Posted on 05/30/2006 9:42:08 PM PDT by LdSentinal
As far as the powerful chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee is concerned, the controversial Senate bill on immigration reform is as dead as a duck.
Appearing Tuesday on "Lou Dobbs Tonight," Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., told Dobbs that he couldn’t imagine how the Senate bill "could ever be considered in the House of Representatives [when] the overwhelming majority of Republicans are against it.” This, he said "is amnesty. The more the senators deny it, Democrat and Republican, the more they deny it, the more the president denies it, it's amnesty. And the American people don't want it. I've never seen a disconnect between the will of the people and the actions of elected officials as we've seen in the Senate.
"And this is just a total disconnect, and as a Republican, our base is totally against it. But it goes beyond it; these are Reagan Republicans, and Democrats, independents, moderates -- across the board people are opposed. They want border security first.”
Commenting on Dobbs’ remark that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., had described the Senate bill as the will of the Senate, King snapped: "The will of the Senate was not the will of the people. What really offends me about this is they say it has to be comprehensive, which means, on the one hand we have to protect the rights of the American people by having border security.
"On the other hand we have to protect the rights of illegal immigrants. So they are suggesting there's an equivalency between the rights of legal Americans and the rights of illegal immigrants, and you can't do both at the same time. So they are trying to balance the two, and when you do that, you're never going to get border security. After 20 years of promises, we don't have border security. There's no reason to think we're going to get it now unless we focus all our at attention on that.”
When Dobbs asked if it is possible four and a half years after 9/11 "for this White House to comprehend, for that Senate to comprehend, there are about 280 million Americans out here who deserve protection at their ports and at their borders and that the people are sick and tired. They've had a belly full of the nonsense. They want the borders secured. They want the ports secured, and really don't want to hear any more about free trade and impediments to commerce.”
Said King: "You're right, it's almost now, almost five years since Sept. 11. And border security is homeland security. Our world changed on Sept. 11. If there was ever the luxury of looking the other way on illegal immigration, it ended on Sept. 11. We have to secure the border, not just for economic and cultural and social reasons, we have to secure it to preserve our security, our homeland security.”
If you are refering to the GOP poll ordered by the admin, that is push polling at finest by amnesty advocates of this administration.
It's bogus.
"But it looks to be more and more like our representative government is going to work this time, hallelujah!"
Interesting how an election every 2 years (for House members) focuses their attention on the will of the voters.
Maybe we need to require Senators to run for re-election every 2 years, as well.
Don't get too excited yet.
This isn't over, not by a long shot. I expect the battle to go on for at least the summer on this legislation alone. Even if we win this battle, it still doesn't secure the borders and it still doesn't stop the amnesty crowd from trying to wear us down and sneak it in other legislation.
King was a big fan of amnesty back in '98.
Peter King for President
Kay Bailey Hutchinson reported on Lou Dobbs last week that communications to her office were running around 1800 against to less than 20 for the Senate bill. I assume that anyone who communicates with their elected officeholders are beyond likely voters, but almost certain voters. Communications to elected officeholders may not be scientific but should count for more than spinmeister polling. Of course, voters should have more representation than illegals which is evidently not the case for a President , Rinos and Democrats.
I think that the vast majority of Americans have an entirely different view of what it should take for an illegal to "earn" citizenship than does the average US Senator. A poll question that offers the choice between a slammed door and one opened just a crack might eleicit such a reply, but a poll question that offered a choice between a door opened just a crack and one thrown wide open ala the US Senate's version would give an entirely different result.
Amen Rep. King!
There's a thread tonight with comments by the Senators who DID NOT vote for the amnesty bill.
While I appreciate them voting no, there's a real disconnect. In their comments as to why they voted no, not one of them said anything even close to, "My constituents elected me to the Senate because I promised to do their will. I listened to my constituents and that's why I voted against the bill."
How disappointing.
It don't take a genious to see that Amnesty insures 20 plus million new propective democrats insuring republican minority status for God knows how long.. UNLESS if THAT is what YOU WANTED.. (i.e the White House)
Let me see if I have this straight.
You're criticizing senators who voted "no" on this?
They ain't called "unappeasables" for nothing.
Call me cynical, but this is the word of a single man. He still needs to corral 230 Republicans(some of whom like CIRA). There are still many more battles that needs to be fought before CIRA is in the asheap of bad legislation.
Free Sports Illustrated subscriptions for everyone!
And what rights would those be? Our constitution grants rights to lawful CITIZENS, NOT illegals.
Well what happened to all the polls that showed the overwhelming majority of Americans favored the House Bill over the Senate Bill?
Could it be that because O'Reilly favors amnesty that he would push a like-minded poll on his program? Afterall he's only looking out for us.
The problem is I've seen polls all over the map on this... Dobbs keeps saying the Senate is against the will of the people but there are plenty of polls saying a majority supports the Senate bill. Go figure.
Dobbs pushes his own poll. Both O'Reilly and Dobbs only show polls that support their view.
The battles are just beginning.
Funny how being up for election in a few months clarifies the vision.
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