Posted on 05/06/2005 5:08:06 PM PDT by John Jorsett
A new opinion poll by Zogby International indicates Americans are hardly pleased with the Bush administration on the subject of illegal immigration.
The poll, cited on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" program yesterday, noted a huge majority – 81 percent – believes local and state police should help federal authorities enforce laws against illegal immigration. Only 14 percent disagreed.
Voters were also asked, "Do you support or oppose the Bush administration's proposal to give millions of illegal aliens guest worker status and the opportunity to become citizens?" Only 35 percent gave their support, and 56 percent said no.
"A majority opposed illegal immigration," pollster John Zogby told CNN. "In fact, when you combine those two terms, 'illegal and immigration,' it really conjures up a considerable amount of negatives. And, in fact, we find that it's really across the board."
According to the report, the greatest opponents of illegal immigration are Democrats, African-Americans, women and people with household income below $75,000, those with the most to lose in the job market.
When it came to the status of the nation's borders, respondents were asked, "Do you agree or disagree that the federal government should deploy troops on the Mexican border as a temporary measure to control illegal immigration?" A clear majority – 53 percent – agree, while 40 percent disagree.
"The Minuteman program highlighted the fact that we need more tighter border security," Phil Kent of American Immigration Control Foundation told the network. "So I think these numbers again are good. It's a good civics lesson for the American people. It shows our elected leaders that we want action."
In summing up her report, CNN correspondent Lisa Sylvester noted, "So, while the public wants tougher borders, politicians are pushing to leave them open. A real disconnect."
Dobbs responded to that statement, saying: "The disconnect that you referred to, Lisa, between our elected officials and the people of this country is in no – on no other issue any more dramatic than on the issue of illegal immigration. The Zogby poll is just simply the most recent in a string of polls that show that the American people want their borders secure, they want immigration laws to be enforced, and to clean up what has become an atrocious mess on the part of our elected representatives serving better the interests of U.S. multinationals than the people who are working for a living in this country."
Within a week of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the U.S., Zogby polled Americans on border security and immigration issues.
When asked whether the government was doing enough to control the border and screen those allowed into the country, 76 percent said the government was not doing enough.
Regarding future threats to the U.S., 72 percent of likely voters in 2001 said a dramatic increase in resources devoted to border control and enforcement of immigration laws would help reduce the chances of a terrorist attack in the future.
I mean the Republicans are the modern-day version of the flat-earth society when it comes to immigration.
Given that Delay has done nothing on the issue of illegals, I'm all for his removal. Go Tom Tancredo!!!
The National Action Party finally re-upped your internet account?
Lou Dobbs is the only good thing about CNN. He really puts issues like immigration and the "exporting of America" front and center.
The pols don't care about this because it interrupts their game of chicken over who can get the hispanic vote. Don't forget, the hispanics are now the minority in the USA. If we actually enforced the immigration laws it would hinder the pandering. But the losers will be the citizens of this nation. Three, maybe four more election cycles and things can drastically change so that the words "Republican" and "Democrat" become quite anacronistic.
To loosely paraphrase a smart man (I oughta know who), the pubs MAY hang if they stick together, but if they don't, they will SURELY hang separately.
IOW, there is no guarantee of winning if they stick together, but losing is guaranteed if they don't.
Not a very comforting thought, knowing the senate pubs as we do.
"Legally or not they're are not wanted on our soil by me and millions of other Americans. Period. "
How do you think WE became Americans? If people immigrate LEGALLY, how does this harm America?
QUOTATION:We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately. ATTRIBUTION:Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), U.S. statesman
Since it is glaringly obvious that you are one of the shoot from the hip FR posters and pathetically ignorant about Tom DeLay, here's a little background for you to choke on:
.Voted in favor of amendment to H.R. 10 to increase deportation of alien terrorists in 2004 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Green Amendment to H.R. 10, the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act. The Green Amendment would have made all terrorist-related grounds of inadmissibility, grounds of deportability, as well. This would have strengthened immigration law with regard to the deportability of alien terrorists. The Green Amendment passed by a vote of 283-132.
Voted in favor of amendment to H.R. 10 to prevent illegal aliens from entering the country in 2004 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Souder Amendment to H.R. 10, the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act. The Souder Amendment would have given all security screening personnel access to law enforcement and intelligence information maintained by DHS. The Souder Amendment would have helped security screeners identify and stop illegal aliens. The Souder Amendment passed by a vote of 410-0.
Voted for legislation with significant illegal immigration reduction provisions in 2004 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of H.R. 10, the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act. H.R. 10 represented the primary legislative response in the House of Representatives to the recommendations of The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9-11 Commission). The 9-11 Commission made several recommendations with regard to immigration that, in the Commission\'s opinion, would increase security and help prevent a future attack. Many of the Commission\'s immigration recommendations were included in H.R. 10 such as provisions to: prohibit driver\'s licenses to illegal aliens; expedite removal of illegal aliens; increase Border Patrol and ICE agents; and prevent Federal agencies from accepting or recognizing consular ID as valid proof of identity. H.R. 10 passed by a vote of 282-134.
Voted in favor of secure IDs in 2004 Rep. DeLay voted against the Oxley Amendment (H. AMDT 754) to strip the Culberson Amendment from H.R. 5025, the Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill. The Culberson amendment would have prohibited the Treasury Department from using any of the funding in the bill to publish, disseminate, authorize or enforce regulations that permit or allow financial institutions to accept the Mexican matricula consular ID card. The Culberson amendment was intended to send a clear message to the Treasury Department and to financial institutions that Mexican matricula consular ID card is neither a secure nor acceptable forms of ID. While it would not have actually required Treasury to change the current regulations which permit financial institutions to accept consular ID cards (rules governing amendments to appropriations bills would not permit such a requirement), it would have made those regulations unenforceable, which is a strong incentive for Treasury to change them. Rep. Oxley offered an amendment to strip the Culberson Amendment from the bill. The Oxley Amendment passed by a vote of 222-177.
Voted against rewarding illegal aliens from Mexico with Social Security benefits in 2004 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Hayworth Amendment (H. AMDT 745) to H.R. 5006, the Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations bill. The amendment would have prohibited any funding in the bill from being used to pay Social Security Administration (SSA) employees to administer any benefits that would not be payable but for a totalization agreement with Mexico. The effect of this would be to prevent the U.S.-Mexico totalization agreement from taking effect -- at least during FY 2005 -- since SSA employees could not be paid for any work they do to determine or pay benefits under the agreement. The U.S.-Mexico totalization agreement would allow both legal AND illegal aliens working in the United States to qualify for Social Security benefits. The amendment failed by a vote of 178-225.
Voted to enforce federal laws against sanctuary policies to protect illegal aliens in 2004 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the King Amendment (H. AMDT 655) to the Commerce, Justice, State, Appropriations Act of 2005, H.R. 4754, that would have increased funding to the Justice Department for enforcing current federal law against sanctuary policies for illegal aliens. Sanctuary policies bar public officials, including police officers, from asking an individual\'s immigration status to determine eligibility for public services and from reporting illegal aliens to federal authorities. In 1996, Congress passed a law that specifically prohibits state and local governments from enacting sanctuary policies. Despite that, cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston, still have sanctuary policies in place. Maine is the only state with a sanctuary policy. The King Amendment would have allowed the Justice Department to more fully enforce federal law against policies that protect illegal aliens, criminal aliens, and, potentially, terrorists. The amendment failed by a vote of 139-278.
Voted to authorize the use of the military to assist in border control functions in 2004 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Goode Amendment to H.R. 4200, to authorize the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the military, under certain circumstances, to assist the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of border control functions. The Goode Amendment passed the House by a vote of 231-191.
Voted in favor of amendment to fight foreign IDs for illegal aliens in 2003 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Hostettler Amendment to H.R. 1950, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act. The Hostettler Amendment would have put some major restrictions on consular-issued ID cards that are frequently issued to illegal aliens by foreign governments. These cards make it easier for illegal aliens to gain government services and to otherwise profit from their illegal activity. The Hostettler Amendment passed by a vote of 226-198.
Voted to authorize the use of the military to assist in border control functions in 2003 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Goode Amendment to H.R. 1588, to authorize members of the military, under certain circumstances, to assist the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of border control functions. The Goode Amendment passed the House by a vote of 250-179.
Voted to authorize troops on the border in 2001. Rep. DeLay voted to enforce the border by voting for the Traficant amendment to HR 2586. This amendment authorized the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, to request that members of the Armed Forces assist the INS with border control duties. The Traficant amendment passed by a vote of 242 to 173, but this measure was never considered by the Senate.
Voted to authorize the use of troops on the border in 1999 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Traficant amendment to H.R. 1401. This amendment authorized the Secretary of Defense, under certain circumstances, to assign members of the Armed Forces to assist the Border Patrol and Customs Service only in drug interdiction and counter terrorism activities along our borders. The Traficant amendment passed by a vote of 242 to 181.
Voted to kill pro-illegal-alien Section 245(i) program in 1997 DeLay voted for the Rohrabacher Motion to H.R.2267 as one of 153 Members who went on record as insisting on killing the notorious pro-illegal-immigration program called Section 245(i). The program dealt with certain illegal aliens who were on lists that could qualify them eventually for legal residency. It provided them a loophole in which they could pay a fee and avoid a 1996 law’s provision that punishes illegal aliens by barring them for 10 years from entering the U.S. on a legal visa as a student, tourist, worker or immigrant. The controversial experimental program was scheduled to “sunset” late in 1997 and be automatically taken off the books. But the Senate voted to permanently continue the pro-illegal immigration program by attaching it to an appropriations bill. House leaders, though, refused to include the program in the House appropriations bill. That meant the issue would be decided in a joint Senate/House Conference Committee. Representatives wanting to make sure that House Conferees fought the Senate stance, brought a “Motion to Instruct” to the floor. The motion would make clear House opposition to the Section 245(i) program. Rep. DeLay resisted intense lobbying from immigration attorneys and businesses that rely on illegal labor, voting to “instruct” the Conferees to kill the program. House Conferees succeeded in doing just that.
Voted to crack down on illegal immigration in 1996 Rep. DeLay was part of a 333-87 majority which passed H.R.2202. It was a large omnibus bill with dozens of provisions aimed at reducing illegal immigration. It authorized major increases in the border patrol forces. But it also had many provisions aimed at making life more miserable for illegal aliens who manage to get into the country, half of whom arrive with legal visas but then illegally overstay. Until passage of the bill, a person could be apprehended as an illegal alien, be deported and then turn around and come back to the U.S. on a legal student, tourist, worker or relative visa. After the bill, an illegal alien was barred from any kind of legal entry for 10 years.
Voted to authorize troops on the border in 2001. Rep. DeLay voted to enforce the border by voting for the Traficant amendment to HR 2586. This amendment authorized the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, to request that members of the Armed Forces assist the INS with border control duties. The Traficant amendment passed by a vote of 242 to 173, but this measure was never considered by the Senate.
Voted in 2000 to authorize troops on the border. Rep. DeLay acted to enforce the border by voting for the Traficant amendment to H.R.4205. This amendment authorizes the Secretary of Defense, under certain circumstances, to assign members of the Armed Forces to assist the INS with border control duties. The Traficant amendment passed by a vote of 243 to 183, but the Clinton Administration never chose to exercise this power.
Voted to authorize the use of troops on the border in 1999 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Traficant amendment to H.R. 1401. This amendment authorized the Secretary of Defense, under certain circumstances, to assign members of the Armed Forces to assist the Border Patrol and Customs Service only in drug interdiction and counter terrorism activities along our borders. The Traficant amendment passed by a vote of 242 to 181.
Voted to kill pro-illegal-alien Section 245(i) program in 1997 DeLay voted for the Rohrabacher Motion to H.R.2267 as one of 153 Members who went on record as insisting on killing the notorious pro-illegal-immigration program called Section 245(i). The program dealt with certain illegal aliens who were on lists that could qualify them eventually for legal residency. It provided them a loophole in which they could pay a fee and avoid a 1996 law’s provision that punishes illegal aliens by barring them for 10 years from entering the U.S. on a legal visa as a student, tourist, worker or immigrant. The controversial experimental program was scheduled to “sunset” late in 1997 and be automatically taken off the books. But the Senate voted to permanently continue the pro-illegal immigration program by attaching it to an appropriations bill. House leaders, though, refused to include the program in the House appropriations bill. That meant the issue would be decided in a joint Senate/House Conference Committee. Representatives wanting to make sure that House Conferees fought the Senate stance, brought a “Motion to Instruct” to the floor. The motion would make clear House opposition to the Section 245(i) program. Rep. DeLay resisted intense lobbying from immigration attorneys and businesses that rely on illegal labor, voting to “instruct” the Conferees to kill the program. House Conferees succeeded in doing just that.
Voted for amendment to H.R. 10 to complete border fence in 2004 Rep. DeLay voted in favor of the Ose Amendment to H.R. 10, the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act. The Ose Amendment would have ensured completion of the last 14 miles of the San Diego border fence. This would serve as a physical barrier to additional illegal immigration. While the border fence will segment the habitat of a few species and cause localized habitat destruction in the immediate construction zone, it will reduce the widespread destruction of habitat for all species that is caused by large numbers of illegal aliens trampling through pristine areas, leaving huge quantities of trash and human waste, and building campfires that too often turn into devastating wildfires. The Ose Amendment passed by a vote of 252-160.
Rated 100% by FAIR, indicating a voting record restricting immigration. DeLay scores 100% by FAIR on immigration issues The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) is a national, non-profit, public interest membership organization of concerned citizens united by their belief in the need for immigration reform. Founded in 1979, FAIR believes that the U.S. can and must have an immigration policy that is non-discriminatory and designed to serve the environmental, economic, and social needs of our country.
FAIR seeks to improve border security, to stop illegal immigration, and to promote immigration levels consistent with the national interest—more traditional rates of about 300,000 a year.
With more than 70,000 members nationwide, FAIR is a non-partisan group whose membership runs the gamut from liberal to conservative. The ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
You owe a big apology to The Honorable Tom DeLay. Thanks to him and only a handful of others in Congress, conservatives still have real hope for government reform in many needed areas.
Build a big (50, 60ft high, from Pacific to Gulf)
Have illegals build it from the south side of it to pay back the United States for what they have cost us.
</sarcasm>
Put some teeth in it! $1M and 5 years in prison, if the employer doesn't deport them with in 30 days. Put the burden on those who have benefitted.
Talk is cheap. Let Delay get out in front of this issue like Tancredo has done and they come back to me. Until he does that, as with the majority of spineless Republicans, I could care less if they get kicked out of congress for their corruption.
Tom Delay is toast and I could care less since he doesn't have the guts to take on the invaders.
I also see how he hasn't sponsored any legislation to win the border war.
I won't shed any tears over him when he's gone.
You're a fool if you believe Tom DeLay is "toast". He'll come out of this leftist media driven lynching attempt stronger than ever, in spite of misguided so-called conservatives like you.
Rep. Tancredo Suggests DeLay Resign
By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 16, 2005; Page A06
Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) said yesterday that it "may be a productive move" for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) to step aside while charges against him are investigated, but added that he believes the accusations are "trumped-up charges" by Democrats.
Tancredo issued the statement after the Denver Post quoted him as saying that although he does not favor ousting DeLay, "If he chose to resign as majority leader until these matters are resolved, that's probably not the worst idea."
Dane the 14 percenter. How's the weather in Pennsylvania? Is it raining illegals there yet?
Lol. That has to be the weirdest attempt at defending illegals you have posted yet.
Even a blind pig occasionally finds the acorn - besides, it is embarrassing to the President.
On the other hand, I hope GWB IS following this particular poll.
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