Posted on 05/22/2006 7:06:35 AM PDT by wcdukenfield
05/21 07:44 PM According to today's Washington Post:
Hispanic voters, many of whom responded favorably to President Bush's campaign appeals emphasizing patriotism, family and religious values in Spanish-language media in 2004, are turning away from the administration on immigration and a host of other issues, according to a new survey.
At the same time, separate polls show that conservative white Republicans are the voting group most hostile to the administration's support for policies that would move toward the legalization of many undocumented immigrants.
More here .
For all the talk about Karl Rove's brilliance, it was a blunder of monumental proportions to force a confrontation on illegal immigration now—a relative few months before the midterm elections—in a way that enrages both the conservative base and a liberal constituency against Republicans. The president has endangered scores of Republicans, some of whom are excellent public servants. And depending on how this turns out legislatively, he may have done lasting damage to the Republican party.
But Rove and Bush are not alone. John McCain has spent a decade undermining the GOP and thumbing his nose at the conservative base. The McCain-Feingold bill had as one of its primary purposes the weakening of the party structure, which was never of much use to McCain especially after the party rejected his presidential run in 2000. On issue after issue, McCain has led the so-called Senate moderates to undermine and ambush the Senate's thin Republican majority and even thinner conservative plurality, positioning himself as some kind of independent and progressive. He uses the media to draw attention to himself, and the media use him to highlight his anti-conservatism. And here he is again, pushing the most radical transformation of our society in recent history.
The Senate Republicans have never figured out how to put McCain in box. And so their ranks are splintering even more. We now get lectures from the likes of Chuck Hagel and Lindsey Graham, who in past Senate's would have been rightly seen as light-weights. Arlen Specter humiliated himself among his conservative colleagues to persuade them to support his ascendancy to head of the Judiciary Committee. He uses that post to trash the president's commander-in-chief powers. In 2004, Lincoln Chafee announced that he wouldn't be voting for the president, and he votes repeatedly with the Democrat minority. If Rove and Bush hadn't supported Specter in the Republican primary in Pennsylvania, conservative Pat Toomey may well be filling the seat. Today, Bush's RNC is backing Chafee in the Republican primary in Rhode Island against Cranston Mayor Stephen Laffey, a conservative. And there are others.
So now the Republican president and the Republican Senate are cobbling together an illegal-immigration bill that will badly damage both the Republican party and the country. The bill would make permanent so-called temporary guest-workers as they wouldn't have to return home (so much for going to the back of some imagined line); it would expand greatly the number of legal aliens invited to come to our country by tens of millions (apparently there's no end to the number of jobs Americans won't do); it would legalize virtually all of the 11 million illegal aliens currently in our country (the number is probably much greater); it would apply Davis-Bacon union wage requirements on jobs performed by so-called temporary workers (so much for cheap labor and cheap lettuce); it would confer Social Security benefits on immigrants for the period of time they were working using stolen or fake Social Security numbers (but it's not amnesty, they tell us); and it wouldn't recognize English as the nation's official language (so much for promised assimilation). And, of course, the same federal politicians and bureaucracy that won't and/or can't enforce the current law assure us that they'll manage and enforce a far more complicated, multi-tier, multi-level system involving far more people.
Meanwhile, we're supposed to accept all of this and more in exchange for what is essentially a sound-bite about using a few thousand National Guardsmen on the border—who are not going to be doing border enforcement. A 370-mile fence will supposedly be built, leaving about 85% of the southern border without a physical fence. But there will be sensors and gliders that will presumably get an accurate count of the number of illegal aliens crossing our border since there won't be enough physical barriers to stop them or border agents to apprehend them.
And the primary culprit in all of this—the Mexican government—will continue to insist that America isn't doing enough and America is not a friendly neighbor. It will continue to send its lawyers into our courtrooms to challenge any effort to stem the mass exportation of Mexico's poor to our country. And why not? Let Americans pay for the public services Mexico refuses to confer on its own people. And the illegal aliens in the U.S. send billions of dollars back to Mexico, which helps prop-up its socialist economy. Besides, so much of the United States really belongs to Mexico, doesn't it? But for American imperialism under the presidency of James Polk, we'd all be speaking Spanish now. The Mexican government is playing a nasty game with its people, and our government is complicit. There’s nothing compassionate or humane about our government’s timidity in dealing with Mexico’s ruling class.
So, what motivates Rove and Bush? It can't be politics, can it? Surely they don't honestly believe that securing 40% of the votes of a growing ethnic minority is a path to continued majority status? And surely they're aware that despite Ronald Reagan granting amnesty to nearly 3 million illegal aliens, that wasn't enough to ensure the political allegiance of a majority of Hispanic voters. In recent decades, Republicans have had a difficult time figuring out how to convince minorities to support them. Apparently Rove and Bush, not to mention McCain, et al, have decided the best approach is to parrot liberals. Therefore, they support making that which is illegal legal, pretend to care about border security, and are spreading around benefits and entitlements.
Yes, we’re a nation of immigrants, like every other nation. But our government has never acted so irresponsibly. In the past, our country decided what kind of immigrants it needed and wanted. Today, illegal immigrants and foreign nations bring pressure on our politicians because they know it will respond favorably to their demands. America’s political class has never been so frivolous about U.S. citizenship and sovereignty, and so contemptible of the will of the American people. This is why the Republican majority will likely pay a severe price in November, even though conservatives like Jeff Sessions and Jim Sensenbrenner, among many others, are fighting the good fight and trying to save the day, while liberals get a free ride.
True.. I watch to see or even detect an attitude that recognizes that(10 ton elephant) with those that talk of single issue voters.. You know the ones.. That assume a "higher knowledge", deeper and wider in scope than the single issue voter can detect..(meaning those upset with Bushs immigration, LACK of intelligent policy)
They seem to be clueless.. and they're freepers too.. Amazing to me.. that they absolutely REFUSE to see that multi millions of brand new democrats is NOT A GOOD THING.. actually a tragic thing.. Denial?.. I don't know.. Anywhere else I might say so, but not here(FR).. Cognitive Dissonance I think.. has to be.. What good is a War (over there) when your house is being broken into and occupied?(over here).. Duuugh.. The War(s) "there" are secondary, vote fraud "here" by aliens due to made legal is primary..
The White RINO House bogarding this issue is also a mystery.. actually lobbying for MORE Illegal and Legal Insurgents than less.. MORE?..
Little wonder that Washington D.C. is in such disarray if that can go on HERE(FR), with people that I KNOW should know more.. no newbies either.. With most freepers you'd have SHOOT many of them before they would vote for a democrat.. or threaten their familys with harm.. YET they cannot see that multi millions of Illegal and Legal Insurgents(democrats) would change ANY hope of ANY republican relevance.. It Must be FEAR.. they are afraid of the democrats.. instead of the democrats being AFRAID OF THEM..
More than that they cannot see that elected republican officals need to be Afraid of THEM.. more than they(officials) are afraid of the democrats.. True that the democrats in control of Congress for two years can/would commit a LOT of mischief.. But something MUST happen before 2008.. Something MUST happen to republican incumbents that survive 2006.. not democrats.. The democrats are beyond help, or they would not even BE democrats..
Amnesty in ANY form to Illegal or even Legal Insurgents will make them democrats.. Central and South Americans are NOT Cubans.. At least "some" Cubans have had their fill of socialism.. not all of them even.. I have lived in South Florida and California.. different people entirely.. Few threads bring that out either.. Central and South Americans are prime candidates for socialism.. Mexicans in particular..
New day, same tired out old whining from the same tired out old Freepers in the Always Bitching crowd.
Gee what is it? You figure if you just keep screaming the same nonsense long enough your knee jerk 100% Bush haters political temper tantrum will somehow become politically relevant?
I suggest you people try being FOR something one time. Then maybe we will pay attention to you.
All you people ever do is bitch, bitch bitch. Same exact post over and over and over and over. No matter the issue, the SAME exact whining. Gee why waste our time? We all ready KNOW what your position is going to be before the issue even comes up. The ONLY difference between you and the Dems is what you bitch about. That both you and they are just going to endlessly bitch what ever the GOP does is all ready known by us. Preaching mindlessly to the Whine All The Time choir does ONE thing, bore the rest of us to distraction
New day, same tired out old whining from the same tired out old Freepers in the Always Bitching crowd.
I suggest you people try being FOR something one time. Then maybe we will pay attention to you.
Does anyone see that the globalists have already decided who our next president will be and are already taking steps to make sure it comes to pass?
Adults understand the need to GET SOME THINGS DONE rather then just throw a childish temper tantrum because their emotion based dogma is not being imposed on everyone around them by decree. That is NOT how a Constitutional Republic works.
The Always Whining better wise up. They are headed on a course where you will get 100% of NOTHING thus leaving the existing system in place. The same system that created the mess they bitch endlessly about NOW. They win and you people LOSE if that happens.
Well you just have a wonderful evening now. I know I will. See ya tomorrow! {:o)
I find your comments very interesting.
My questions is "Why?" Why are Bush and company doing this?!
Exactely.. 180 degress out from their own partys benefit..
Unless that is the plan?.. Occams Razor demands that it is "the Plan"..
Why are you so fascinated with us? ;)
susie
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You can bet your boots someone would complain about it though.
You and I think this is a great idea. I'm sure we would both agree there'd be many in this country who would have a hissy fit. Doesn't matter what a President does, there are people who are going to be ticked off.
Agree or disagree, at least Bush isn't driven by polls, but by what he thinks is the right thing to do.
LOL someone will always complain! ;)
susie
I agree. I have no quarrel with Bush's character. I think he would be a fun guy to go out and have a beer with but that does not mean that he has not seriously damaged this country.
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Your characterization of the illegals who are here, and the millions upon millions more who are poised to come, is, I think, correct: unschooled, unskilled people who will ultimately be a huge drain on our tax payer supported social, "entitlement" programs.
I have heard several people on at least two recent talk shows say that studies(I cannot quote who or what studies) show that, contrary to what some have said, these illegals, and their hangers-on family members, WILL NOT save or delay the imperiled Social Security system. Quite the contrary.
So, that arguement can be completely shot down.
The other reality seems to me to be that this will give the Democrats control of the country for forever. I don't see how it can be any other way.
Like you, I cannot fathom how Bush supporters of his recent proposal fail to see that.
How does President Bush fail to see that?
What America does he want his daugthers and their children to live in?!
I just do not understand it.
Umm, Johnnie. The incrementalism is in the *wrong* direction.
And it is much more than merely incremental.
When was the last time you saw the Senate fly directly in the face of the wishes of 65-70% of the electorate, across party lines?
You are a troll.
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