Posted on 04/13/2005 8:22:55 AM PDT by areafiftyone
The lead organizer for the border patrol group the Minutemen said Tuesday that he wants to invite New York Sen. Hillary Clinton to come to the Arizona-Mexico border this month to review their operation, which has so far netted the arrests of more than 300 illegal immigrants.
"We're thinking of inviting Hillary Clinton," Minuteman founder James Gilchrist told ABC Radio host Sean Hannity, adding that he'd already looked into flight arrangements to Arizona for the former first lady and could provide appropriate security.
Gilchrist's decision to invite Clinton was likely prompted by her tough comments on border security - remarks that place her sharply to the right of the Bush administration on the issue.
"I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants," she announced in Feb. 2003 radio interview, adding that "people have to stop employing illegal immigrants."
"I mean, come up to Westchester, go to Suffolk and Nassau counties," Clinton railed. "Stand on the street corners in Brooklyn or the Bronx; you're going to see loads of people waiting to get picked up to go do yard work and construction work and domestic work."
"Clearly, we have to make some tough decisions as a country," the top Democrat urged.
In comments last November, the likely 2008 presidential nominee blasted the Bush administration for turning a blind eye to the problems at the border.
"I don't think that we have protected our borders or our ports or provided our first responders with the resources they need, so we can do more and we can do better," Clinton told the Fox News Channel.
"There's technology now available," she noted. "There are some advanced radar systems. There are biometric and other kinds of identification systems that we've been very slow to deploy and unwilling to spend money on."
Gilchrist said his patrol operation is open to Clinton and anyone else who wants to review its progress, explaining, "When I first launched this in October I insisted that we have open season for all law enforcement to come in and do whatever they want - and the same with the media."
And he pointed out the obvious political benefit for any politician who wants to lend support, noting, "For every [Minuteman] down here we've probably got a hundred thousand supporters across the country."
Gilchrist said the Minutemen have already helped round up scores of illegals.
"About 300," he told Hannity. "And about 40 of those were from an aerial observer who was up six hours yesterday in his aircraft."
Oh yes, I remember it well too. It was instant insanity without rational thought.
Then why doesn't Hillary get off her duff, and go to the northern border? I wonder! Of many screaming about the southern border, isn't it strange that no one is concerned with the northern border? There have been terrorists getting in over that one illegally too! I mean, where are the minutemen up there? Why isn't Hillary and others willing to watch 'that' border too? After all, it's in HER backyard!
This is bonkers. Not only are W and Hillary completely role-reversed on this issue (from where I would have placed them, had I guessed at it five years ago), but neither of them are being sincere.. imho.. Bush made his move for hispanic votes, and now Hillary is trying to get some conservative crossover.
As ridiculous as Bush's position is, he holds the stronger ground. When it comes down to it, conservatives will think about it, and then WILL NOT vote for Hillary. It would make no sense.
For Bush, on the other hand, he already got the votes he needed. He shored up the support he wanted quickly, before those he was betraying (us? legal citizens?) knew what hit them.. or had any recourse.
So I'm surprised Hillary is wasting her time. Just exposes her even more as a phony, nobody believes she feels passionately about this. At least I haven't heard much about it before now.
oops, sorry dsutah - I meant to reply to the initial post by areafiftyone.
I like that. Now if we can get her to go for school choice, a flat tax, Social Securit y reform, etc., maybe our guys would sit up and listen.
Hopefully this will prompt Prez. Bush to take some proactive steps on the border issue. It will also net Hillary some votes, but her 2006 campaign is already a shoo-in anyway so it's worth the trade-off.
Im all for it - I am a true conservative which Bush is not and we need to raise this issue - If Clinton wants to fix the border then Im for it.
I very much doubt she plans to fix it.....she just wants the issue!
Why don't people on the 'other' side in Congress doing anything? After all, we do have two parties, don't we? If more people on both sides got off their butts and helped do something together about the illegals, maybe the Pres. could get something done! But it has to be all over the US, not just the southern border!
Could somebody please tell me what our other Presidents have done about the border? Why, pray tell, are people dumping it in our current Pres.'s lap, and all of a sudden howling for him to solve it overnight? Then do they get angry and pout if he doesn't just jump up on command, and solve it now? Maybe, just maybe, he knows something we don't? But no matter what he does, it'll never be enough for some people! He could give them a wall, and they'd complain it wasn't high enough, or made right! But a desperate group of people could find ways around a wall, it's been done many times!
Is he a wizard with a magic wand, who is supposed to wave it and "POOF", the border problems just go away? What about the governors? Senators and representatives? I know, many are concerned, and are trying to come up with solutions. But what about those who just fight the President on every stinking thing under the sun? He has come up with some solutions. Ok, maybe they won't work, but maybe some will.
But from what I've heard, something has been done, I know I'm not imagining that I've read it. Maybe more needs to be done. But I'm fed up with people that say he hasn't done anything! Other people in government need to do something too; not just the President all by himself! And not just the southern border either!
I see your point, yes, but lets not forget that our current RINO for president called these heroes 'vigilantes' and is allowing innocent citizens to be hurt, overtaxed and overburdened by the flow of ILLEGALS into our country. Bush sure in the hell doesnt care if they come here and vote democrat so why should we cite Clinton for this treason?
Both President Reagan and Clinton granted outright amnesties to illegal aliens.
Both President Reagan and Clinton granted outright amnesties to illegal aliens.
Well she can have the issue if it gets some attention from our elitist Pres. - The border is broken and its about time we fix it regardless of who is willing to stand up to do it.
"Remarks are one thing, actions quite another. Keep her promises? BWWAAAAAHAAHAAAHAAA...
"Well she can have the issue if it gets some attention from our elitist Pres. - The border is broken and its about time we fix it regardless of who is willing to stand up to do it."
I agree 100% that it needs fixing, but all we'll get from Hillary is lip service. She has no more intention of dealing with the border problems than she does of divorcing Bill while he is still of some use to her.
Sort of like the way 41 and 43 are bringing 42 into the "family" these days. Politics, ya just got to love it.
sw
Bump for later use.
Gilchrist's decision to invite Hillary Clinton was likely prompted by her tough comments on border security
Great Idea
Lock Hillary in on her border security comments and pressure republicans to get to the right of her.
SO9
And will sing an entirely different tune than the one she's singing now!
Idjits. Hellary is "against" illegal immigrants because she actually wants to legalize them all and up our quota for the Middle East. But she's crafty...
We do need to revise our quotas. We obviously need more low-skilled workers here, whether guest workers or people on the citizenship track, and Latin America is a good place to get them. (However, they should be Latin Americans, and not Saudis, Iraqis, Yemenis and the other miscellaneous folks streaming across the southern border.) Canada was a sieve, and the only documented security threats to us actually came through Canada, but Canada was at least willing to tighten up and cooperate. Mexico has been completely uncooperative and should be punished severely, which is the only solution to this problem..
We have got to make Mexico reinforce the border from its side. I think the "Minutemen" are being allowed to operate (because believe me, our law could stop them if it wanted to) as a threat to the Mexican government. The US, officially, cannot set up border posts, walls or any of the other things some people are clamoring for - imagine the press, and of course the judges would knock it down immediately.
But this is a wild card, and that's why Mexico is a little taken aback. Hillary, on the other hand, has simply found somebody (idjit nativists) to bamboozle, and they're flocking to drink the Kool-Aid. Dumbos.
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