The border election

Townhall.com ^ | 6/18/06 | George Will

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Geographically, Pennsylvania is a long way from Laredo. But politically, every state may be a border state this year. As evidence, consider a radio ad being run by Rick Santorum, a Republican seeking a third U.S. Senate term in a state that has voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections. Titled "He Needs Glasses,'' the target is Santorum's opponent, Bob Casey:

"Bobby Casey announced his support of a Senate bill that grants amnesty to illegal immigrants, shocking hardworking taxpayers all across Pennsylvania. Now Casey's trying to wiggle out of it by saying the bill doesn't offer amnesty and requires illegal immigrants to pay their back taxes. Either Casey didn't read the bill, or he's trying to deceive you. The Washington Times reports the legislation gives amnesty to 11 million who are here illegally, and paves the way for 66 million more immigrants to enter the country. The bill also forgives two of the last five years of back taxes for illegals, something the IRS would never do for you. This Casey-supported bill even gives illegal aliens Social Security benefits for the time they were here illegally. Fortunately, Rick Santorum voted against the bill and Rick's leading the fight to make sure it never becomes law. Now you know the advantage of having in our corner a fighter like Rick Santorum.''

Whether or not the word "amnesty'' is apposite concerning what the Senate bill does is a matter of opinion. And you can judge for yourself the plausibility of 66 million new immigrants by reading the report, by Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation, that helped strengthen the House's insistence on an enforcement first" policy. The claims about taxes and Social Security are true enough.

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Another piece of trash from the smartest man in the room. I don't know what's come over George lately but he's lost his touch. Imagine being in the same room with George and Newt? It would end up like that scene in Airplane when everyone Robert Hays talks to ends up killing themselves.

[goldstategop]

The Democrats think the American people would welcome the Senate's shamnesty bill. They're in denial.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[NapkinUser]

No, the DNC is not that stupid. They know they can keep their usual supporters with their usual propaganda while trying to use their immigration policy to woo hispanic voters back to them after these voters, as a whole, have been flocking more and more to the republicans over the past three or four elections.

[Nextrush]

Santorum has found an issue to hit Casey on.

Sadly, here in Pennsylvania some people who post on our state board hate Santorum more for playing ball with liberal Republicans like Specter than they hate Casey for being more obviously liberal. They are rooting for Rick to lose.

Specter, Ridge and the other liberal Republicans bother me, but not enough to let Casey win here.

There are times to pick fights like Toomey vs. Specter and times to walk away from them like the general election.

I don't fall for the fights over various issues that Karl Rove is creating now to divert our attention from big spending, pro-illegal immigration Republican-Bush policies.

Liberalism in the Republican Party is a scourge that will only be eliminated in the long term through hard fought primary battles and it isn't eliminated by the fake conservative posturing of Rove-Bush-GOP Congress in an election year.

All that said its time to unite and keep Santorum in the U.S. Senate. You've got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them as the old song says. Go Rick in 2006.

[raybbr]

No, the DNC is not that stupid. They know they can keep their usual supporters with their usual propaganda while trying to use their immigration policy to woo hispanic voters back to them after these voters, as a whole, have been flocking more and more to the republicans over the past three or four elections.

The idea that they are "flocking" is absurd. Reagan got 37% of the hispanic vote and Bush got 44%.

What will the next Republican candidate have to promise them to even maintain that number?

[raybbr]

Using faith and religious values, George Bush was able to break the record as the Republican presidential candidate to receive the most Latino votes. Since 1972, President Reagan was the only Republican president who received a record high of the Latino vote with 37 percent. President Bush came close to breaking that record in 2000 when he received 35 percent of the Hispanic vote.14 However, in 2004 not only did Mr. Bush break President Reagan’s record, he marked an unusual moment for any Republican presidential candidate when he received over 44 percent of the Latino vote; up by 11 percent since 2000.15 It was interesting to note that many of those Latinos who voted for Bush were under the national poverty level and together averaged an income of $25, 500.16 For them, a sense of morality was more important than an education, healthcare or good paying jobs.

They are not flocking. If it was true that they are "flocking more and more to the republicans" then why did Bush only get 33% his first time around?

[armydawg1]

The end of John McCain's ambitions for national office are tied directly to this bill.

Meanwhile, our next door neighbors in South Carolina can deal with Lindsey Graham.