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.
Sir, you speak for a lot of us here. W is a good man, but I am VERY disappointed with his not enforcing the rule of law.
You're absolutely correct. Bush is trying to prevent turning off the Latino vote (now bigger than the black vote) so that they won't be voting for the Democratic Party as a block, as the blacks do now.
For if that were to happen the black and Latino vote combined would deliver a solid 30% to the Democrats who would need only another 15% from blue state white liberals to control the Presidency and the Senate forever.
I'm afraid that some of our "base" Republican voters don't seem to be very strong in math and suffer from an inability to look beyond next week, let alone the next election.
How did President Bush and Karl Rove force the immigration issue to its current frenzy? As I recall it was the Minute Men and other activists getting high profiled that started this current round of attention to illegal immigrants. President Bush is now faulted for responding and trying to get something done. Since this posting is probably only among the first that will be posted today demanding or condemning or providing just plain Bush bashing opportunities, I will have a nice day in the beautiful outdoors. Sure beats being plopped at a computer reading the same posters hopping from thread to thread saying the same old things to one another. Making sure that every thread is turned into their own anti immigration chat room. This is getting very, very, old and so unproductive. The sincerity of the pundit class can be gaged thru the lens of self interest and I am not overly impressed with any of them. That goes for the talking heads as well. When I read on the bash Bush threads the caustic references to the 'sheeple', it becomes obvious that there is more than one set who fit that category. Nothing that President Bush does on the immigration matter, or the illegal part of it, will satisfy everybody. The venting against the Pres may be therapeutic but it has become so boring.
I have returned every single piece of RNC mail with a comment about immigration and NO CHECK. The only contributions I have made is to Kyl's re-election. I now have to leave the room when President Bush comes on to give a speech (just as I did during Clinton's tenure) because I am so angry with him.
EVERYONE I talk to feels the same way. But then, I live in Phoenix which is rapidly becoming a third world city, complete with crime, bribery, filthy streets, and you can go shopping for two hours and never hear a word of english spoken.
My neighborhood watch meetings now consist of which guns are the easiest for women to handle and who is taking shooting lessons where and how much do they cost and are the instructors any good (and that's just the discussions between the ladies)
But you make my point. You're still giving Kyl money and your vote. That's my point. This is NOT affecting your behavior towards the guy who is running (Kyl), just the guy who isn't (GWB.)
That's a good point, too. The whole premise is off. Hell, wasn't it Levin's good buddy Sean Hannity and the other talkers whoopin' things up? Michelle Malkin, et al. Yeah, now that I think of it, what the hell is Levin talking about? Add to that this:
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.
How does GWB's position now differ from his 2000 position on it? Seems the same to me. And wasn't Rove taken off the job of advising political policy?
There's a lot more going on than meets the eye. Here's an exchange I had with BobJ last Friday.
To: Bob J
I think that this is what is really going on, and it's been going on long before Bush came into office. I think the 9-11 attack may just have speeded things up.
[PDF] Building a North American Community
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:L-n-Zvyk9uIJ:canada.usembassy.gov/content/can_usa/northamericancommunity_TF_final.pdf+Building+a+North+American+community+planned+long+before+Bush+was+elected&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=6
A long-term goal. for a North American border action plan should be joint screening ... Building a North American Community. W. HAT WE SHOULD DO BY ...
http:www.cfr.org/content/publications/ attachments/NorthAmerica_TF_final.pdf - Similar pages
[PDF] Building a North American Community
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:_vn064l1L70J:www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/NorthAmerica_TF_final.pdf+Building+a+North+American+community+planned+long+before+Bush+was+elected&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4
Building a North American Community. Report of the Independent Task Force ... long-term goal for a North American border action plan should be joint ...
canada.usembassy.gov/content/ can_usa/northamericancommunity_TF_final.pdf - Similar pages
153 posted on 05/19/2006 3:47:35 PM EDT by Matchett-PI
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635014/posts?page=153#153
To: Matchett-PI
Looks like a blueprint for what Bush and Congress is doing.
157 posted on 05/19/2006 4:01:45 PM EDT by Bob J
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635014/posts?page=157#157
To: Bob J
Yep. It looks as if the borders that they are more intent on defending - probably for national security reasons - are the outer borders of all of North America.
Another consideration regarding national security concerns is that we get most of our oil from Canada and Mexico.
Bush has had a real mess dumped in his lap since he became president, and there are no "good" or "easy" options / solutions for him.
I do know that his #1 priority every day is his "duty" to protect the American people. That would NOT be the case with a RAT president.
172 posted on 05/19/2006 5:13:31 PM EDT by Matchett-PI
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635014/posts?page=172#172
Yes, but I am an extremely active voter. The average voter will NOT be able to force themselves. Just talk to the people at work and the neighbors and you'll see what I mean. They are FED UP with all of them. You don't have to worry about republicans voting democrats, you have to worry about republicans finding something else to do on election day because they figure it won't make a difference anyway.
Oh I don't know about that. I'd argue the "extremely active" voter is more likely to be bipolar than the "average" voter. You're the one who feels strongly one way or the other. I think the average voter has low expectations to begin with, and is used to voting for someone who underwhelms them. And if people like you stay home on election day, you're definitely helping the DEMs and you know it.
Well, it appears that you seem to know all the answers so there's nothing to worry about. Nice talking to you (very similar talking to a wall, but.....)
I have believed for a long time that this is why Bush's numbers are "low".
It isn't that the religious nuts are the ones being polled-it's that the normal thinking Republican base and swing-voters have been completely turned off by the religious zealots, the antiimmigration hysterics, and so forth.
The GOP has lost its direction, but that seems to be because they are giving way too much attention to people who don't matter and allowing their issues to be determined for them, rather than setting the agenda.
I also believe there is not strong leadership below the President who are stepping up and helping define and set clear goals, and articulating to the base. People like Pat Robertson and Michelle Malkin have become the mouthpieces for the GOP, and both are extremists who claim to not even be Republican, yet they are being allowed to articulate the tone (hatefilled rhetoric) and agenda of the Republican party.
Thus the low poll numbers for Bush.
Levin has been part of the cabal DEMANDING the President tackle the illegal immigration issue.
Guess Levin doesn't like the backlash he's getting from some republicans so now Levin is deflecting blame.
IMO, this isn't the first issue that Levin has proven he's too much inside the talk show circuit and not enough out here in the real world.
The topic is being discussed and a bill will be agreed upon. That's what our form of government is all about.
No one gets everything they want.
We elected President Bush and if Levin wants to take his vote back....
"GWB's position on immigration, which is the same position he's held since before being elected president.."
That's true, no surpise, but then that was before 9/11.
excellent article.
Rush is all over this today... again. Anyone who says Rush is carrying water for the administration hasn't listened for the last week.
I agree with you. It seems the only time the Congressional Republicans can find their voice is when they oppose the President, even on issues they dropped the ball on long before he came to office or those they punted to the President because they didn't have the collective will to contain things like spending. And then they lack the savvy and foresight to express those differences in a way that doesn't jeopardize the conservative accomplishments realized under Bush.
Levin, Malkin, Limbaugh and the rest often dismiss the President's position as some cheap political ploy...that cynicism can work both ways. Bush has no more elections, no future where he will personally enjoy the fruits of any Hispanic vote his position might attract. But Limbaugh and the rest most certainly have a vested interested in political disharmony, it's how they make a living.
Thanks to our governor who speaks out of both sides of her mouth.
bttt
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