Bush declares war on immigrant cleaning ladies

The Hill ^ | October 29, 2003 | Dick Morris

[paulklenk]

Taking time out from the war on terror and the war on drugs, President Bush, to the purple born, has declared war on cleaning ladies.

The agents of his wrath swooped down on 61 Wal-Mart stores in 21 states where men and women from South America and Eastern Europe toiled at minimum-wage jobs mopping floors and cleaning toilets until Bush closed them down. One wonders if the president remembers the words of the man whom he once cited as his role model: “That which you do to the least of these, you do to me.”

Perhaps the president and all his advisers have forgotten that their ancestors, too, were immigrants who had to struggle to make it in this new land. The fact that their forebears may or may not have come here legally and these plunderers of our national treasure came without sanction of law merely betokens how self-involved we are in our prosperity, narcissistically refusing to share it with those in need.

These men and women now in jail came here seeking work, not welfare. The $11 billion a year Mexican Americans send home to their impoverished nation gives every man, woman and child back home $110 with which to buy food and other necessities. Bush no doubt has no family memories of immigrants who sent money home, but those of us of more recent vintage recall clearly the stories of our fathers and grandfathers. It was that money that allowed our ancestors to survive.

Does Bush seriously contend that, with 6 percent unemployment, there are Americans waiting to take the jobs of those he arrested at Wal-Mart? He knows full well that the alternative to illegal immigrants performing those jobs is to use robots to do it. He has not saved jobs for Americans. He has saved them for robots.

For those in high dudgeon who are reading this column and would intone piously about the rule of law, let me ask if you are sure the toilet you used at the gas station was cleaned by a legal immigrant or a U.S. citizen. How about your garden and lawn? And your housecleaners? And the guy who waits on you at the lunch counter or cleans the dishes after you have eaten? Are those all here legally? I invite you to vindicate your self-righteous views on immigration by mowing your own lawn, cleaning your own toilets and cooking your own food — or do so for $5.25 an hour.

America needs Bush to crack down on illegal immigration, but from nations that harbor terrorists or sponsor them. We need an end to immigrants coming in on student visas from those nations. We must have more aggressive efforts to round up those who have overstayed their visas who hail from lands that wish us no good.

We need an immigration policy along the lines of legislation proposed by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) that would reward with amnesty and citizenship those who pass certain criteria such as English literacy, no arrest record and employment with contributions to Social Security.

The Republican Party can continue its war on Hispanics and its battles against cleaning ladies if it wants, but it does so at the price of its own electability. What message does the Wal-Mart raid send at a time when Bush is attempting to overcome past GOP insistence on cutoff of aid to legal immigrants by adopting pro-Hispanic policies and appointing top level Hispanics to key jobs?

Americans do not confuse hardworking Mexican and Eastern European immigrants, legal and illegal, with those who come to our nation from nations that sponsor or harbor terrorists. We know that the former build our nation and the latter want to tear it down. Bush does himself and his party no good by attacking the good immigrants and letting the bad ones go free.

[StarFan]

Holding our representatives accountable is a great start Unfortunately Paul ours is an up-hill battle with Schumer and Clinton but that shouldn't deter us. I've since learned that my representative, Sue Kelly, acknowledges more must be done to secure our borders and is in favor of "English Only" legislation.

[The Westerner]

Impeach the boy, I wholeheartedly agree with your anger at their misuse of our welfare state...but one thing I've noticed in dealing with immigrants...they are not loathe to take advantage of any handout. The corrupt political countries that they come from have not instilled a belief in them that taking a handout from government is anathema. Quite the opposite, that you're a fool if you don't take advantage of handouts.

Many older Americans can remember a time when they would have cringed to take medicaid, food stamps or any other government welfare. They were raised to be self-sufficient, thank you very much! My own father was like this, until he got older and changed with the times.

So the only solution is to end the freebies for these newcomers. If we end all government medicaid, food stamps, free medical care in emergency rooms...we would save our country. If we don't, we are asking for our own destruction.

[TexasCajun]

I saw Dick Morris on TV last night.
What a fat pig he has turned into.
Reminded me of Jaba-the-Hut, AKA Jerrold Nadler.

[Justice]

True. This issue should have both the carrot and stick approaches.

The carrot has been used ad infinitum...but very little stick.

Morris is dead wrong.

[sasafras]

Hey liberal elitest do goooder,aka paulklenk, Ive got a message for you, next time you think that all these illegals are just wonderful hardoworking people take a trip down to your local jail and see who's locked up. Oh wait a minute you live in New York where elitist like yourself dont have to deal with the criminals and thugs that illegally steal across the border to steal, deal drugs, and murder innocent American Citizens.

Tell me do you believe in borders at all? Huh? Come on and answer that question. If the answer is anything other than yes then you are leftest wanting to dilute the values that make this country great. America is not a dumping ground for anyone and everyone - it should be a place where those who struggle legally to come here should be rewarded. Next time you want to open your mouth about how great illegals are, why dont you come down here to Tucson and I'll take you to Nogales where they laugh at lilly white liberals, metrosexual baby boys like yourself up as a shining example of why America is easily conqured.

[sasafras]

Hey liberal elitest do goooder,aka paulklenk, Ive got a message for you, next time you think that all these illegals are just wonderful hardoworking people take a trip down to your local jail and see who's locked up. Oh wait a minute you live in New York where elitist like yourself dont have to deal with the criminals and thugs that illegally steal across the border to steal, deal drugs, and murder innocent American Citizens.

Tell me do you believe in borders at all? Huh? Come on and answer that question. If the answer is anything other than yes then you are leftest wanting to dilute the values that make this country great. America is not a dumping ground for anyone and everyone - it should be a place where those who struggle legally to come here should be rewarded. Next time you want to open your mouth about how great illegals are, why dont you come down here to Tucson and I'll take you to Nogales where they laugh at lilly white liberals, metrosexual baby boys like yourself as a shining example of why America can be easily conqured. I bet your favorite political candidate is Kucinich - pray to the god of peace, right?

[Paulus Invictus]

It's relatively easy to come here legally. Go home, wherever that is, get to the nearest US Embassy, fulfill the requirements, get on the waiting list and be patient. It does take time and effort, but can be done.

Sorry, but the US is not the place for all the millions of people in the world that want to come here illegally for whatever reason, including terrorism. The question is: when will the illegal invasion stop? Answer: never, as long as the RATs and many Pubbies (including Hatch!) believe it's a good idea to "legalize" them by gummint fiat. No other big issue gets more public attention and stimulates more anger than this one, but the pols are impermeable to suggestions that they do something about controlling the invasion. For many Americans, this is the major issue of the 2004 election.

[Paulus Invictus]

It's relatively easy to come here legally. Go home, wherever that is, get to the nearest US Embassy, fulfill the requirements, get on the waiting list and be patient. It does take time and effort, but can be done.

Sorry, but the US does not have room or the infrastructure to support all the millions of people in the world that want to come here illegally for whatever reason, including terrorism. The question is: when will the illegal invasion stop? Answer: never, as long as the RATs and many Pubbies (including Hatch!) believe it's a good idea to "legalize" them by gummint fiat. No other big issue gets more public attention and stimulates more anger than this one, but the Federal ansd State politicianss are impermeable to suggestions that they do something about controlling the invasion. For many Americans, this is the major issue of the 2004 election.

[honeygrl]

LOL my toddler son love that show. My mom jokes that he's going to speak spanish before he starts school. Not a bad thing though nowadays for him to start learning it since it may be a requirement for a lot of jobs in the not-so-distant future. Of course, my view is that everyone should learn english before coming here (we don't go to mexico and expect them to know english, we know we have to learn spanish to get around if we go there) but it just doesn't seem like that is ever going to happen. When I visited honduras, I learned enough spanish to communicate what I needed to get across, and I think people who come here should have the same courtesy.

[honeygrl]

"What do you do about due process? "

Why would a non-citizen have a right to due process? I think all the money being spent on the WOD would be put to much better use securing the borders and looking for illegal aliens. When they are found, you either bus them back to their country (if it's a border country) or you fly them back to their home country and make the government of their country foot the bill for it.

[Moby Grape]

We are on the same page. I have found the latino workers (people) to be wonderful to work with....they are generous, respectful...and they APPRECIATE the opporutunity to work in this country. I, like you, primarily blame the Congress that has created and allowed a welfare mentality to exist, which in turn, leads to fraud.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

Bush does himself and his party no good by attacking the good immigrants and letting the bad ones go free.

You cease to be a good immigrant the moment you enter or stay in the country illegally.

[truthkeeper]

I hear you, Paul. My former housekeeper kept an attorney on retainer for thousands of dollars. After about 10 years he said he couldn't help her. The immigration process is totally broken!

So what are you saying, that she was here illegally all that time? Is she still here illegally?

I am the granddaughter of four LEGAL immigrants. Both my grandmothers had to wait years for my grandfathers to make legal arrangements for their entry into this country via Ellis Island and the Port of Boston. I suspect the situation is exactly the same with many, many other FReepers here.
Are we supposed to cry for people who want to cut in line?

[sweetliberty]

"Bush declares war on immigrant cleaning ladies"

"Bush declares war on immigrant criminal alien cleaning ladies."

A few hundred down and a few million more to go....that is if he gets these the h*ll out! This invasion is adding considerably to the forces that are working diligently to destroy the fabic of this country....quite successfully, I might add.

[StoneColdGOP]

Hey DICK -

They're ILLEGAL. They don't f'ing belong here! And don't go mistaking Bush as some sort of anti-illegal immigration warrior all of a sudden. Rounding up cleaning ladies is window dressing at best.

Progress is manning the border and turning back the wave that inundates us every day.

[JustPiper]

TK? Did you ping my bell? -g-

[truthkeeper]

It's about time you got here, JP. Check out this thread, but better take blood pressure medication first.

[wattsmag2]

I don't know why it's so hard for people to understand: I want a legal, lawful, systematic way for people to get here on an expedited basis.

Why expedited?

[MissAmericanPie]

They can be decent in their own countries. The second they stepped across our boders uninvited they became unwanted, lawless, invaders.

Throwing around scriptures that do not apply to American citizens isn't going to get it. What these invaders have done to us their brothers, is invade our nation, and brought along with them a marxist voting record that they will inflict on the least of these our children. So how about the author stick to the first and only sin committed in this situation, the sin committed against the American taxpayer and legitimate citizen?

We have immigration laws, the lawless break them, so don't talk decent to Americans worn out with them, and with the thumb sucking, bleeding hearts, committing treason and sedition against their own countrymen.

[John Jorsett]

Protecting our country should be paramount, but there has got to be a simple way to identify, document and legalize a lot of people who are currently here illegally, and also to revamp our immigration system and policies to make it easier for decent people to come here and work.

There are tens of millions here already. How much easier do we need to make it? A hundred million? Five hundred million? If you legalize it, that means that some will still be excluded, and they'll enter illegally. All you'll have done is admit a (legal) flood tide of unskilled, poor, and ill-educated humanity who won't assimilate, will overwhelm our ability to provide for them, and you'll still have those present who are living on the fringes of society, just as they are now.