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 couldnt 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.
The old adage goes people are more impressed with our sincerity if we act on our beliefs than if we merely talk about them.
Well, finally a voice of reason in a cacophony of dissonance in the ILLEGAL CRIMINAL INVASION OF AMERICA. The fact that it is coming from a RhINO makes it even better. We are watching HISTORY in the making, either the crossroads of the END of the REpublican Party or the beginning of return to REPUBLICAN ROOTS.
Bump
"I've never seen....."
Born yesterday?
I recall seeing similar disconnects MANY times!
And will no doubt see many more.
Indeed.....
BORDER SECURITY FIRST !!!!
Forgive me if I don't hold my breath over this issue. The CAFTA debacle proved to me that last minute/strong arm tactics should never be taken for granted...
"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.""
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK)
"The American people have been demanding that their elected officials take action to limit illegal immigration first by securing our borders, then by addressing guest worker reform. Unfortunately, this bill reversed those priorities. Rewarding illegal immigrants with amnesty without taking adequate steps to secure our borders is the wrong way to address this problem, Dr. Coburn said.
It is important for Congress to understand that the public will not trust us on this issue until our borders are secure."
Thats close enough for me.
I hope you are right, but I don't believe that will be the case, I was talking to a Border Patrol Agent the other night, he said many of the illegals he catches are saying, "I am here for the amnesty." He said when he tells them there is no amnesty, they don't believe him. That tells me that the flow probably won't decrease, if anything it may increase.
Do you recall which particular polls those were?
They better get it damn soon.
He's right. This "Will of the Senate" crap is totally offensive to the vast majority of American voters and a price is definitely going to be paid at the ballot box for any RINO who thinks he's going to skate on this.
Tonight on "The O'Reilly Factor" Bill O. showed polls that say 75% of Americans support the Senate-type bill and only 25% don't. Most Americans when asked: Should Illegal Immigrants, who are currently in the U.S., be given a chance to earn citizenship? They will say "yes"
"That's because 80% of the American public DO NOT KNOW what is included in the Senate bill."
At over 600 pages, last I heard, neither does most of the Senate I'll wager.
That was in 1998. For Peter King EVERYTHING changed after September 11...he's been speaking out about border security ever since then.
And we are always told that NY pubbies are closer in ideology to the Beast Clinton than Ronald Reagan, I'm glad theres at least one left that thinks like a Conservative!
All the senate knows is that the demographics show hispanics will eventually decide eelections here, if current trends continue.
Rather than slow those trends down and try to assimilate those who could immigrate legally, the senate will fall all over itself to open the door wide for those they hope will vote for them. It's sickening.
As for how much of the 600 pages the senators read, thats only usually the title page, the poll results and their personal amendments to make sure they have lined their pockets and the lobbist that own them.
S. 2611 (Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 )
Grouped By Vote Position
YEAs ---62
Akaka (D-HI)
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)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
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)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
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)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs ---36
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Nelson (D-NE)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Not Voting - 2
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
If I lived in Pete King's district, I would actually vote for him, having seen this. I disagree with him about a lot of things, but this stand alone makes him worth it!
Well that tears it. It'll pass.
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.