Posted on 09/02/2004 9:02:52 AM PDT by seastay
NEW YORK - All is not sunshine at the Republican convention. Tom Tancredo isn't smiling much.
Tancredo is a conservative congressman from the Denver suburbs who has made immigration his signature issue. The open-bor- ders policy of President Bush drives him crazy.
Tancredo held a press conference to express his displeasure - in a kosher New York restaurant staffed by foreign accents from around the globe. Outside on Broadway, the international hordes went about their business.
Also note that Tancredo's fellow panelists were New Yorkers who swim easily in the sea of diversity. They didn't reflect any white-bread fears of brown-skinned masses taking over.
Some panelists told reporters that they disagreed with the fiery congressman on many issues. But they clearly shared his concern that illegal immigration threatens both Americans' livelihoods and their lives.
This broad-based agreement makes Tancredo and like- minded conservatives boil. Illegal immigration aggravates Americans across the political spectrum, yet Republicans can't start an honest discussion on an issue that should belong to them.
Democrats wink at illegal immigration because it brings them new voters. But Bush and other Republicans are now accepting it as a source of cheap labor.
Many in the so-called liberal news media no longer bother to even distinguish between legal and illegal in their coverage of immigration. President Bush seems to have joined them.
Tancredo bitterly recalls Bush's speech backing a program to grant guest-worker status to illegal immigrants already working in the United States. "I want to match every willing worker with every willing employer," the president said.
"There are a billion willing workers," Tancredo told the press conference, "all of them willing to work for less than someone (an American) already employed."
Sharing the podium was Matthew Reindl, whose family owns a carpentry shop on Long Island. He said most of his employees are legal immigrants "from almost every nationality you can think of." But when it comes to pricing jobs, his legal immigrants can't compete with his rivals' illegal immigrants.
Reindl noted that he provides his workers with good wages, health insurance and workers' compensation coverage. His lawbreaking competitors do none of these things. As a result, his labor costs are at least 60 percent higher than theirs.
Michael Cutler was a senior special agent for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (since folded into the Department of Homeland Security). "I don't oppose diversity," said Cutler, who added he is the son of Jewish immigrants.
But he says the blatant flouting of the nation's immigration laws greases the skids for terrorists.
For one thing, the presence of so many illegal aliens has created a brisk business for mail drops, fake documents and other tools designed to fool law enforcement. Terrorists also use these services to cover their tracks.
Cutler sees local governments and employers complicit in the game of fudging identities. Most scandalous is their growing acceptance of identification cards issued by foreign authorities. He noted that a group of illegal immigrants had successfully used such documents to board a flight from California to New York.
"People were let on planes on the strength of Mexican voter registration cards," he said.
Like the other panelists, Tancredo regards Bush's guest-worker proposal as a reward for lawbreaking. And he thinks it will only encourage more people to come here illegally.
"The president went on in the speech to say he opposed amnesty," Tancredo complained. "That is amnesty in the language I speak." He characterized Bush's line as "Clinton- esque," hardly a tribute in his circles.
Tancredo reportedly has received some stern phone calls from Karl Rove, the president's adviser. Bush and Rove believe that an open-border policy will attract Latino voters to the Republican column.
That is debatable. After all, studies show illegal competition has helped paralyze economic progress for low-skilled Hispanics, including those born in the United States.
Tancredo denies that his criticisms are hurting Bush: "I think the president's position on immigration is hurting the president."
After the press conference, the attendees melted into the multicultural bazaar of Broadway - after showing that one does not have to be a right-wing ideologue to agree that illegal immigration is a real problem.
Now we know are nation is really in trouble when the lift wing loonies agree with the wing ideologues!
ping
After the press conference, the attendees melted into the multicultural bazaar of Broadway - after showing that one does not have to be a right-wing ideologue to agree that illegal immigration is a real problem.
Nor do we have to be left-wing lock-steppers to agree with ZEL MILLER!
The Republican party, at leats allows differing opinions. I myself do not agree with Dubya's immigration policies, but that does not make him a bad president.
ANd just maybe, I dont have all the FACTS about his immigration policy - only media spin.
This is a serious problem and a serious weakness in the position Bush has taken.
If there is a terrorist attack before the election and the media traces it back to illegal Muslim immigrants, it will probably cost Bush the election.
Perhaps the Republicans should also revisit efforts to save the snail-darter - what the heck, terrorism and the economy are just so much fluff... /sarcasm
This is a troubling issue for Bush. There is a large contingent of northeast Republicans, like those in the Southwest are vehemently anti-immigration. Combined with union Democrats, this voter block forms a large portion of America whose views are unrepresented by any political party. This won't stand for long. I have heard James Carville (regardless of your personal opinion of the man, he is still an astute mind on political issues) predict that growing discontent over the immigration issue will give rise to a populist third party presidential run in 2008 that will capture over 30% of the popular vote. I suspect he may be right.
My view.....Deport, deport deport!
I agree, but like I tell my friends.... as bad as Bush is on this issue, John Kerry will be far worse!!! I think that Bush will be forced to deal with this issue since it appears as though Al Qaeda may now be infiltrating the country through the Mexican border.
bump
Would there be any logical reason to withold those facts from the American people?
Election time is drawing near.
I think he's right. There are too many American voters who feel displaced by their party's refusal to represent them regarding this issue. Everyone I have talked to is absolutely disgusted about this.
Buchanan has trained his sock puppet Trancredo well and still keeps him on a short lease. Tancredo's Pac is chaired by Bay Buchanan and his webmaster is Buchanan's webmaster. They control his communications and contributor lists.
BINGO!
Vote my tag line!
So this is Bush's admission that his political party/career is more important than the security and the welfare of the common persons of this country?
I will seriously consider such a party...like they say "You gotta break some eggs to make an omelete."
Though I'm hoping for Tom Tancredo or someone similar in views to emerge within the GOP by 2008, a third party may be what's necessary if the politicians continue to ignore the vast majority of people who are fed up with open borders and uncontrolled immigration.
Would there be any logical reason to withold those facts from the American people?<<<
If the media is withholding facts, it is to undermine Bush.
If the Government is withholding facts, it is to undermine terrorists.
Why let terrorists reallly KNOW what defenses we have at the border?
I still remember "Campaign of disinformation"
Even Zell Miller opposes Bush's amnesty plan, and I wish he would have said so last night during his wonderful speech.
Sadly, if this immigration issue defeats GW, all of us close-the-border advocates will sit back and say, "I told you so!", while Kerry takes away ALL restrictions on illegal immigration.
a third party may be what's necessary if the politicians continue to ignore the vast majority of people who are fed up with open borders and uncontrolled immigration<<<<
I know this is in reference to the border issue, but I believe the two-party system is more workable than a two party system.
That being said, I would not mind seeing the fall of the democrat party, and a replacement made such as Liberatarian or Constitutional, or any other currently pro-American Third-Party as a balance to the Republican Party.
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