Posted on 06/16/2006 10:41:38 AM PDT by Small-L
President Bush has refused to meet with border law-enforcement officials from Texas for a second time. His response to their request came in the form of a letter Monday, angering both lawmakers and sheriffs.
In fact, some Republican members of the House, upset by what they call the administration's seeming lack of concern for border security, are preparing to hold investigative hearings in San Diego and Laredo, Texas, early next month.
Members of the House Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation hope to expose serious security flaws that could potentially lead to terrorist attacks in the country, said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, who is a member of the panel and has pushed for the hearings.
"The next terrorist is not going to come in through (Transportation Security Administration) screening at Kennedy airport," Poe said. "We already have information that people from the Middle East have come through the border from Mexico. They assimilate in Mexico learning to speak Spanish and adopt customs and then they cross the border into the United States."
Poe requested the meeting for members of the Southwestern Sheriffs' Border Coalition a group that includes all 26 border-county sheriffs from California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. The sheriffs wanted to speak to the president about the increasing dangers in their communities and along the border.
"The president is the busiest man in the world but he needs to take the time to talk to the border sheriffs and learn what's happening in the real world from them," Poe said. "We can't understand why he refuses to meet with them."
In May, all of the Republican House members from Texas traveled to Washington to meet the president regarding border security. Bush did not meet with them, however, and former White House spokesman Scott McClellan was sent in his stead.
Poe said the White House letter dated Monday showed the disconnect between the administration and the American people who want the border secured.
"The president would appreciate the opportunity to visit with border sheriffs," said the White House letter written by La Rhonda M. Houston, deputy director of the Office of Appointments and Scheduling. "Regrettably, it will not be possible for us to arrange such a meeting. I know that you understand with the tremendous demands of the president's time, he must often miss special opportunities, as is the case this time."
Rick Glancey, spokesman for the sheriffs coalition, said its members are angry and disappointed in the president's response. Glancey said Bush's recent tour of the border with Border Patrol spokesmen did not reflect the reality of what locals live with every day.
"It's a slap in the face to the hardworking men and women on the front lines of rural America who every day engage in border-security issues," Glancey said. "He missed the opportunity to take off his White House cowboy boots and put some real cowboy boots on and walk in our shoes for a few minutes."
The border hearings will expose the truth to the American public and force the administration to take a serious look at the border, said Allan Knapp, Poe's legislative director.
Knapp and Poe have traveled twice to the border this year, spending time along barren stretches where they witnessed no security and numerous migrants crossing into the United States, they said.
"We need to expose the lack of border security before it is too late," Poe said. "We're fighting a war on terror in Iraq and we're winning, but we're losing our own border war. These hearings will be a necessary step in the right direction."
Andy Ramirez, chairman of the Chino-based Friends of the Border Patrol, said he has been called to testify before the panel in San Diego. Ramirez said he has turned in two years of Border Patrol documents and memos, which he will discuss before the committee.
"The president has basically pushed his whole administration's agenda toward the war on terror, yet he can't find the time to meet with law-enforcement leaders responsible for border security," Ramirez said. "It is appalling and outrageous that the war on terror and border security does not extend to the U.S. border."
Thanks
"Recall that TR only became president because the GOP leadership thought making him Vice President would push him out of the way."
Well, I'm not really THAT old. [grin]. Yes, it has happened, but not for a long time, now. Nixon was about the closest in recent years, and that didn't really work out all that well.
Reagan was a globalist, too. I just do not see a big change on the horizon. A true conservative cannot win the Presidency right now. Of that I'm certain. So, we're back to the middle. The guy with the smiling face, who tells us all that things will get better, that all problems will be solved, and that we'll have plenty of chickens to eat, will get elected. Thus has it been. Teddy R. was an old grump. Nixon frowned a lot and didn't serve out his term.
Ya gotta smile big to be President now.
Hey, he went down there and had a look at the border for himself
He went to Larado for 25 mins. and never left the airport. The words 'photo op' come to mind.
The elected United States President Self appointed MexicAmerica President is a busy man and can't be bothered with peasants working against his Hemispheric government/trade agenda.
"He went to Larado for 25 mins. and never left the airport. The words 'photo op' come to mind.
"
Yes? Well? Photo ops are the way Presidents have done their jobs for many years now. I wouldn't expect too much more than that, were I you.
"MexicAmerica"
That should be MexiCanadAmerica. Don't leave out our neighbors to the north.
"Then the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo should mean something to you. Obviously it means nothing to Bush."
Indeed. Well, that's another Treaty to be overridden by another Treaty at some point. That's the deal with Treaties. A new one can override the old one. It's all Constitutional, you see. Go read the Constitution.
You're right how foolish of me to forget he wants to be their leader as well.
By now, most white Americans have been here long enough that several generations of ethnic intermarriage have largely severed our emotional attachment to any particular European country. But for the first generation or two, there were tightly-knit ethnic enclaves which still survive in attenuated form in some of the major cities. It's not reasonable to expect the most recent wave of Hispanics to assimilate in the first few years they are here, or to quickly sever their emotional ties to their former countries. Nor is it a new thing to hear of a radical political element among the new immigrants. So there are reasons to believe that there is nothing radically new about the current situation, other than that much of the immigration is illegal, primarily because of the geographical proximity of Mexico. But most of the other things that alarm anti-immigration people are just a continuation of what we had for much of our history.
"You're right how foolish of me to forget he wants to be their leader as well.
"
No, he doesn't. George W. Bush will be on permanent retirement, starting in January, 2009. None of this will have come to pass by then.
He's going to head down to his ranch, put his feet up, and visit with folks who come to visit him there. He'll make a few speeches here and there, eat a lot of BBQ, and join the other former Presidents from time to time in dedicating something or another.
He'll mess around with creating his presidential library, clear cedar, catch a bass or two in his little pond, and enjoy his life.
He's not going to be in charge of anything.
The one thing to remember is that the speed of communications has changed the world. Through the Internet and Websites like this one I can see someone (like a Pence) who is relatively unknown getting ground roots support for the nomination.
One thing that Bush WON'T do in retirement is publicly criticize the actions of his successors, ala Carter (especially) and Clinton (to a lesser extent).
"By now, most white Americans have been here long enough that several generations of ethnic intermarriage have largely severed our emotional attachment to any particular European country."
That's true, for the most part, although you'll see lots of heritage days celebrated in many cities.
Assimilation is always only a partial process. It's happening now with a number of immigrant groups. It seems slow, since it takes two or three generations to really work.
You're right, though.
All those liberals who say Bush is a far-right wacko should come in here and see how much Bush-bashing is going on amongst conservatives.
"One thing that Bush WON'T do in retirement is publicly criticize the actions of his successors, ala Carter (especially) and Clinton (to a lesser extent)."
I expect you're right about that. I do not expect George W. Bush to be very active as an elder statesman. I doubt we'll hear much at all from him after January 2009.
Yea but you forgot realitives who will reap Bush family fortunes in his trade deals. Which goes back to my tag line. I didn't like the Clinton Hillary's} family involved in foreign trade and I don't like da Bush's doing so either.
One basic difference from history (versus the European immigration). Never in U.S. history has such a large group come from a single foreign country in so short a period.
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