H2BMe to PoohBah:
</> Posted on 01/08/2004 3:34:13 PM PST by kellynla
I am beginning to think John McCain actually won the presidency in 2000.
Conservatives were relieved when the Straight Talk Express petered out during the 2000 primary season. John McCain, although tough on national security and runaway spending, was hardly a conservative on major issues such as campaign finance, healthcare reform and immigration.
Yet this is exactly where we find President Bush today (except unlike McCain, Bush doesn’t seem to have much of a problem with runaway spending). Last year President George Bush signed the McCain-Feingold bill into law, which is one of the worst assaults on political speech this country has ever seen. When conservatives (and many liberals) howled, the President’s advisers whispered that they believed the Supreme Court would “clean up” the more onerous parts of the bill which dictates the types of political ads that can air before a general election or primary contest. Of course the Supreme Court rubber stamped the entire thing and so the result is less, not more political speech in the U.S.
And now President Bush charges across the landscape to rescue us from our “unfair” and “broken” immigration system by rewarding people who came here illegally with the promise of legal status. This proposal essentially mirrors the immigration legislation sponsored by—you got it—Sen. McCain. Under the Bush/McCain plan, anyone outside the U.S. who wants to come into the country would only need to show proof of a “job offer” in order to get an initial three-year work permit that would be renewable for an unspecified period. Such temporary workers could also bring family members here. What prevents these people from staying on beyond their time premitted for "temporary" work? As it stands now, there seems to be no limit on the immigration —temporary or permanent— allowed under this plan. And as for the claim that this would be a big boon to the American economy? Illegal immigration costs taxpayers $20 billion each year, in extra education, healthcare, welfare, and prison costs. Today thirty-four percent of Mexicans legally in the U.S., and 25 percent of Mexicans illegally here are welfare.
How are those costs diminished under the Bush plan?
Most bewildering is the Administration idea that this plan is necessary for homeland security reasons. On the contrary, it would not be surprising if some would-be terrorists are among the millions of illegals who will become “documented” under the Bush plan. As Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) charged, "Guest worker programs and gradual amnesty provide cover for terrorists."
It’s easy to understand why Vicente Fox, McCain, big business, and La Raza are happy this week—but what’s in this new proposal for working class American families? How about those immigrants who a lot of time and money to comply with our immigration laws?
The real answer is absolutely nothing. The only reasonable prediction is that wages for a wide range of jobs will be kept artificially depressed by outside workers—now with “legal status” will work for peanuts. “I have worked construction for 30 years as a truck driver (18-wheeler),” wrote one of my listeners, “And every year my pay has gone down because Mexicans are flooding the trucking industry…."
When Bill Clinton says we live in an “increasingly borderless world,” we’re not surprised. It’s the usual globaloney blather. But when a Republican president advocates a policy that will make our borders effectively meaningless, we should be outraged.
With his approval numbers high, President Bush has made a devil’s bargain with business and Hispanic groups. Elites from both parties are ignoring the view of a strong majority of Americans that we need to stop illegal immigration, not high-five it.
Another listener wonders: “What happened to the ‘party of principle’? More like the party of pandering. Considering the massive numbers involved, this amnesty being floated really is Pandora's Box, once opened cannot be closed.”
President Bush has now done the equivalent of posting a sign at the border: “Help Wanted for $5.15/hour.”
Conservatives are right to be disappointed in President Bush. We are right to ignore the Administration’s promise that this time, non-amnesty amnesty will be good for the American people. Our citizenship and legal residence should be reserved for people who love this country enough that breaking her laws—whether at the border or on the street—is out of the question. The next time I hear from his Administration that it is doing all it can to protect our homeland, secure our borders, and increase our standard of living, I will laugh.
Now I know the definition of “compassionate conservative:” a person who campaigns as a conservative, then sells out key conservative principles.
Again, you're trying to take support for a goal--ending illegal immigration, somehow, some way, in a manner that doesn't personally inconvenience the pollee or cost them more money--and trying to translate it into support for something that will cost them money.
You're dealing with a problem we have in America--people aren't willing to actually do the work. Why do you think lotteries sell so many tickets? Because people want to get rich, but they don't want to do the hard work necessary to get rich. Why do you think people want electrical power to be cheap and readily available, but don't want an icky power plant built where it would "spoil nature?" Because they want BOTH goods--they want electricity, but they don't want to deal with the messiness of generating it.
Unfortunately, no politician in either party, except Tancredo, is even proposing this.
The fact that border-state politicians aren't supporting it should tell you something--they aren't willing to waste their time.
If you work in your home, then I agree. But if you are wal-mark or a construction site or a factory then yes, NIS can come by any time they think they should. And if your illegal is in public view, like painting your house then you can be busted at home too.
Right now, it's a fact. End illegal immigration, and our population starts declining--and it will get worse in the out years, because America as a whole is aging (and thus passing into demographics with higher mortality rates AND lower fertility rates, a double hit on population figures).
There are millions of people around the world who have applied for U.S. citizenship. We should bring these people in faster
Unfortunately, you now have to deal with "friendly fire." Many who favor greater stringency against ILLEGAL immigration also want LEGAL immigration sharply curtailed or ended.
You're dealing with a problem we have in America--people aren't willing to actually do the work
The truth is that American are willing to do the work, they just want to get paid a descent wage for doing it.
By God, Poohbah, for the first time today I can actually say I agree with a whole entire paragraph you've written!
But, as I said before, there are plenty of foreigners who have applied legally for entry into the U.S. to fill ALL the jobs that Americans are too lazy to do. We do not have to grant amnestry to millions of criminals who have shown nothing but contempt for our laws.
Quite possibly, that is a misperception on your part. All week long, I've been accused of being "anti-immigration" simply because of my anti-ILLEGAL-immigration stance. Loads of Freepers are confusing these two positions.
Well, I have never been. However, after tonight's encounter with Poohbah, I'm reconsidering my position.
H2BMe to PoohBah:
</> Spoken like a man with real experience . .
| Bush's Ridiculous Speech About Immigration Reform |
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| DUMPING CONSERVATIVES AT THE BORDER |
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| Jobs Americans Won't Do: Voodoo Economics from the White House. |
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The only way we are going to solve our illegal problem is with employer sanctions and removing illegal from public assitance. We have to put some teeth into the employer sanctions and that means emplyer inspections by NIS or some other agent. There is no other way so either deal with it or learn to live in Azland.
Right On!
Nope. There are lots of FReepers, and those outside of FR, who want to restrict legal immigration. They tend to be Buchananite or other flavors of paleocon.
LOL!
Thanks louie!!
We have a room full of people here and when I clicked on your post, there was a sudden burst of laughter.
This just don't get any better!
If they're hanging out with you, it doesn't take much to amuse them.
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