Posted on 03/06/2008 5:53:24 PM PST by BGHater
While John McCain was being coronated as the heir apparent at a highly publicized White House meeting with President Bush, his colleagues on Capitol Hill couldn't resist rolling out what could be described as a Lou Dobbs dream package of immigration bills.
It was one of those moments where one had to wonder if the right hand of the Republican Party was talking to the left, er, moderate hand.
Immigration is the preeminent issue that has divided McCain from his party, as he has supported an ill-fated comprehensive immigration overhaul, including a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Since that debacle, he has been chastened, saying he believes in border security first.
Yet while Bush was passing the torch to McCain as the party's standard bearer, a half dozen conservative GOP senators were unveiling proposals dealing with deportation, making English the official language, revoking funds for "sanctuary cities" and giving local police more immigration enforcement powers.
"This debate has not ended. It's not on hold," said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) as he unveiled a series of Republican immigration proposals. "Something needs to be done this year."
Sessions said he had not consulted with the White House on the issue, nor had he talked directly with McCain. Sessions also hasn't asked the man who sets the Senate schedule, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), to consider on the proposals.
Sessions and other opponents of comprehensive immigration reform believe McCain has learned his lesson.
"He has said he got the message and believes the way to go is border enforcement first," Sessions said. "I think he'll be supportive of much of it."
"There's nothing in here that represents an attempt to embarrass him," Sessions was quick to add. But these issues still might create trouble for McCain now that he's turned his attention to the general election. He still needs his reticent GOP base to turn out, yet he'll also need independent voters and a reasonable support level from Hispanics in Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona and other swing states.
The package of proposals unveiled by McCain's colleagues may only inflame the immigration debate. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), for example, has proposed withholding federal law enforcement money for "sanctuary cities" that have lax immigration enforcement. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) wants to dock states 10 percent of their highway funding if they give licenses to illegal immigrants. And Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has a bill that would make English the "national language."
Sessions, who made a name for himself by spending hours at a time on the Senate floor last year, fighting the doomed immigration bill, has proposed mandatory minimum prison sentences for illegal immigrants.
None of these proposals is likely to see the light of day unless they appear as amendments to next week's budget resolution, which might force McCain to either flip flop on key immigration issues. or duck the vote altogether.
Democratic leaders aren't playing ball, either. "While Senator Reid continues to support legislation that is tough on people that break the law, fair to taxpayers and practical to implement, this falls far, far short of what is needed to deal with the issue of immigration reform," said Reid spokesman Jim Manley.
In the House, Republicans were making a more concerted effort to coordinate their immigration message with McCain.
Some House Republicans were moving ahead full-throttle to force a vote on an immigration enforcement measure offered by Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina. But leaders have temporarily applied the brakes to that effort until they have more time to coordinate with the McCain campaign.
Boehner has tapped four Republicans to coordinate on the immigration issue as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) works with her members to devise a compromise measure that would be acceptable to the competing interests within her own party. Those Republicans met Tuesday night and again Wednesday, but they won't make a decision until top leaders have had a chance to brief members of the McCain campaign team.
Meanwhile, a group of House Democrats met Wednesday to discuss more comprehensive legislation that would mend a persistent shortfall in temporary visas for seasonal workers and grants some protection to undocumented workers already in this country.
UPDATE: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), one of only three Hispanic senators, has called on McCain to reject the GOP proposals, saying the package would only create a "wedge" issue come November.
“The Republican Party might think this is a wedge issue for November, but their strategy only dims their chances this year and for generations to come," Menendez said. "Latinos are not a group on the fringes of our society that can be manipulated to score political points. If this presidential primary season has shown us anything, it is that Latinos are no longer the sleeping giant in American politics – they are fully awake, active and making a difference. This is the type of cynical effort that serves to deepen the divisions in our nation that we should be working to bridge.”
Don’t worry guys, President Hillary Klinton would unite the party like no other! LOL!
McCain isn’t going to be the President so, why are we still talking about him?
This is why I’m not voting for McCain. His immigration stance is all smoke and mirrors.
Hangs like a guillotine blade.
How can McCain extend his "coattails" nationally down to House and Senate and state legislative races, all up and down the GOP, when he presides over such fundamental opposition to his basic thoughts on illegals and amnesty?. It is totally illogical.
The rank and file Republicans better run far away from nominee McShamnesty on this key issue and position, and insist he have his own independent campaign offices outside of local GOP ones. Talk about a major rift. I hope the good side wins. I sure hope McCain does not neutralize this issue from the top down, as spineless GOP types are known to cave. The Dems certainly wont pick up the slack and in fact will be worse.
In short, methinks we are screwed.
You have a very good point.
Immigration – He’s not just pro-open borders, he’s Senor Amnesty – co-sponsor of McCain-Kennedy, which would have legalized 15 million illegal aliens, allowed them to bring in tens of millions of their mooching relatives (including the elderly and infirm), given them credit for past Social Security contributions, etc. The Heritage Foundation’s Robert Rector said McCain-Kennedy would have constituted the largest expansion of the welfare state in U.S. history (at an estimated cost of $2.6 trillion). A Republican who served with McNasty in the Senate said he was forever haranguing his GOP colleagues about being perceived as “xenophobes” for not supporting amnesty. At CPAC, he told conservatives he’s heard us. He’ll secure the borders first, then push amnesty – which, of course, will negate anything he does at the border. Build it (a suicidal welfare state that embraces alien intruders), and a fence won’t keep them out.
Screw You McCain!
Here’s a chance you’ll never get again! Say “Thank You” to your good friend Harry Reid!
Hey, Menendez! Illegal immigrants come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Why are you making it only an hispanic issue? Oh, so you only think hispanic illegals deserve special consideration?
You’ve shown your true allegiance, Menendez, and your bigotry is readily apparent. In your eyes, it’s special consideration for hispanics, and screw everyone else.
Kiss my a$$, Menendez.
Kiss my a$$, Menendez.
If you saw him during the debates you would get really ticked off....
You bet your sweet a$$! It was bad enough he screwed with the First Amendment with his McCain/Feingold POS, but condoning illegal immigration makes him and anyone else holding public office, including the President, liable for treason in my book.
Dear Roberto:
Latinos - si,
Illegals - not on your leftist life!
Put in my words & at the proper level:
Dear John:
Step up to the microphone, with full press coverage, and state clearly that you reject your shamnesty scheme, that illegal immigration is a threat to the security of the USA, that you will oppose any 'reform' that does not first protect us from both new illegal immigration and the damages done by past illegal immigration - and I will happily vote for your sorry ass.
LOL!
I wouldn’t vote for that maggot under any circumstances!
BTTT
Agree. What if a candidate had the guts to show legal hispanic citizens that the illegals are only costing them THEIR jobs and only aiding only the coyotes who are charging to get them here? Wages “under the table” only hurt everyone who pays taxes and owns a home.
If we don’t stand up for what America is supposed to be, we might as well bend over...the sooner the better.
7 Gang Members Busted for Armed Robbery
March 6th, 2008 @ 10:00am
by KTAR Newsroom and KPHO.com
Seven Phoenix men accused of robbing "stash houses" where drugs are stored or illegal immigrants are temporarily housed have been arrested in Chandler.
Police said the seven, all alleged gang members, were being booked Thursday for investigation of armed robbery, burglary and resisting arrest. (snip)
I won't, because McQueeg cannot be trusted and such assurances would be worthless, sort of like "Read my lips...no more taxes".
No, he could never be trusted to do a damn thing.
Anarchy in the streets is "making a difference"?
bttt
Sounds to me like Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is saying he almost has enough Hispanic voters to keep the borders open.
>None of these proposals is likely to see the light of day unless ...
unless pigs fly
..
He is a traitorous bastard. His word is no good. How shall we trust any promise he might make?
Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!
Even an ACTOR could not get it that "real".
Amazing.
I could have been referring just now to the photos in #21, too!
Bump for later
In a McCain administration these congressional Republicans will not be allowed to bring up such legislation.
In a Clinton or Obama administration they will be very effective in thwarting the Democrat amnesty and open borders agenda like they are doing now.
History has shown that congressional Republicans are more effective out of power than when they have it. Conservatism will grow when the Republicans are out of power and America will see what kind of incompetent fools Obama/Reid/Pelosi are.
Conservatism in the Republican party grows a backbone when they are out of power, like 1978 and 1992.
The only chance to stop the illegal immigration madness is an effective conservative minority. That can’t happen in a McCain administration.
“The only chance to stop the illegal immigration madness is an effective conservative minority. That can’t happen in a McCain administration.”
Unfortunate, but true. It’s good that Senator Sessions is calling McCain out on his “I got the message” line from his campaign and debate evasions on this issue. I’ve been saying McCain has nine months as a powerful senator to act on his new found wisdom.
Good that Sessions is giving him the opportunity to act on his new position, or to show the voters that he’s just a bald faced liar.
Reid is afraid of a vote on these...
Hmmm. Time to call the Senate and make them act on this?
“History has shown that congressional Republicans are more effective out of power than when they have it.”
Wrong. Out of power we never enacted welfare reform. With the majority we did; the most significant conservative reform in decades. With a GOP majority we passed the Bush tax cuts. The Democrat majority is set to take away the Bush tax cuts and create the largest tax hike ever. The majority GOP passed a good energy bill in 2005. Now the Democrat majority is trying to take that away and go in the wrong direction.
And so it goes.
“In a Clinton or Obama administration they will be very effective in thwarting the Democrat amnesty and open borders agenda like they are doing now.”
In a McCain administration, they will be very effective in thwarting the Democrat amnesty and open borders agenda like they are doing now. McCain would continue that situation. In a Clinton or Obama administration they will be IN-effective in thwarting the Democrat amnesty and open borders agenda, since Obama’s coattails will sweep in enough Democrats to implement amnesty.
not true actually. see above. Our best chance at stoppy amnesty is to win as many senate seats as possible. We can only do that if McCain wins and/or does very well.
Best case scenario: McCain manages to have a huge sweep. It bring back enough Republicans in the House to make amnesty a dead letter.
“Meanwhile, a group of House Democrats met Wednesday to discuss more comprehensive legislation that would mend a persistent shortfall in temporary visas for seasonal workers and grants some protection to undocumented workers already in this country.”
Note the media bias here...
Democrats want Amnesty-by-the-slice.
“With a GOP majority we passed the Bush tax cuts. The Democrat majority is set to take away the Bush tax cuts”
Without winning majorities in at least one (probably both) houses of Congress, those tax cuts are history regardless of who sits in the White House.
Time for a sanity check. Most incumbent Reps further down on the ticket hold opposite positions from McCain on such issues as immigration, global warming, campaign finance reform, embryonic stem cell research, closing Gitmo, drilliing in Anwar, etc. They will have to run against the maverick standard bearer of the GOP, which will put them more at risk.
Only the Stupid Party [GOP] nominates its maverick to be its nominee for President. If McCain does well, it may very well hurt the rest of the Reps in terms of reelection or being elected.
McCain has about six months left that he can use to show conservatives he's serious by BUILDING THE DAMN FENCE NOW! He's a 25 year Senator, if he can't (or won't) get this done, he really doesn't want (or deserve) to be President.
... Latinos are no longer the sleeping giant in American politics – they are fully awake, active and making a difference.
It is the Americans (mostly white) that are in a deep sleep.
I was impressed, too. What a tough cold life. The cross fire is getting closer and closer to my house!
I’ve been through enough election cycles to know that coattails happen and it doesnt matter if the candidate is a clone of the top of the ticket guy, its a matter of turnout. McCain wins = good for conservative Republicans running for congress. McCain loses = bad for conservative Republicans running for congress.
In any case, there is a more direct way to success in the Congressional races than helping McCain.
we need to simply support the conservatives that are running in tight races in Congress ... our help will make a difference ... such as:
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/dld1717/2008/mar/06/congressional_updates
MI 7 Walberg (R)
A poll of voters in southern Michigan’s 7th U.S. House District shows Republican incumbent Tim Walberg and Democratic challenger Mark Schauer running about even.
The polling company EPIC-MRA says 49 percent of those it phoned supported Schauer, while 48 percent backed Walberg. The company polls for The Detroit News and WXYZ-TV.
2006: Tim Walberg (R) 50 percent, Sharon Renier (D) 46 percent
President Bush carried district with 53-54% in 00 and 04
Walhberg is a conservative candidate who knocked off a RINO in 2006.
“Without winning majorities in at least one (probably both) houses of Congress, those tax cuts are history regardless of who sits in the White House.”
Well Republicans should use this issue like a hammer so they win back the Congress!!
Just take a look at the total insanity of Juan McCain. The lunatic must be stopped ALL costs!
# 2006- Sen. McCain voted against extending the border fence in the Sessions Amendment (2) to H.R. 5441.
# 2006- Sen. McCain voted to prevent the border fence from being built by voting in favor of the Managers Amendment to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006.
# 2006- Sen. McCain voted to allow illegal aliens to receive Social Security by voting to table the Ensign Amendment to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006.
# 2006- Sen. McCain voted against funding additional immigration investigators by voting against the Sessions Amendment (1) to H.R. 5441.
# 2005- Sen. McCain voted against providing funding for additional Border Patrol and ICE agents by voting against the Byrd Amendment to H.R. 1268.
McCAIN: THE AMNESTY KING FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
o 2007 ? Sen. McCain was heavily involved in the backroom negotiations of S. 1348 with Sen. Kennedy and Pres. Bush ? this was an amnesty (permanent residency & path to citizenship) for more than 10 million illegal aliens.
o 2007 ? Sen. McCain cast several votes to protect the amnesty in S. 1639 and to move the amnesty toward a vote.
o 2007- Sen. McCain is a cosponsor of S. 774, the DREAM Act. The bill would grant in-state tuition and amnesty to more than a million illegal aliens under the age of 30.
o 2007- Sen. McCain is a cosponsor of S. 340, the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007 (AgJOBS). This bill would grant amnesty to millions of illegal agricultural workers.
o 2006- Sen. McCain voted in favor of S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. This bill would have awarded amnesty to 10.2 million illegal aliens.
o 2005- Sen. McCain and Sen. Kennedy introduced S.1033, an amnesty for virtually all illegal aliens.
o 2005- Sen. McCain was a cosponsor of S. 239, the AgJOBS amnesty.
o 2003- Sen. McCain was a cosponsor of S. 1645, the AgJOBS amnesty.
o 2003- Sen. McCain was a cosponsor the S. 1461 amnesty for millions of illegal aliens.
McCain is going to depress Rep turnout. And his positions on the issues will help the Dem opponents running against Reps who must take positions opposite the standard bearer. McCain will turn off Reps when he debates his Dem opponent. He will be espousing many of the same views they do on such issues as immigration, global warming, campaign finance reform, tax cuts for the wealthy, closing Gitmo, embryonic stem cell research, drilling in Anwar, etc. Conservatives will be blowing a gasket watching him. If you think it is bad now, wait until the Fall.
Since we are most likey screwed I say we loudly stand our ground then either McCain comes to us he is screwed. As is the country.
Jumping on his bandwagon as he courts DamnocRATS just means you approve of his sellout to mexico.
Still, John McCain would pimp his 95 year old Mom to President. I'm counting on McCain's blind ambition.
Regards
Sherrif Joe will take good care of them.
“In a McCain administration, they will be very effective in thwarting the Democrat amnesty and open borders agenda like they are doing now. McCain would continue that situation.”
That is just dishonest. Really really dishonest. You have absolutely zero basis for that statement.
Seriously, which parallel universe do you speak of this happening in? It sure as hell wouldn’t happen in our universe.
“Best case scenario: McCain manages to have a huge sweep. It bring back enough Republicans in the House to make amnesty a dead letter.”
Highly unlikely unless the Dem. candidate becomes very suspect or discredited.
Unless he does something concrete to win conservatives, a significant number will simply not vote for McCain and he’ll lose several states because of it. If just 5% - 10% of the base stays home in a few key states that could sink him.
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