Meeting highlights GOP rift over immigration

The Arizona Daily Star ^ | 01.21.2006 | C.J. Karamargin

[Borax Queen]

The woman at the podium was angry about U.S. immigration policy.

She loudly criticized President Bush, Senate Republicans and business interests, telling a Tucson audience they were working against the kind of solution that most Americans want.

"We're going to hold Republicans responsible," she said as the crowd of more than 100 responded with loud applause.

Democrats? Immigration rights advocates? Far from it. This was a meeting of Republicans.

Few issues divide the GOP like illegal immigration, as this gathering at a Downtown hotel on Friday morning showed.

On one side are conservatives like Bay Buchanan, the woman who fired up the hotel audience with her promise of retribution.

Buchanan, the sister of television commentator and onetime presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, came to Tucson with Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado as part of what they're calling a "Secure America Now" tour. Their goal: pressure U.S. senators to beef up border security and reject creation of a guest-worker program for foreign laborers.

On the other side are pro-business Republicans like Sen. John McCain and Rep. Jim Kolbe of Tucson, both backers of guest-worker legislation. They dismiss the get-tough-only approach, saying it will do little to stem the flow of illegal border crossers who enter the United States, primarily for economic reasons.

Meeting with reporters earlier this week, McCain acknowledged the rift over immigration within the Republican Party, but defended his stance as the "right thing to do."

"I've taken a position on immigration reform which many members of the Republican Party are very much opposed to," he said. "If it causes me to suffer politically, then I will be more than eager to take the consequences. As for the position of Buchanan and Tancredo, McCain said, "No expert that I know believes that that's the sum total of a solution."

Tancredo, asked about that comment on Friday, said, "I don't know what experts, of course, he's talking to." But, the congressman added, "there is a great sentiment in the land" to secure the country's borders before making it easy for businesses to find cheap labor.

"Our primary responsibility as the federal government is not to ensure a bottom line for corporate America," he said. "There is this marriage at the hip, it seems to me, certainly in my party to a great extent, that has prevented us from doing what we should be doing: securing the border."

Tancredo and Buchanan made a stop at the state Capitol in Phoenix on Thursday and were scheduled to travel to Benson and Willcox before heading to New Mexico on Friday night. In Tucson, they endorsed the congressional campaign of Randy Graf, a former state lawmaker from Green Valley who hopes to succeed Kolbe.

Graf made immigration and border security the central themes of his unsuccessful primary run against Kolbe in 2004. Kolbe announced his retirement in November.

Buchanan and Tancredo were interrupted by hecklers as they spoke to Graf supporters at the Hotel Arizona on West Broadway. Amber St. John was escorted from the meeting room after she waved a sign proclaiming "Real Solutions."

"Enforcement-only laws are not working," she said afterward. "It's a message based on hate."

That was echoed by Ora Mae Harn, the 73-year-old former mayor of Marana. "I was not impressed with Miss Buchanan. I don't believe in negative campaigning. This is a country of positive people," she said.

"I'm a Republican, a very conservative Republican," Harn continued. "But I'm also a business person. I understand business. We need to find a way for people to come in and work, not build a Berlin Wall on the border."

[Borax Queen]

More on yesterday's meeting...

[LSUfan]

Business interests like that will ruin our national security and the GOP best rectify that situation.

A good example is the US Chamber of Commerce. They may as well be the Ayatollah Chamber of Commerce. For years they have been lobbying Congress on behalf of Iran, trying to get unilateral US sanctions lifted and get Iran membership in the WTO.

Total scumbag traitors, the US Chamber of Commerce.

[YOUGOTIT]

And the eastern empire fell because no one cared about who came across the border and the German tribes came and Europe was plunged into the dark ages. Common things like medical instruments were not discovered again for over 1400 years, concrete was not discovered again for almost 1300 years, property rights were destroyed and the petty dukes and semi dukes took over, reading and writing was gone except for a few and the few kept it to themselves. This is what happens when borders are allowed to be open with no concern about who comes over or when they leave. Barbarians are coming.

[advance_copy]

She loudly criticized President Bush, Senate Republicans and business interests...

No matter how bad some Republicans are on immigration, DemocRATS are far worse. The best thing to do is continue to support Republicans like Tom Tancredo on the issue.

[Borax Queen]

Total scumbag traitors, the US Chamber of Commerce.

Exactly right.

[Fenris6]

I disagree: "they're both as bad" is not an excuse for GOP negligence re this issue. Hold the congress-crtiters feet to the fire.

[Borax Queen]

Bump!

[DTogo]

"Our primary responsibility as the federal government is not to ensure a bottom line for corporate America," he said. "There is this marriage at the hip, it seems to me, certainly in my party to a great extent, that has prevented us from doing what we should be doing: securing the border."

GO TANCREDO!!

[TomGuy]

“ICE Removes More Than 2,000 Illegal Aliens From the South Texas Region During December“

Note this line: "Expedited removal is an administrative process aimed at reducing the number of OTMs who have spent less than 14 days in the United States, and who are apprehended within 100 miles of the border."

Also this: "Expedited removal allowed ICE to be able to remove more than 500 OTMs per week,"

OTMs are Other Than Mexican. And that was 500 OTMs per week who got caught. There is no figure for the number who came in without getting caught, or had been here more than 14 days, or had gotten further than 100 miles inside the border.

[Mulch]

If it causes me to suffer politically, then I will be more than eager to take the consequences...McCain said...

McCain has a persecution complex. He makes statements like the one above quite often. The fact is, in politics, no matter which side your on there will be people who oppose you. Further, its Tancredo's position that will suffer more abuse and name calling. Get off you self-serving pedestal McCain!

[Borax Queen]

My husband just helped nab two of them - they were trying to hitchhike with him and he flagged down the Border Patrol. Two down, two million more to go this year?

[TomGuy]

No matter how bad some Republicans are on immigration, DemocRATS are far worse.

They are both irresponsible. Kennedy writes the immigration legislation, and the Pubbies get it passed and signed.

(IIRC) Reagan -- a Republican -- signed the last major amnesty bill written by Ted Kennedy -- a Democrat. GWBush -- a Republican -- will probably sign any amnesty bill, and a current one is being written by Ted Kennedy -- a Democrat -- and John McCain -- a Republican.

It is difficult to parse blame or criticism to one party over the other on this issue.

Even Hillary Clinton sees it as a hot-button issue for 08, and she has already positioned herself to the right of many Republicans on the issue.

[dagnabbit]

Oh to have an honorable and decent President again!

[Dane]

They are both irresponsible. Kennedy writes the immigration legislation, and the Pubbies get it passed and signed

Actually there is another bill out there called Kyl/Cornyn, but hear crickets from you about that, wonder why. Oh that's right then you can't kneejerkingly complain.

[Dane]

Oh to have an honorable and decent President again

You mean like Reagan who actually signed true amnesty.

It is so funny watching you guys instinctively knee jerk, berift of actual facts.

[HiJinx]

Harn continued. "But I'm also a business person. I understand business. We need to find a way for people to come in and work, not build a Berlin Wall on the border."

Heaven forbid we take away your cheap labor, ex-mayor Harn.

And remember, the Berlin wall was built to keep people inside a terrible country...not to keep out an invading horde. That was China. Your knowledge of Geography and History is lacking, lady.

[Dane]

Even Hillary Clinton sees it as a hot-button issue for 08, and she has already positioned herself to the right of many Republicans on the issue.

I see you, like hillary, are from the josef goebbels school of propaganda, tell a lie long enough and people will believe it.

[umgud]

Every developed society needs its cheap labor, but this need does not justify or warrant slavery, endentured servitude or illegal immigration.

There is a way to secure our borders and satisfy this need for cheap labor, but I doubt the will is present to accomplish this. BTW, granting 3rd world immigrants citizenship is not the answer either.

[mtbopfuyn]

It's all about the almighty dollar.