Posted on 09/05/2006 9:16:54 AM PDT by Reagan Man
Like the famous racehorse Silky Sullivan, Sen. Rick Santorum is known as a great closer. Yet, months ago, he had been virtually given up for dead by pundits in his race against Bob Casey, Jr., son of the popular, pro-life, former Democratic governor of Pennsylvania.
One poll early this year had Santorum down 23 points, an almost insurmountable deficit. A Strategic Value poll had Santorum down 16 points.
Now the senator who had been written off is finishing fast. An average of all polls monitored by the RealClearPolitics.com website finds him trailing by 6 points. The most recent Strategic Value poll confirms it. Casey is at 47; Santorum, 41 and rising.
What accounts for the surge? The Washington Times traces it to one issue: "Republican strategists say Santorum's tough stand on immigration has become a key factor." No. 3 in the Senate leadership, Santorum was the highest-ranking Republican to vote against the McCain-Kennedy amnesty bill that would open a path to U.S. citizenship for 10 million of the aliens who have either broken into our country, or are breaking the laws by being here, plus grant a full pardon from all civil and criminal penalties for the companies that employed them. McCain-Kennedy would further empower corporations to go abroad and hire what unions once called "scabs" to bring here to take jobs Americans cannot take at Third World wages.
"We did a certain amount of internal polling and when it got to immigration, it was very clear," says Santorum's media consultant John Braybender, who prepared two tough ads on immigration. "Rick's position versus Casey's was overwhelming. If Casey or anyone else thinks this is not an issue in Pennsylvania, they should start talking to voters."
Backing up Braybender is the same Strategic Value poll that found 79 percent of Pennsylvanians opposed to amnesty and 82 percent favoring a wall on the Mexican border. Pennsylvanians, like the rest of America, want the border secured and the illegals sent home.
But what will it take to wake up Karl Rove, lately sighted at the Los Angeles convention of the National Council of La Raza, where he won cheers for urging legalization of "undocumented" workers and boos for speaking of border security? (The literal translation of La Raza is "The Race.") Imagine the reaction to David Duke organizing a "National Council of The Race."
Two months from election day, Republicans, divided over Iraq, amnesty, spending, the loss of manufacturing and an economy that has left the working class treading water while the investor class is singing "Happy Days Are Here Again," are looking at the prospect of something somewhere between a defeat and a rout, or a massacre.
Yet if Republicans wish to hold Congress, despite what they may deserve, the Bushites could do no better than to borrow from the Santorum playbook. What can Bush and Congress do in 60 days?
One, publicly set aside the amnesty and guest worker provisions of the McCain-Kennedy bill. Bush cannot get them passed by the House in any event. Second, extract and enact the most urgent and popular provisions of both the Senate and House bills.
Bush should request $3 billion to $4 billion to start a security fence along all major crossing points for drug-dealers, coyotes and illegals. Then have Homeland Security begin systematic and public deportation of felons and gang members who are not U.S. citizens. Tattooed thugs being put on planes in cuffs will do the GOP and nation a world of good.
The FBI can provide the names. It has been tracking MS-13, or Mara Salvatrucha, the most vicious and violent gang in the hemisphere, with tens of thousands of members in the United States, for a year now.
Then call on Congress to reclaim its authority to denaturalize and deport any new citizen whose conduct -- applauding Al Qaeda or engaging in gang activity -- suggests they lied to become U.S. citizens. Bush could then tour the border again and, this time, shake hands with a few of the Minutemen patriots he earlier derided as "vigilantes." Unfortunately for the GOP, Rove & Co. believe that if Republicans take the hard line on illegal immigration that Pete Wilson took in 1994, the GOP will be as dead nationally as it has been lately in California. They forget: Wilson converted a 20-point deficit into a 10-point victory, captured both houses of the legislature and brought in four new GOP congressmen.
Arnold is the only other Republican to win statewide since then, and he ran against driver's licenses for illegals. No Republican who has taken the Rove-La Raza line has ever won the Golden State. Why is the GOP so mindlessly pursuing a transparently losing strategy? In pandering to La Raza, Rove may be playing for the long run. But as Lord Keynes said, in the long run we are all dead, which is where Republicans are headed if they don't get it right on this issue. Like Rick Santorum.
I didn't notice this was Pat Buchanan. That explains the "Nothing is right with the world and the economy sucks" perspective. Pat has spent too much time agreeing with Chris Matthews on Mess-NBC. Their "The world sucks and it's all Bush's fault" mentality has worn off on him.
ABSOLUTELY! Sadly, that fact won't get through the crusted hatred some FReepers have for PJB. BDS [Buchanan Derangement Syndrome] is a fact of life for some FReepers.
It was somewhat disappointing on the one hand, to see the GOP leadership decide to put off the immigration reform issue until after the election. It would have been great to see immigration reform be part of the debate for the November election.
Bottomline. HR4437 needs to be passed into law.
And pat buchanan himself has never ever been guilty of that.(eyes rolling). Get back to me when pat closes his garage door, starts up his Mercedes, stays in the garage for a 1/2 hour and comes out alive.
Pat Buchanan, the common man's racist.
Exactly! Just last month he was writing anti-Semetic columns about Israel.
It's sad to see so many Freepers snuggling with Pat.
" So? I guess if a store woner is selling gas at 50% below his cost, is a ok with you since he is "right" on that issue,"
If you think a store owner selling a product at a 50% loss is 'right' in any way you may find yourself in disagreement with almost everyone else on any thread dealing with economics.
Dane hates the message as well as the messenger.
" It's sad to see so many Freepers snuggling with Pat."
what are your feelings on immigration 'reform,' border security, and the GOP and bush's position on these topics?
If the "patriots" who flap their jowls in the wind talking about the need for a secure border would have voted for Buchanan, then border security would not be an issue and the last 10 million illegals wouldn't be swarming all over our great land like maggots on a rotting carcass.
Those that keep praying at the altar of the GOP and listening to their high priest George Bush, are delusional in expecting any results in securing our borders. He's had almost 6 years and hasn't done squat, what make you think he'll do anything now that he is a lame duck who quacks in Spanish.
Got that right.
Well any messenger(pat buchanan) who states that diesel fumes do not kill in a confined space should be disregarded, but that doesn't stop the DC liberal beltway from promoting him on such shows as chrissy matthews Hardball, and pat buchanan is more than willing to accept their offer to bash the President.
"Pat Buchanan, the common man's racist."
Bill Maher probably agrees with you.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695651/posts
Man, I hate commoners........
pat seems to have similar views to charley reese when it comes to the middle east and israel. as far as I can tell, their view is that by supporting israel in recent decades, the US has alienated the entire arab world, which houses a neurotic dislike for israel, and whose governments have used the topic as a wag-the-dog issue to distract their own populace. There was a valid question for the non-hysterical, at least maybe 15 years ago - was it worth it to the US (i.e. america, not israel) to alienate a part of the world we need for oil? Countries have enduring interests, not alliances, and it is not clear to me this rule was followed in that part of the world.
With the advent of islamic terrorism, I think that argument/point has become moot. It represents a philosophy and system of indoctrination of young people in asymetrical warfare which threatens our entire economic system, and has to be dealt with, regardless of feelings about israel. Buchanan and Reese never address this, and at this point it really has nothing to do with israel/US in foreign policy, the attacks in the UK and Spain should illustrate that plainly.
pat is part of the DC liberal bubble and always will be.
Who's talking to you, Drain?
You are talking on this thread, what is it, can't handle the truth about pat buchanan's resume.
Why don't you go do something useful, like help your friends pick our food and build our shelters?
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