‘Pit Bull’ of the House Latches Onto Immigration

Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. has no tolerance for illegal immigrants, either in his political life or personal life.

“My housekeeper in Wisconsin was born in Wisconsin,” says Mr. Sensenbrenner, the Republican congressman and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “My housekeeper here is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Nicaragua.”

Mr. Sensenbrenner is so loath to risk dealing with illegal immigrants that when his Cadillacs need cleaning, he prefers do-it-yourself car washes that require tokens. “They don’t have Montezuma’s picture on the front of them,” Mr. Sensenbrenner says of the tokens.

He is sitting in his Capitol Hill office dominated by two life-size portraits of himself. He looms heavily here, as he does in the thick of the national debate over immigration in which he has defied President Bush’s plans for reform and arguably holds more sway than anyone else in Congress. A bipartisan irritant from a state nowhere near the Mexican border, he has outsize influence on the fate of the country’s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.

In each portrait in his office, Mr. Sensenbrenner appears regal and contented — in contrast to the rumpled and fed-up image he conveys in real life. He is commonly described as “prickly,” “cantankerous” and “unpleasant.” And this is by his friends.

“I would describe Jim as — what’s a nice word — how about ‘idiosyncratic’?” says Representative Dan Lungren, a California Republican on the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Lungren equates Mr. Sensenbrenner’s leadership to something the Green Bay Packer guard Jerry Kramer said about his coach Vince Lombardi. “He treats us all equally,” Mr. Lungren says of Mr. Sensenbrenner. “He treats us all like dogs.”

Mr. Sensenbrenner, 63, can be neutrally described as a Washington piece of work — a big-bellied curmudgeon with a taste for old Caddies, pontoon boats and enormous cigars.

New York Times working with Rove to define the "enemies" of "compromise" with Bush/Senate/Democrat radical plan. A way of telling liberal readership they need not inquire about the bills and their provisions, or the "need" for new and additional wage depressing guest worker programs.

""A bipartisan irritant from a state nowhere near the Mexican border, he has outsize influence on the fate of the country’s estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.""

Pushes the old meme there is no bipartisan opposition to the Senate bill's provisions, adds a new one that persons not near the border should not have a voice. This deception will only work on NYTimes Borg members who don't know border politicians are the most against the Amnesty++.

""Mr. Sensenbrenner, 63, can be neutrally described as a Washington piece of work — a big-bellied curmudgeon with a taste for old Caddies, pontoon boats and enormous cigars. He is equally at home discussing policy minutiae or the details of his Dalmatian’s recent intestinal problems. His honking voice and Upper Midwestern enunciations make him one of the most mimicked politicians on Capitol Hill.""

Childish insults like Dana Milbank gave about Jeff Sessions in the New York Times. Sessions got his apology, I doubt NYTimes will. They are locked into the Dems, Bush and the cheaper labor lobbies.

"One could dismiss him as something of a cartoon, except that Mr. Sensenbrenner has been a feared and vital character in some defining political dramas"

LOL...and fear he and others are going to explain detail by detail the odious provisions of the Senate Bill and explain why we don't need Amnesty and new worker influxes.

"In recent weeks, Mr. Sensenbrenner has refused to yield on anything, derided what he calls the “amnesty” of the Senate bill and warned that he is willing to walk away without a compromise."

Scare quotes around "amnesty." Even McCain calls it an amnesty. NYTimes repeateing Rove/Bolten memes.

""For as much as Mr. Sensenbrenner decries the impulse to “go along to get along,” he also pays close attention to what is said about him. This is underscored by how wary colleagues are of speaking on the record about him.""

Message from NYTimes to Sensenbrenner - you better listen to us the NYTIMES!! My message - they're running scared. But start hitting on the odious provisions of the Senate Bill and mention we're taking it to the people first.

""He is easily annoyed when his authority is disregarded. Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, for instance, recently promoted a compromise immigration plan that would have focused on enforcement and border security first, then carry out the more contentious changes. Asked about the McCain proposal, Mr. Sensenbrenner stares blankly and flips his hand dismissively.""

There is no McCain bill any more. Here the NYTimes invokes the "authority" of McCain like Democrats always do. S is right he talks to Specter becausee Specter is the appropriate person.

""Mr. Sensenbrenner projects the self-assurance of a lucky man. He reaped a fortune from a great-grandfather who invented the Kotex sanitary napkin. He won $250,000 in 1997 on a lottery ticket he purchased while buying beer. He lists assets of almost $11 million, according to public filings.""

That's funny! Did that come from Rove oppo research?

""Not given to navel gazing, he prefers, he says, to spend time on his pontoon boat on a Wisconsin lake, smoking behemoth cigars imported from Honduras or the Dominican Republic. The family Dalmatian, Solomon — also known as Stinky — comes along, too.

Mr. Sensenbrenner concludes with an aside about Stinky — specifically, the case of giardia that the dog picked up a few weeks ago, which requires Mr. Sensenbrenner to force-feed Stinky four pills a day. This is not easy.""

This article is classic. The seething rage of the NYTimes is evident. It's a keeper.

Shermy, I wish you would stop having these anxiety attacks in print.

Our president and his pal Karl know exactly what they are doing. I used to be like you, worried all the time about illegal immigration, and then I discovered margaritas.

After 6 or 7, I begin to see Karl and George's game plan. Latinos are the Republicans of the Future. In order not to worry the Democrats, we keep repeating that "11 million illegals" figure.

Don't you see? there are really about 30 million ... all votes for the Republican Party ....someday. Ask Karl. I plan on talking to him right after the November elections ... and giving the him a head butt like Zizou did to the Italian guy.

I'too busy to post further tonight ... I am working on the GW Legacy: $5 Gas, 100 Million Mexicans, and Hillary Klinton as President.

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