BUSH'S IMMIGRATION PET PHRASES

michellemalkin.com ^ | 12/20/2004 | Michelle Malkin

[Joe Hadenuf]

if they do not REALLY close those borders.. the republicans have seen the end of the presidency for at least 2 cycles

Look at every poll conducted. A tremendous, overwhelming majority of Americans want this epic open border/immigration disaster stopped.

Plain and simple, we are no longer being represented.

[sinkspur]

Look at every poll conducted. A tremendous, overwhelming majority of Americans want this epic open border/immigration disaster stopped.

They do, but not that much.

If illegal immigration was a hot issue, somebody would run on it. Nobody does.

[Tarl]

I agree as well, I think that is something the President has in mind but I havent read his latest news conference which deals with the latest on this topic from what I've heard.

[Conservative4Ever]

Heard the President at the news comference earlier today...this is one issue I disagree with the President. We need to close the borders, now.

Red

[dagnabbit]

Whether or not many politicians run hard on immigration policy platforms doesn't determine whether or not Bush's amnesty scheme is good policy.

Apples and oranges.

[F16Fighter]

"Talk to them [the people]. Nobody runs on illegal immigration. If it was a winning issue, more politicians, especially along the border, would run on it. They don't."

'Illegal immigration' may not be THE "centerpiece," on a campaign near the border, but I'm sure no one's about to say it's a trivial issue.

Here in New Jersey, people are acutely aware of the problem and of the potential ramifications.

And anyway, it's on a national level of concern that legislators are obligated to enforce the law for good reason -- don't you think?

[sinkspur]

Whether or not many politicians run hard on immigration policy platforms doesn't determine whether or not Bush's amnesty scheme is good policy.

I never asserted that.

What I did assert is that illegal immigration is not a hot issue with the voters or somebody would run on it.

Nobody DOES run on it, so it must not be as hot as folks around here think it is.

[F16Fighter]

"The American people are not fooled and sooner or later they will get sick of a government by the people of the people and for the people that only covers their ears as they give them the finger."

"This is my prophecy"

RnMomof7 1:1 ?? ;-)

Good to see ya, Mom...Agree 100%

[dagnabbit]

Politicians whose pro-American views on illegals are well known like Tancredo and some of this 75 or so cohorts get reelected...and chameleon Hillary Clinton wouldn't be (albeit falsely) making pro-American noises on illegals for nothing - she's evil but not stupid.

The issue isn't hotter because it's very incremental. Conditions worsen only a few degrees each year in schools, neighborhoods, labor markets, etc. So there are rarely banner headlines associated with the issue. But there comes a time when the incremental damage becomes too plain to be ignored - as seen in Europe whee governments have changed hands over the issue (Netherlands, Denmark) and here too, when citizens get a straight shot at the issue (Calif and AZ ballot initiatives).

Hopefully the GOP congress can hold Bush off for a year or two on this issue, until he enters lame-duckhood and is no longer a threat.

[Tarl]

Amnesty would not apply to just Hispanics...its illegal immigrants employed here...a one time pardon to then create an environment for setting tougher standards. It would be a double standard to set a more rigid enforcement while ignoring those already in.

This is not an open border policy with Mexico...they just represent the most robust component of those illegally employed here.

Why must everyone allow themselves to indulge in politics at a time when we should be enjoying the benefits of being blessed with our re-elected President and having peace of mind as we approach a new year. Merry Christmas one and all.

[dagnabbit]

You know, the usual 'family values don't stop at the Rio Grande river' and 'compassionate country' nonsense along with some suspicious facial ticks and a very odd jaw-twitching routine. It was really bizarre. If I closed my eyes while this thing was going on I could visualize Jimmy Carter doing the prattling.

Not pretty. I've only seen Bush in person once. Mercifully, he was reading from notes.

[Joe Hadenuf]

The President stood up there today and literally invited millions more to pour into our country.

Eventually the idea of citizenship will become pointless. Our borders will be completely undermined.

Bush is simply going to legalize millions of criminals.

That is the end game here.

And everyone knows, that will only cause endless millions more to flood in.

[Tarl]

Hopefully you and dagnabbit are under cover indoors for surely the sky is falling and your dilemma is to seek shelter or come out and "warn" the rest of us...sorry your reponses in essence are correct but you two drown them out with ridicule of other posters and too much melodrama.

[dagnabbit]

Why must everyone allow themselves to indulge in politics at a time when we should be enjoying the benefits of being blessed with our re-elected President and having peace of mind as we approach a new year

We didn't drag this turd into the living room. Our re-elected President did. As to "benefits of being blessed", I guess those would be the illegal alien drivers licenses he fought so hard to preserve.

[txdoda]

Under Bush's plan the immigrant does need to pay a fee to apply. The amount isn't specified, but I'm willing to bet it will be nowhere near $1000. The plan does not mention a fee for the employer. I wouldn't be surprised if there ended up being one, but $1000 seems a bit steep for many of the types of jobs these people are being hired for.

How Sweet......the 3 or 4 mini amnesties (245i) we had during the 1990's at least had $1000 fine to adjust your illegal status to (poof) legal.

So whens the last time citizen's fines have been reduced (or done away with) when they break the law ???

So far as the tax evading employers go, they always receive the true *amnesty* in these deals.......no fines, no nothing, & they are free again to hire more illegals.

btw....What's it going to cost TAXPAYERS to fund another huge (inept) dept., that keeps up with comings & goings, back round checks, & employment of some 10 illegals ???

[dagnabbit]

It's about 10 degrees in Washington DC, so yes I'm indoors and under cover. And no, I don't blame Bush for the cold. As to melodrama, don't think so. We only have one United States of America. There's nowhere to go if we screw it up with irreversible changes like the ones Bush so glibly toys with.

I've lived previously in several Western European countries and have seen the radical effects of just a few decades of leftist immigration practices. Joe H. was spot on to use the term "nation-killing".

[Fatalis]

Amnesty would not apply to just Hispanics...its illegal immigrants employed here...a one time pardon to then create an environment for setting tougher standards. It would be a double standard to set a more rigid enforcement while ignoring those already in.

Who's suggesting they should be ignored?

What the President is proposing is a double standard that would favor illegal aliens who've taken unlawful employment over potential guest workers who've never broken our laws.

[Dat Mon]

"It's babies or immigrants, folks. Take your pick. We cannot arrive at 2025 with two workers per retiree."

We have a future demographic problem...that much is true. Has any government official talked about this problem as you are doing?

Are we prepared to do socio-political-economic engineering on a never before tried scale over the next 10 years to try to arrive at a solution? Is the solution truly beneficial to America in the long run...or just the best of several bad solutions?

Do we trust the government to have the wisdom to make difficult but necessary choices along the way...or merely politically expedient ones.

Do the apparent failures to date of enforcement of existing laws, as well as nonsense PC statements from HSA administrators such as Asa Hutchinson provide a warm feeling that future programs will be administered and enforced according to the laws?

Don't know about you...but I want to see some numbers...analysis...economic and demographic studies that support a guest worker program.

I want Bush to be honest about our hard choices and bring this issue to the American people. I want to see a due diligent effort to restrict the existing illegal border activity, and prosecute employers who are breaking the laws NOW.

[Dat Mon]

Ill go you one better on a three step process. This is a repost of mine from November to Howlin......

"what's your solution now? Round them up and send them back first?"

"There is no solution that can be applied now to an already large problem that will not raise loud objections from somebody.

The most efficient way is to start NOW with ENFORCEMENT by making both the employers and the workers pay a penalty for skirting the current law.

You have to make the penalties for hiring of illegals severe. And you have to have random audits and inspections of EMPLOYERS, conducted by teams of enforcement agents. This will cost money, employers will hate it. Illegal workers groups, and Mexico will protest.

Im talking severe penalties, such that a mid-large company would not want to take a risk. Still, you may not get to the illegals working for small outfits.

For an illegal, the penalty is that anyone who is caught in this country illegally is deported immediately, and is forever barred from entering legally later in a guest worker program. This is enforced by means of fingerprints and photo ID, which is entered into a database.

If this sounds draconian, try getting a top secret clearance to work on a military program. All illegals who are caught should be fingerprinted, and photographed before deportation.

Require that people at hospitals WITHOUT INSURANCE who do not speak or understand English present valid proof of citzenship or visa status at time of treatment. If they do not have proof, they are treated, then released to LEO /immigration for deportation, same rules apply. Of course, some will get fraudulent papers on the black market. Hospitals will protest, so federal funds will have to be provided to hospitals to hire additional staff to enforce the laws. Some municipalities will not want to comply.

Hopefully, the result of these actions is that many illegals will voluntarily leave this country if they can, and start the legal process to register.

Now we get to enforcement at the borders, to insure that these people cannot slip back in later. This is where technology that we currently have is deployed efficiently.

All the steps the feds take must be broadcast loud and clear to the Hispanic community, and to the Mexican government.

Everything above is to START.

With the above in place, then you can start to implement a guest worker program. Otherwise, its the cart before the horse."