G.O.P. Sets Aside Work on Immigration

New York Times via Drudge Report ^ | Sept 4, 2006 | CARL HULSE and RACHEL L. SWARNS

[RobFromGa]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 — As they prepare for a critical pre-election legislative stretch, Congressional Republican leaders have all but abandoned a broad overhaul of immigration laws and instead will concentrate on national security issues they believe play to their political strength.

With Congress reconvening Tuesday after an August break, Republicans in the House and Senate say they will focus on Pentagon and domestic security spending bills, port security legislation and measures that would authorize the administration’s terror surveillance program and create military tribunals to try terror suspects.

“We Republicans believe that we have no choice in the war against terror and the only way to do it is to continue to take them head-on whether it is in Iraq or elsewhere,” said Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the majority leader.

Excerpted

[Rawlings]

That's awefully optimistic of you. To be honest with you, though, I don't want to let the Dems let us be attacked just to wake us up. I don't want to lose thousands of american lives, maybe my own, just to purify the GOP. Think of the message the terrorists get from a Democratic win: it say surrender and that terror works.

[nitzy]

The terrorist are out there. They are going to try and strike us regardless of whether we have a dem congress or not. I understand that you believe that they will not fight them as fiercely but I think the current anti-war pacifist rhetoric is purely political. It is merely a way to separate themselves from Bush. If they get the house they will not be as foolish as to relax the security situation. They also will not have the NYT giving away all of their secrets.

We have consistently given the Repubs all branches of govt since 9/11. At some point one house or branch will go dim and you are saying that will then embolden the terrorists and all hell will brake loose?

[nathanbedford]

1. Republicans are likely to lose the House this fall because they overspent, they failed to enforce the laws that would have sealed the border and drained away illegal immigration, and the war in Iraq has gone sour.

2. When the Republicans lose the house the present Senate bill will look very good indeed because there then will be no barrier in the House, the Senate, or the White House to the virtual abandonment of the borders.

3. If we lose the Senate as well as the House, there will be utterly no restraints on immigration because the President is simply philosophically opposed to any limitation on immigration.

4. The truth is that conservatism has lost its hold on the Republican Party and, whether we want it or not, we are now about to face her time in the wilderness. Blame is equally to be shared by senators, representatives, and the president. Thieves and Rinos and porkers in the Senate, thieves and porkers in the House, and a President who is utterly abdicated his sworn duty to enforce immigration laws and who has committed one public-relations disaster after another from Harriet Myers to Katrina and who has deliberately validated our enemies as persons, and who has handed over to them our educational system, our prescription drug system, and our federal budget, all have combined to put conservatism in a coma for awhile.

5. The house should pass the most restrictive immigration law it can muster and create the issue for the election.

6. The house should pass every conceivable energy measure such as drilling in Anwar, drilling offshore and around Florida etc. providing for refineries, providing for nuclear power plants and let the Democrats in the Rinos oppose them and create a climate in which the people can direct their rage about gas prices at the Democrats.

7. The reality is of course is it's all too late for this and any other intelligent policies which might have saved the Republican Party from the disaster which is facing us. Many of our problems have been brought on by Iraq and there too we could have done much better in a public-relations sense. Alas it is all too late now. There is nothing left but to go the polls and vote for the most conservative man on the ticket who has a chance of winning. Let's fight the good fight and go down like soldiers.

[goldfinch]

I understand that you believe that they will not fight them as fiercely but I think the current anti-war pacifist rhetoric is purely political. It is merely a way to separate themselves from Bush.

The Democrats have been anti-war pacifists since Vietnam and you think it is just rhetoric? What would it take to convince you to take them at their word?

[WatchingInAmazement]

Better anything than the Senate immigration bill.

The senate probably knew that when they passed it. It was SO bad, that everyone said, "NO!"

And when we get nothing done everyone says, "Better anything than the Senate immigration bill.

Are these political whores good or what? They give us less than nothing to fix the problem and we just say, Thanks!

[nitzy]

Which party is for smaller govt?
Which party is for individual responsibility?
Which party is for national sovereignty?
Which party wants to take back power from international institutions and give power back to the states and municipalities?
Which party is for calling out our enemies despite our trade relationships?
Which party is willing to fight a WAR (not a conflict)declared by the congress and fought with the tenacity and all of the weapons available to achieve victory?

There is no difference between the Republican and Democratic parties.

[goldfinch]

I believe we would get the house back in 4 years.

That is very optimistic of you. The Democrats controlled the House the first 40 years of my life. It isn't as easy to regain power as the disgruntled people on this board think it will be. If the Republicans lose in November, the Democrats will be in a position to make sure they stay out of power for a long, long time.

[nikola]

The good old 'ostrich strategy'. Sink your head down in the sand and ignore the reality. This is why this country of ours is going down the crapper and why the GOP will be the HUGE LOSERS this Nov.

I'm disgusted at all this and want to move out of this "Amerixico".

[goldfinch]

There is no difference between the Republican and Democratic parties.

I read your list. If you do not see a difference between Democrats and Republicans on the issues you list, there is nothing I can do to persuade you. The difference is of a degree. No political party is going to totally remove the safety net...so no party is entirely for individual responsibility. The same goes for the other issues you mention. The political party that could meet your criteria will NEVER win an election...but you have convinced yourself that elections don't matter anyway. So why do you even bother to post on a political board?

[Rawlings]

Yes, that's what I'm saying. The Dems are not serious about the most serious issue of the day.

[Private_Sector_Does_It_Better]

They just lost the house and maybe the senate.

[JeffAtlanta]

The War on Terror is certainly a better issue to go into the Midterm elections with, as compared with Immigration which is just a divisive issue.

If this is true then the GOP just gave away the House and maybe the Senate.

[Ciexyz]

btt

[JeffAtlanta]

But make sure your congresscritter knows how strongly you feel about it.

LOL - you really think a politician cares about a strongly worded letter? He only cares if you will vote for him or not. He couldn't care less what you think about him or his policies.

[Sender]

Divisive issue? Nonsense. All we need is a 20-foot concrete wall from Texas to California, with a 12-lane superhighway barreling through it with no customs inspections. That'll fix it.

[JeffAtlanta]

Iraq is only a losing issue among liberals and other moonbats

You need to get off of FR sometime and take the general pulse of the people. Iraq, while a necessary and important war, is a loser politically in 2006 and only popular among hardcore republicans.

The GOP played the WOT card in 2004 and they've already worn that out - it won't work in 2006.

[JeffAtlanta]

It's been a problem for a long time, and there are not any easy solutions, any way we go will entail painful choices.

Yes ther are easy solutions - just build a fence across the southern border and announce that businesses that employ illegals will be charged criminally.

And when I write "build a fence" I don't mean some imaginary fense here and there that might get built and might not.

[JeffAtlanta]

It is hypocritical and careless not to exercise our right to vote.

Huh? Choosing not to vote is the same as voting. Would you rather those of us that are fed up with republican "democrat-lite" policies vote for the Democrat?

[Free Baptist]

I see the two as part of the same. Open borders increases probability of terrorism!

[Hop A Long Cassidy]

>>If they refuse to close the border before the election,
>>I WILL STAY HOME ON ELECTION DAY!
>>The border = SECURITY!!!

I will vote, but only for those who promote the deportation of illegals. If the dog catcher is against illegals and wants them deported, he'll get my vote. If the GOP runs Giuliani, even though he's a nice guy, I will withhold my vote for that office. Somewhere down the list of candidates I'll find someone that wants illegals deported and the constitution upheld. I'll vote for that candidate. It's now or never.