On the Border (with the Director of Texas Dept. of Homeland Security)

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | May 27, 2006 | Bill Steigerwald

[NorthEasterner]

On the border with Steve McCraw By Bill Steigerwald TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, May 27, 2006

Waves of illegal immigrants are the least of Steve McCraw's problems. Texas has the longest border with Mexico, and McCraw, the state's director of homeland security, has the difficult job of trying to keep some very nasty criminals and potential terrorists from crossing it. Appointed by Gov. Rick Perry, McCraw, 52, is a former FBI intelligence expert who oversees state and local police resources that have been deployed to make Texas safer and help the U.S. Border Patrol.

[mtbopfuyn]

But is it realistic? Certainly, you can accomplish anything if you have the will to do it. And certainly this nation can do anything it has the will to do.

Of course border security is realistic, if there's the will. Unfortunately, the will isn't there for those in Washington.

[jpsb]

"First of all, what we are not dealing with is immigration policy. The position of the governor is that until we secure the border, immigration policy reforms, though very well-intentioned, will not be effective in the long run or even the short run. It's been said that, well, if you are able to address the demand for immigrant labor, that you've in fact increased the security of the border. Well, you really haven't. If you decrease the demand for labor, criminals and terrorists will still come through an insecure border. They're not motivated by jobs. What the governor wants to focus on are terrorists and criminals. But in order to do that you really have to focus on securing the border between the ports of entry. Until you do so, there is no homeland security. "

Tony Snow please see the above (bolded).

[davidosborne]

It has come to my attention that ALL members of the JUDICIARY COMMITTEE will participate in the conference on the immigation bill..

Our battle is not with the Senators who voted on the "Senate Version" on the bill....the two bill are "oceans" apart.. with the house version being a MUCH BETTER BILL !! our battle is with the Senators who will go to conference with house.. which I just found out will be ALL MEMBERS of the Judiciary Committee and then some additional Senators yet to be named by Reid and Frist !!!...

WE NEED TO LET THESE FOLKS KNOW that we SUPPORT THE HOUSE VERSION !! NOT THE SENATE VERSION !!! now get er done !!

---> for now we can focus our efforts on the JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMEBERS !!!

Arlen Specter Orrin G. Hatch Patrick J. Leahy Charles E. Grassley Edward M. Kennedy Jon Kyl Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Mike DeWine Hrbert Kohl Jeff Sessions Dianne Feinstein Lindsey Graham Russell D. Feingold John Cornyn Charles E. Schumer Sam Brownback Richard J. Durbin Tom Coburn

I have written an OPEN LETTER to the conferees and I encouge EVERYONE who cares about this to do the same.... feel free to copy/edit/distribute my letter..

MY OPEN LETTER TO CONFEREES

[yoe]

If this sounds insane to you, call your senators and enlighten them, because they are stumbling in the darkness right now, can't possibly understand the situation, and really need your help."

...plus the fact that your son or daughter will have to pay the going tuition for in state or out of state college while the illegal immigrant will get a price break; identity fraud is rampant but Senator John McCain, Kennedy, Spector etc. think nothing of it – they are not citizens – citizens must obey the law, but not aliens. Our Senate has failed big time – don’t vote for those who voted yea to the destruction of our country with their lawless approach to this problem. These are the ones who hope you will forget in 2008 so file this list.

Akaka (D-HI) - Alexander (R-TN) - Baucus (D-MT) - Bayh (D-IN) - Bennett (R-UT) - Biden (D-DE) - Bingaman (D-NM) – Boxer (D-CA) - Brownback (R-KS) - Cantwell (D-WA) - Carper (D-DE) - Chafee (R-RI) - Clinton (D-NY) - Cochran (R-MS) - Coleman (R-MN) - Collins (R-ME) - Conrad (D-ND) - Cornyn (R-TX) - Craig (R-ID) - Dayton (D-MN) - DeWine (R-OH) Dodd (D-CT) - Domenici (R-NM) - Durbin (D-IL) - Feingold (D-WI) - Feinstein (D-CA) - Frist (R-TN) - Graham (R-SC) - Gregg (R-NH) - Hagel (R-NE) - Harkin (D-IA) - Hatch (R-UT) - Hutchison (R-TX) - Inouye (D-HI) - Jeffords (I-VT) - Johnson (D-SD) - Kennedy (D-MA) - Kerry (D-MA) - Kohl (D-WI) - Kyl (R-AZ) - Landrieu (D-LA) - Lautenberg (D-NJ) - Leahy (D-VT) - Levin (D-MI) - Lieberman (D-CT) - Lincoln (D-AR) - Lott (R-MS) - Lugar (R-IN) - Martinez (R-FL) - McCain (R-AZ) - McConnell (R-KY) - Menendez (D-NJ) - Mikulski (D-MD) - Murkowski (R-AK) - Murray (D-WA) - Nelson (D-FL) - Nelson (D-NE) - Obama (D-IL) - Pryor (D-AR) - Reed (D-RI) - Reid (D-NV) - Salazar (D-CO) - Sarbanes (D-MD) - Schumer (D-NY) - Smith (R-OR) - Snowe (R-ME) - Specter (R-PA) - Stabenow (D-MI) - Stevens (R-AK) - Thomas (R-WY) - Voinovich (R-OH) - Warner (R-VA) - Wyden (D-OR) -

[NorthEasterner]

read my columns on the Border, i am pretty tough
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/zito/

[yoe]

"And border security is only as good as its weakest link; there are far too many weak links in our current policies."

The most dangerous 'weak links' are in our Congress and Senate. McCain is NOT going to listen to any American Citizen - he is all about politics to the point he almost rivals Hillary.Your points are well taken!

[yoe]

MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY

(CONTACT EVERY ONE OF THESE PEOPLE)

[Milhous]

We all know al-Qaida has intentions of exploiting the southwest border as a way of entering resources undetected into the United States ... . Middle Eastern countries have often used this as a corridor to get into the United States. You can't think of a place they haven't come from -- the Philippines, Saudi Arabia. Four Iraqis were captured the other day by Mexican officials. Syria -- who would think we are a pathway for Syria?

Collaborated on another thread:

Amnesty Intranational

. . .

He recently noted, in 2005 alone, more than 200 illegals detained by Border Patrol came from the Middle East, “countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and others.”

America needs to secure its own borders to guarantee the domestic safety of the families of American military service members fighting in foreign countries.

Re: Tony's Snow job. Tony's goofy speeding ticket metaphor matches his silly expectations that ADM, a big employer of illegals, will actually rat out a competitor named Cargill for employing just as many illegals.

[davidosborne]

I ALREADY HAVE - AND MORE.... HAVE YOU?

[HiJinx]

Ping!

[janetgreen]

bookmark

[TLI]

Q: Is it realistic to think that the Texas border can be closed and guarded?

A: You say "closed." We're not going to close legitimate commerce, OK. Nor do we care who comes through the ports of entry legitimately. It gives the U.S. government the opportunity to vet these people and use biometrics or whatever the case may be. But is it realistic? Certainly, you can accomplish anything if you have the will to do it. And certainly this nation can do anything it has the will to do.

NE, did you have a chance to ask Bill Steigerwald if Steve McCraw really is sincere about this or are we hearing the election rhetoric beginning?

I ask you this because the Texas Minutemen, which is the Texas Division of The Minuteman Project are going to "advance that theory" with an upgraded Border Operation this fall. We want to provide the volunteers with the most accurate information available as to the expected attitude of LEO's in the area. After being sold out by the management of Border Patrol in their secret reporting of our positions to the Mexican army, we are a bit touchy on the subject of our law enforcement agencies "policies."

[NorthEasterner]

i have interviewed McCraw numerous times and spent time with him and the sheriffs embedded on the border at night, he is a hardliner about closing the border, check out some of my border stories with him in it, he is a law and order guy first http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/zito/

[TLI]

THANKS! I will check this out.

[TradicalRC]

What does this have to do with Catholics?

[NorthEasterner]

i admit, i a human, i am catholic and i put that in by accident, my apologies if i offended you

[WOSG]

David, here is my message to Congress on immigration:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1639854/posts?page=7#7