Posted on 04/09/2006 6:57:45 AM PDT by Aetius
Saturday, April 8, 2006 10:49 p.m. EDT Brownback Joins Dems on Immigration Bill
The extent to which the immigration issue has driven a wedge between Americans -- putting conservatives at odds with conservatives and liberals contesting with liberals -- has been starkly illustrated by the sudden alliance between Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and liberals such as Sens. Harry Reid and Ted Kennedy.
The fiercely conservative Brownback unexpectedly joined a group of Democrats and some fellow Republicans in their attempt to bring about major changes in the nation's immigration laws that would open the gates for most of the 12 million illegal aliens in the United States to obtain work permits and eventually citizenship
"This is probably the most divisive issue in America today, and I hope this compromise ends up bringing us together," Brownback told reporters as he stood with his immigration allies, including Reid, the Democratic leader from Nevada, and Kennedy, D-Mass. Their bill, which would have enabled illegal aliens attain legal status, was put on hold with the Senate going on a two-week recess.
His support of the liberalized immigration bill drew quick response from fellow conservatives who called Brownback's approach as amnesty for lawbreakers. "Essentially, this is 12 million new green cards," Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn said.
"Brownback Can Kiss '08 Run Goodbye," warned a headline in the journal Human Events, and the National Review online predicted: "Conservatives will long remember his vote for this reckless proposal."
Brownback has been described by the Washington Post as "one of the most conservative senators, a torch-bearer on anti-abortion and family causes." The Post said his "opposition to same-sex marriage and embryonic stem-cell research has made him a favorite of social conservatives, and he has emerged as a dark horse for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination."
Brownback, a devout Roman Catholic, says his approach to immigration arises out of a humanitarian perspective, and he is unmoved by his colleagues' criticism. He said that he considers the plight of illegal immigrants a form of suffering.
"One of the key measures in any society is what you do for the so-called least of these," Brownback said in a floor speech. "People who have difficulty with status, difficulty having laws applied to them, have difficulty accessing the system, are considered the least of these."
His remarks about the "least of these" were based on Jesus' admonition that "whatsover you do unto the least of my brethren, that you do unto me."
His stand is in line with that of his Catholic Church leaders, including Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, whom the Post notes have strongly backed proposals for legalization of undocumented immigrants and a guest-worker program. They see those efforts as a moral imperative that grows out of the biblical mandate to care for the stranger and show compassion for the poor.
Moreover, Mahony has warned that no Catholic politician could vote "in good faith" for the House-passed legislation that would crack down on illegal immigrants and punish those who help them. Many Jewish, Muslim and Protestant leaders have similarly backed legalization efforts.
But that has not prevented some of his GOP colleagues from calling his his view of illegal immigration simplistic and fails to take into account problems posed by a porous U.S. border with Mexico. "We ought to make sure our borders are secure first," Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, told the Post. "Then we'll see what we can do to be compassionate, and solve those problems."
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., the head of the House Immigration Caucus and a champion of the law-and-order approach embodied in the House-passed version of the legislation, accused Brownback of being "an extreme opponent of getting tough on illegal immigration."
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, whom the Post says talks frequently with Brownback, said he should address the concerns of religious conservatives, including beliefs that a large influx of undocumented workers undermines the social fabric and that many of them do not learn English or attempt to assimilate into the larger society.
Said Brownback: "I've been in a pro-immigration position for some period of time, and I believe strongly in it. (I believe) that this is a nation of immigrants and that we should be welcoming, that we should be compassionate."
According to the Post, President Reagan is Brownback's role model on immigration issues. The late president signed a law in 1986 that improved border enforcement and cracked down on employers for hiring illegal workers. But the bill also legalized 2.8 million undocumented workers.
"I think the conservative position is that we care for the individual," Brownback said. Every human being is "beautiful," as he puts it, including illegal farm workers and hotel maids. "My position is very consistent with Ronald Reagan, and that's about as conservative an icon as you can get."
He's whoring himself to business interests that depend on government subsidies (soybeans, ethanol, etc.) and illegal labor to show a profit.
Brownback is an ideological gigolo.
Meanwhile, in the Peoples' Republic of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney says he will sign into law a sweeping healthcare bill endorsed by Hillary Clinton. And we all know about McCain's bill to grant amnesty to illegal aliens.
They're all starting to weed themselves out early, aren't they?
When I was much younger I spent some wonder time in overland park, Her name(the girl friend) was Betty. Posting HTML
I don't think so, as long as this club of one hundred support their ten horn dictator rules, there isn't one of them I'd vote for. Where in the constitution does it say that a senator has the power to place a hold on anything?
Politicians just aren't thinking.
It's no wonder very other country in the world wants tariffs on American produce. it's so heavily subsidized, and if that's not enough, it is allowed to have practically slaves as laborers.
Drop the subsidies, toss out the slaves, and let the market reflect the real cost of production. Then smaller farmers would be able to make a living, and "the jobs nobody wants to do" would at least pay a living wage.
They're all starting to weed themselves out early, aren't they?
The fiercely conservative Brownback unexpectedly joined a group of Democrats.
RINO LOSER!
I don't think that you're right about the sheer number of illegal aliens in Kansas. First off, if you go to KCK, there are plenty of parts of town where you will NOT hear English spoken at all. Many fast food places have people working there who barely speak English at all. And it's been my experience that at many meat packing plants, nearly everyone is Hispanic. I have no idea what percentage might be illegal aliens, but the vast majority of production floor workers are hispanic.
Mark
The Republican Speaker of the Kansas House just said on Right Talk the number is about 100k.
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