[Richard Kimball]

When I look at the coal miners, it seems clear to me that Americans will do ANY job, no matter how dangerous, if it is honest and pays enough to keep their family off welfare.

Bush's low approval ratings, IMHO, stem almost entirely from the immigration/border security/enforcement issue. I remember the first time he made his amnesty proposal. He was riding at about 63% approval in the polls, and the country was very much behind him in the WOT. This was before the 2004 elections. He made that speech, and within a month his approval was below 50%. The problem was that the border security issue undercut everything he was trying to do in the WOT. Even though there had not been a successful attack on US soil since 911 (except I think the plane that crashed the next week was terrorism, just covered up), few people could justify having 130,000 troops in Iraq with our southern border wide open.

I believe the Dubai ports deal was the first shot in the retaliation against Bush and the Republicans over the border issue. It was the last straw for a lot of people. Michael Savage, who is usually ignored by the left media, suddenly got respect and visits from Charles Schumer. The Rats figured out they weren't going to outflank Bush from the left, because moving to the left of Bush wouldn't get them any votes they weren't getting anyway. So, they jumped rhetorically to the right of Bush on immigration. Now, the problem for people who want the borders closed, which is most Americans by a wide margin, is pretty much the same problem we faced in 1992 with Clinton, Bush I, and NAFTA. Most of the American public did not want NAFTA, but a vote for Bush was a vote for NAFTA, and a vote for Clinton was a vote for NAFTA.

The political class wants a North American zone, as opposed to three countries. This cuts across both parties.

BTW, I have no problem with anyone coming to this country to live under the following conditions:

1. Come here to BECOME an American.
2. Learn English. (actually, most of the people who "don't know English" actually do, it's just convenient to pretend you don't in some instances.)
3. Enter the country legally.
4. Come here to add something, not suck on the welfare state like a seed tick.

[GOPJ]

When I look at the coal miners, it seems clear to me that Americans will do ANY job, no matter how dangerous, if it is honest and pays enough to keep their family off welfare. Bush's low approval ratings, IMHO, stem almost entirely from the immigration/border security/enforcement issue. I remember the first time he made his amnesty proposal.

You're right, it's that and Harriet Myers for the SC

[quantfive]

"1. Come here to BECOME an American.
2. Learn English. (actually, most of the people who "don't know English" actually do, it's just convenient to pretend you don't in some instances.)
3. Enter the country legally.
4. Come here to add something, not suck on the welfare state like a seed tick."

Well put. We indeed live by the inscription on the Statue of Liberty "give us you poor, downtrodden etc" but that does not mean we feel that we should cheapen citizenship into this country by catering to every special nationality, religous group etc.

[uncitizen]

Bush's low approval ratings, IMHO, stem almost entirely from the immigration/border security/enforcement issue.

IMHO too. Absolutely!

Michael Savage, who is usually ignored by the left media, suddenly got respect and visits from Charles Schumer.

Oh Gawd! Did the dueling obnoxious accents hurt your ears?