[My2Cents]

I live in California, in a small farming community in the Sacramento Valley. Over half the residents of our town are migrant workers and their families. The flood of immigrants coming into our state is of concern to me, but I also see the reality that if we rounded them all up and threw them across the border, the ag industry in California would be decimated. I'm not thrilled with Bush's immigration proposal, but I'm also not going to kick him to the side of the road over one or two issues.

If Bush loses, it will be more the fault of strident narrowminded "conservatives" who blow one or two issues way out of proportion compared to the bigger picture. Fortunately, this "base" you say is being driven away amounts to a very small proportion of the electorate.

[Map Kernow]

I live in California

So do I. I don't live in an ag community, but I do live in a suburban area where people have illegals mow their lawns, do construction, etc. I hear the same economic arguments you're using and I think they're bogus. The economy isn't going to tank if we have to figure another way to cut costs of delivering goods and services than importing a lot of cheap labor illegally.

If Bush loses, it will be more the fault of strident narrowminded "conservatives" who blow one or two issues way out of proportion compared to the bigger picture.

Yeah, imagine those @$$holes getting all upset over spending money we don't have, or rewarding people who came here in defiance of our laws, and often break more than the immigration laws once they're here? What are they thinking? Don't they realize it's worth it to spend ourselves into penury, and to turn our country into "Mexico del Norte" just to make sure a Democrat isn't elected??? (Instead of someone who just occasionally resembles a Democrat...I mean, for expediency's sake....)

Fortunately, this "base" you say is being driven away amounts to a very small proportion of the electorate.

Why, good! Who cares what they think anyway then, hunh? As long as they number less than, say, a couple of hundred voters in a state like, say, Florida, they can go stick enchiladas where the sun don't shine, right?

So just pour your contempt on them from now 'til Election Day, and sit back and watch GW get re-elected! WOOO-HOOO, MARGE!!!!!!!!

[NordP]

"I live in California, in a small farming community in the Sacramento Valley. Over half the residents of our town are migrant workers and their families. The flood of immigrants coming into our state is of concern to me, but I also see the reality that if we rounded them all up and threw them across the border, the ag industry in California would be decimated. I'm not thrilled with Bush's immigration proposal, but I'm also not going to kick him to the side of the road over one or two issues.

If Bush loses, it will be more the fault of strident narrowminded "conservatives" who blow one or two issues way out of proportion compared to the bigger picture. Fortunately, this "base" you say is being driven away amounts to a very small proportion of the electorate."

I also live in CA. I think you're post is stated so well, that I had to re-post it.

Hubby and I watched the State of the Union address at a La Jolla restaurant/bar--upstairs, with many of the top leaders of the Republican party in San Dieg. We spoke with a gentleman there that gave many copies of his book on the illegal immigrant situation and his ideas to ease this disturbing situation, to the White House. He said many of his ideas were included in the Bush proposal. One of his ideas was a sort of ATM account for the migrant worker, where the worker could spend a portion of his money earned in the US, and the most and remainder would be set up in an account in his home country--accessable only when IN his home country. I thought this was pretty innovative, and if this idea IS included in the Bush proposal, and people like me don't know of it.....there's a serious "sales" problem in the message of what this proposal really says. We should all be better informed of its contents.

In general, Republicans still need help in the "selling" and "marketing" part of their excellent message to their fellow Americans. We're making progress, but we're still light years away from great.

NordP

[section9]

There's also something else. Bush's gastarbeiter program was designed to be broadcast into the Mexican community but to die in committee in Congress. It's sort of like the Sunset provision of the AWB. Bush says he'll sign it if it reaches his desk, because he made that promise during the 2000 campaign.

It won't reach his desk. It's not supposed to. Same with the Mexicans Under the Bed Program.

Be Seeing You,

Chris