'nuff said...
Posted on 04/21/2005 8:34:18 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Straight talk can often inspire public confidence and cool off the debate over emotional issues. But when the issue is illegal immigration, and the straight talk is a pithy directive, it can have the opposite effect.
Case in point: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's remarks to newspaper publishers about how he would tackle the vexing issue of illegal immigration. "It's a federal issue," Schwarzenegger said. "And the only thing that I can say and add to this is really, close the borders. Close the borders in California and all across Mexico and in the United States."
Close the borders. Thanks for the contribution, governor. Why didn't we think of that?
Schwarzenegger has since apologized for his remarks, blaming his grasp of the English language. He said yesterday he misspoke and that what he meant to say was that the United States needed to secure the border, not close it.
But it's hard to know what the governor meant. All we have is what he said, and that is what is at issue.
This public policy issue is as complicated as they come, so any worthwhile and lasting solution will have to be substantive and thoughtful.
Gov. Schwarzenegger's comments were neither. They played into the hands of Democrats who, on this issue, would rather demonize the other side than find a solution. You can just see the television commercials depicting the immigrant governor as anti-immigrant and anti-Latino. It would be a shame if that label stuck. Already, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, D-Los Angeles, has characterized the governor's remarks as the stuff of "political extremists."
Oh, brother. Schwarzenegger is no extremist. And he's certainly not anti-immigrant. Time and again, the governor has praised the immigrant tradition of this country. It's a tradition that Schwarzenegger knows well, having immigrated to the United States from Austria as a young man.
The worst thing you can say about the governor's "close the borders" remarks is that they were terribly simplistic. We're talking about 2,000 miles of "border" from San Ysidro to Brownsville, Texas. How does one "close" that?
If he really wanted to get down to brass tacks, Schwarzenegger could have said: "Go after employers." After all, he complained that the current situation was "lax." Why is that? It's because U.S. employers keep grabbing for illegal immigrants like a drowning man grabbing for a life preserver.
Even more frustrating is that Schwarzenegger's overall position on the illegal immigration issue is much more reasonable and nuanced than "close the borders." He has said previously, and he reiterated to the group of newspaper publishers, that among the proposals that deserve serious consideration are President Bush's guest worker program and legislation in Congress that would allow undocumented immigrants to have legal status.
That sort of nuance is a good thing in politics, and there has been precious little of it in the explosive debate over illegal immigration. All the more reason that Gov. Schwarzenegger should, in future discussions of this issue, steer clear of the sound bites and choose his words more carefully.
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Simplistic,, Heck! Almost Kerryesque..
Shooting from the hip may work on the movie set. Uh, Gub, you're not in Hollywood anymore,, Or are you?
Ya have to blink twice to see if you are awake and really heard what he says sometimes.
I think the Governator said EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED TO SAY. When he looks at the California balance sheets he is seeing that $10B per year number for illegal Mexicans, and when he drives through the Los Angeles area, he is seeing Mexican slums.
None of it is a pretty sight. He meant what he said. And so do the rest of we Californians that are PAYING THE PRICE.
He said "close the borders" when he meant to say "secure the borders".
Either way, he wants illegal immigration stopped!
I sent an email to the governor today. I told him he recently seems ot have taken over the roll of Senator Kerry as Leader flip-flop. I noted to him I was deeply concerned that every issue he has recently taken a position on he has changed or apologized for.
I asked him exactly what did he stand for?
Ich bin ein Berliner...
hmmm... i guess i don't consider "close the borders" and then clarifying it with: "secure the borders" a flip flop. it seems he meant the same thing to me - just more correct saying "secure" as i'm sure he is for LEGAL entry ... right?
This is so depressing that the man, for once, correctly identifies the problem with the state, and in less than 24 hours he loses his spine and backs down.
I fault him for apologizing and more importantly, blaming that he cannot speak english as the reason...
He also makes a joke of the organization that is tryig to get the Constitution changes to allow him to be President.
Can you imagine a president of the United States apologizing for comments he made becuase he did not understand the language?
.
no i can't imagine him as POTUS.
but i still think he was correct in clarifying "close" with "secure".
it's the steenking media IMO that is twisting it - not him.
"close the borders" gives the idea the the Gov is for NO immigration or travel between countries.
and "secure the borders" means... well, that's self explanatory aint it? thus the hit peices by the media..
'nuff said...
From Roget...
Main Entry: close
Part of Speech: verb 1
Definition: obstruct
Synonyms: bang, bar, block, bolt, button, caulk,
choke, clap, clench, clog, confine, congest, cork, dam,
exclude, fasten, fill, lock, occlude, plug, put to,
retard flow, screen, seal, secure, shut, shut off,
shutter, slam, stop up, stopper, stuff, turn off Antonyms: open, release, unclose, unplug, unseal
Source: Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.1.1)
Sadly it comes after flip-floping on prison reform, flip-flopping on pension reform and education funding reform.
I would agree with you if this was the only issue, clearly it is not and is what prompted my original post that I have no idea what the man stands for today.
So Arnold's simplistic "Close the borders" was a non-PC answer. Big whoop. At least he cares about our borders, which is more than I can say for some true RINOs.
He hasn't backed down. He has clarified. He is trying to avoid alienating voters. Call it backing down, but by his original comments, we know how he really feels about the border issue, and he'll have my vote come reelection time.
yep. he should get flooded with KUDOS email and calls for saying the RIGHT thing.... and then maybe he will even DO the right thing...
; )
i understand that.
but when he actually said the right thing this time IMO (i don't know where you stand on securing the border issue) he should get praised and thanked for it..... so he knows by the feedback that we agree w/ his statement... maybe he will act on it then..? maybe...
I take it you voted for him the first time and that would explain why you don't get it. He is alienating voters by his quick 24 hour turn-around mea culpa.
Call it backing down, but by his original comments, we know how he really feels about the border issue, and he'll have my vote come reelection time.
We know how he really feels? I know as an Arnold supporters that is really the most important thing-feelings. But as a conservative actions speak louder than any words he takes back! He is a failed governor who is now lost his political capital. Once the teacher's union gets you in their sights your finished. He is now irrelevant and the only thing he can do now, and he's too big of a coward to do it, is use his line-item veto power.
Let's be clear.
If Ahnold were serious about "secruing the border" he has access to the California National Guard.
So let's not kid ourselves here.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
secruing=securing
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