO YOUR CANDIDATE OF CHOICE.

[Paperdoll]

BTTT

[bilhosty]

“My response to Martinez would get me permanently banned from FR.”

I doubt that it would get you banned.

[lowbridge]

bump

[STE=Q]

“We have to once in a while act as responsible, elected officials and resolve the nation’s problems.”

What “nation” would that be Senator?

No, it ain’t over!

A battle was won... but the war has just began!

We must NOT become complacent!

These traitors must be removed from power and replaced with loyal and responsible leaders!

[Dov in Houston]

Build the fence. Enforce the laws we have already. And maybe AFTER we enforce the existing laws we MIGHT consider some form of immigration reform.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Demand a border fence! Build it NOW!! Beef up the border patrol and close our borders!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Toll free to the US Senate:

1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)

Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!