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Kyl: Parties are fractured (Over Border Issue)
Sierra Vista Herald, Sierra Vista Arizona ^ | Bill Hess

Posted on 04/09/2006 12:22:14 PM PDT by SandRat

SIERRA VISTA — Republicans and Democrats are badly split within their parties when it comes to immigration reform, Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl said Saturday.

While being optimistic about an immigration reform bill passing Congress this session, Arizona’s senior senator said it will take hard work to overcome the different views within the GOP ranks and to bring a sufficient number of Democrats into the fold for a bill to make it out of the upper chamber.

The main issue is a temporary guest-worker plan, something the president wants and that can be found in a proposal put forward by Arizona’s other Republican senator, John McCain, and U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., Kyl said.

He made his comments before heading into the Cochise County Republican Committee’s headquarters in Sierra Vista on Saturday to challenge the party faithful to become involved in this year’s elections, especially the critical congressional race.

Kyl is running for re-election. His anticipated Democratic opponent is Jim Pederson, who questions Kyl’s immigration stance.

Kyl said the split in the Republican ranks will be hard to solve, but the one facing the Democrats is even more difficult.

Although he and McCain are on different sides in the immigration debate, Kyl said he appreciates McCain’s view that allowing amendments means the state’s junior senator is willing to compromise.

Amendments are part of the process in strengthening a bill, and McCain knows that and supports it, Kyl said.

When it comes to the McCain and Kennedy package, Kyl said he will not vote for it, but at least it will have an opportunity to come up for a vote if everyone works together.

The compromise in question is a proposal by U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., that would separate illegal immigrants into groups based on the length of time they have resided illegally in the country.

Part of the proposal by Kyl and fellow Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, of Texas, gives up to five years for illegal immigrants to leave the United States.

There should be no enticement to allow them to start on the path of becoming citizens, Kyl said.

The opposition plan that will allow illegal immigrants to remain in the country with requirements to pay back taxes, a fine and other requirements are a “pretty please” proposal, he said.

Becoming partisan, the senator said the Democrats under Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, are disruptive to finding a solution to the immigration problem.

Reid doesn’t want amendments offered and is using the parliamentary maneuvers to stop any from being discussed, Kyl said.

“It’s pure politics,” he said.

However, Pederson said it is Kyl who is scuttling the bi-partisan immigration compromise. Kyl introduced a controversial amendment creating the partisan impasse, Pederson stated in a Friday press release.

Kyl told the nearly 100 people at the county headquarters that this year “the other side has a plan, and the plan is to be negative and nasty.”

From the viewpoint of Randy Graf, a Republican U.S. representative hopeful, Kyl is on the mark when it comes to his race for the party’s nod to be the candidate for the seat in Congressional District. 8. The seat is being vacated by 11-term U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, who has held the position for the Republicans. Kolbe announced in November that he is retiring at the end of this term.

Graf went against Kolbe in the 2004 primary. Although he lost the primary, Graf carried Cochise County. His main issue was border security.

Although he isn’t in Congress, Graf is watching the immigration reform fight closely. He sees the Senate and House of Representatives “on a collision course.”

The House passed a bill calling for more stringent control of the border and no guest-worker program.

The 435-member House faces an important election, and if the Democrats win back control of the chamber it could mean the bill that has already been passed may be changed by the new Congress, unless there is a law satisfactory to both the House and the Senate, Graf said.

President George W. Bush has embraced the ideas outlined in the McCain and Kennedy bill. Graf believes the president is wrong.

He said illegal immigrants are mostly unskilled and undereducated and will become more of a burden to the American taxpayer if they are somehow allowed legal status.

With legal status comes the right to medical benefits and other social services, all to the detriment to the American taxpayer, Graf said.

While running his campaign, he noted that watching the happenings in Washington, D.C., “has been very frustrating.”

While Kyl is somewhat optimistic an immigration reform bill be pass before the November elections, Graf is pessimistic.

There is no real middle ground in the proposals being floated, he said.

“It’s an emotional issue,” Graf said.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico; US: Arizona; US: California; US: District of Columbia; US: New Mexico; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: 109th; aliens; amnasty; border; democrats; dnc; fractured; gop; illegals; immigrantlist; immigrationreform; kyl; parties; republicans
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1 posted on 04/09/2006 12:22:20 PM PDT by SandRat
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To: SandRat

Apparently they don't mean the people when they think of "the parties".


2 posted on 04/09/2006 12:23:36 PM PDT by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: HiJinx; Spiff; idratherbepainting; AZHSer; Sabertooth; Marine Inspector; A Navy Vet; ...

For your consideration and edification on the state of border politics.


3 posted on 04/09/2006 12:23:36 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: SandRat

I like my amnesty plan!
Please call them INVADERS and don't compare them to people who are legal aliens!
IF you aid and abet CRIMINALS, you are a criminal!

President Bush has been great on most things except for our border.
He has been great on the war on terrorists.
But on the border he is a gross failure.
He acted fast and correct on the 3,000+ people murdered at the world trade center.
He ignores the many rapes, murders and robberies which might be larger than the murders and money loss at the world trade center.
More Americans are abducted on the border of Mexico than in Iraq!

Start building the fence.
It should be made a felony for Criminals who overstay their visas and Invaders.

I believe we should give amnesty to these poor CRIMINALS or INVADERS.
This should be a 2 week amnesty to get the heck out of our Country.
The ones who ignore this amnesty should be buried in a tent city jail and fined $10,000 or buried elsewhere.
All aiders and abettors of these CRIMINALS or INVADERS should get 1 year in a tent city jail and a $10,000 fine for each CRIMINAL aided.
Those in government should be the first ones charged.


4 posted on 04/09/2006 12:27:43 PM PDT by HuntsvilleTxVeteran ("Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO")
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To: SandRat

"The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. Whenever evil wins, it is only by default:
by the moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles."

AYN RAND


5 posted on 04/09/2006 12:31:46 PM PDT by HuntsvilleTxVeteran ("Remember the Alamo, Goliad and WACO")
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To: SandRat

We need REAL LEADERSHIP in House and Senate and come November let's get it.

In 2008 vote Tancredo.

There are 10 million liberal illegal socialists and 289 million of us voters, LET'S ROLL!


6 posted on 04/09/2006 12:33:40 PM PDT by stopem (There are 298 million of us! 10-20 million of them, WE will win!)
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To: SandRat

Bump!


7 posted on 04/09/2006 12:34:49 PM PDT by JustPiper (We will NOT be a COMPROMISE !!!)
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To: SandRat

Busounds like a lot of egos.
How the American people is not even be mentioned by any but our allies


8 posted on 04/09/2006 12:37:28 PM PDT by JustPiper (We will NOT be a COMPROMISE !!!)
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To: SandRat
Everyone interesed in this subject should read the article "Hidden Bombs," By Kris Kobach, former head of immigration in the Justice Department under AG Ashcroft.
9 posted on 04/09/2006 12:48:32 PM PDT by GarySpFc (Jesus on Immigration, John 10:1)
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To: SandRat

You know this border thing is really simple; although I don't believe some would understand. The only question you need to ask is if you are the same or are you different? And that goes for other agenda cry baby groups that feel that everything should be done for them only.


10 posted on 04/09/2006 1:23:30 PM PDT by freekitty
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To: stopem
Build the wall. Enforce existing immigration laws. Cancel the freebies. No new laws are needed, but the putrid leadership has to change. We are not being represented.

Americans are SICK of having Mexico shoved down our throats while being forced to pay the bills!

11 posted on 04/09/2006 1:25:28 PM PDT by janetgreen (The White House fiddles while America is invaded)
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To: GarySpFc
Read that. Hideous piece of treason that bill. Hope it stays dead.
12 posted on 04/09/2006 1:29:12 PM PDT by dagnabbit (George Bush deported my children to Amerexico.)
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To: janetgreen

After all these demonstrations they are having again and again imagine the bill to clean up after them yet another expense to the taxpayer.


13 posted on 04/09/2006 2:09:51 PM PDT by stopem (There are 298 million of us! 10-20 million of them, WE will win!)
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To: SandRat
The polidiots are still debating this in terms of political loss and gain.

The real cost will be a bloody civil war, Bosnia on steroids.

The polidiots will express shock and dismay.

"We had no idea! Nobody could have seen this coming!"


14 posted on 04/09/2006 2:23:28 PM PDT by Travis McGee (--- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com ---)
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To: SandRat

Where parties are fractured like this most intelligent politicians would recognize the issue as other than a partisan one and stop trying to fit it into the weird bipolar tribal model that seems to have been substituted for common sense these days. I'd love just once to see both parties try to work out a compromise that would work in the interest of the country rather than force the country to work for the interest of the political parties.


15 posted on 04/09/2006 2:30:40 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: SandRat

Look, it's pretty simple.

Democrats have an unhappy base comprised of union and/or black Americans that are against this.

Republicans have a base that demands law enforcement and/or culturla preservation.

This results in at least 2/3rd's of Americans against blanket amnesty with mere rhetoric given to border enforcement.

Both parties stand to lose because they are chasing a minority. For Republicans they are chasing the dream of a Majority of Hispanics voting for them in future even though Hispanics ahve a split about this, as well responding to the businesses that fund their campaigns.

Dems are responding to the slim Majority of a Minority, the slightly over half of Hispanics that favor this....and trying to bring in more Dem voters by making illegals "legal".

The right thing to do would be for both parties to call "uncle", stand in unison and do what the Majority of the American people want. It would be the simplest act as well.


16 posted on 04/09/2006 3:37:07 PM PDT by Soul Seeker ("No Illegal Alien Left Behind Act" - (quote: Jeff Sessions) - 4/6/06)
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To: Soul Seeker

The right thing to do would be for both parties to call "uncle", stand in unison and do what the Majority of the American people want. It would be the simplest act as well.

Unfortunately, that will happen about when monkeys fly out of thier butts. You're right on in your analysis, but there is too much acrimony on both sides for either one to make this happen. Too bad...because this sh*t is NOT going away, and it will get worse and worse until something is done. My fear is that even then it will be the wrong thing...


17 posted on 04/09/2006 5:44:02 PM PDT by Amalie (FREEDOM had NEVER been another word for nothing left to lose...)
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To: cripplecreek
Well, the American people don;t want immigration reform so much as we want immigration enforcement and secure borders.

Our government has been allowing Mexico to invade our country for some time, and we want that stopped.

18 posted on 04/09/2006 5:54:36 PM PDT by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: cripplecreek; 1_Inch_Group; 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 3pools; 3rdcanyon; 4Freedom; ...


Something Different Ping!

The article is pretty good, as far as it goes, but the replies are better.

I don't recognize several of the posters as being regulars on illegal immigration threads, but I do recognize their position. The word is getting out.

19 posted on 04/09/2006 8:56:20 PM PDT by HiJinx (~ www.proudpatriots.org ~ Serving Those Who Serve Us ~ Operation Easter/Passover ~)
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To: HuntsvilleTxVeteran
"The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. Whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles."

When an atheist starts making more sense than the US Senate, we have some very basic and profound problems.

20 posted on 04/09/2006 9:13:53 PM PDT by CowboyJay (Rough Riders! Tancredo '08)
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