FNC's 'Beltway Boys' Call GOP Anti-Illegal Immigration Stand 'Dumbest Move' of 2006

http://newsbusters.org/ ^ | January 3, 2007 | Tim Graham

[lowbridge]

FNC's 'Beltway Boys' Call GOP Anti-Illegal Immigration Stand 'Dumbest Move' of 2006

Posted by Tim Graham on January 3, 2007 - 14:59.

Just to prove that Fox News Channel doesn't live up to the liberal stereotype of Music to Conservative Ears, angry E-mailers are demanding someone denounce Fred Barnes and Morton Kondracke for slamming conservatives who staunchly oppose illegal immigration. In their year-end Beltway Boys "awards show" this weekend, there was this clip of agreement:

Kondracke: "Our 'Dumbest Move' award of the year is Republicans trashing immigrants. And this - this has disastrous consequences for the, in the election. The Hispanic vote, which is the fastest-growing element of the population, went 55 to 42 percent Democratic in 2004. This time, it went 76 to 26. And it's all because of this stupid wall that the House Republicans wanted to build, and rejected their own president's plan for a comprehensive immigrant reform in preference to cozying up to radio talk show hosts."

Barnes: "I don't think it's the wall, per se. I think it's their whole attitude toward immigrants in general, but particularly Hispanic immigrants. It seemed mean-spirited, and, you know, American voters are generally not mean-spirited. You, you're going to have some kind of a wall at some point, but you have to a lot of other things, too."

Kondracke: "Yes. The wall only is the problem."

Later, the Beltway Boys also slammed CNN's Lou Dobbs:

Kondracke: "‘Blowhard of the Year’ award goes to CNN's Lou Dobbs. Now this is a guy who also could qualify for Turncoat of the Year."

Barnes: "Yes."

Kondracke: "When he used to be a cheerleader for capitalism and for corporate America. Now he is a demagogue, it amounts for populists and potectionists and xenophobes. And he doesn't have any answers."

Barnes: "And he's wrong. You know, the fact is, the rolling up our borders and pulling out of the globalized economy is a way to achieve one thing: a lower standard of living."

Kondracke: "Yes. Poverty. Yes, exactly. Absolutely."

[PhiKapMom]

Istook who ran for OK Governor ran on the current Dem Gov not doing enough about illegal immigration. He lost miserably. Hayworth came into OK at our Convention two years ago and basically trashed my Congressman as not being conservative enough like Istook. My Congressman who is conservative was sent back to Congress and Istook lost big with his 'true' conservative, tough on immigration stance, and was endorsed by Tancredo.

[Calvin Locke]

I severely cut back on watching Brit Hume's show because of those two bozos constantly toeing Bush's indefensible position late last February, or maybe early March.

Watching those two got me out of the habit of tuning in FNC in general.

[DCPatriot]

Thanks for that post, Wolfstar.

[John David Stutts]

I do not consider people who believe that we should not legalize millions of illegal immigrants as bigots. I don't consider the WOT, smaller govt, God-given rights, American pride, or Republican govt forms of bigotry and I don't understand your point.

I want to solve illegal immigration, but I also see a logistical problem with expelling 12-20 million people with jobs and families that are already here. I don't know the solution but I'm pretty sure it is not a 30 ft reinforced electrified fence with razorwire and armed storm troopers. I have a problem with Freepers who joke(?) about laying land mines at the border. I have a problem with Freepers who talk of night scopes and high caliber ammunition as a solution to illegal immigration. Fortunately many of the most egregious posts are zapped before many people see them.

It has been document at FR that trolls from neo-nazi websites post at FR seeking to influence those who they hope are like minded. It true that many fine conservatives oppose illegal immigration on the grounds of security, health, fiscal, or just general fairness. I can understand these arguments even if I don't necessarily agree with them all. These are the arguments that the bigots use because they can get away with them.

I can't point a finger at any particular poster and say this guys a racist, but when I see post after post saying:

illegals steal jobs while on welfare...
spread disease while receiving the best health care for free...
commit crimes while filling our prisons.

Well...I see a lot of the same rhetoric that was used to expel the Chinese 100 years ago.

I wasn't trying to insult or insinuate that everyone who disagrees with me is a racist. I only intended to expressed my happiness most of the comments on this thread seemed more intelligent than usual...I included you in my ping because of your post at 36, which I very much enjoyed reading.

Thank you for allowing me to clarify.

[Liberty Valance]

"Our 'Dumbest Move' award of the year is Republicans trashing immigrants."

Gotta be a misprint. I don't know anybody who "trashes" immigrants. Illegal border jumpers is another kettle of fish entirely.

[Sprite518]

Like I said we are either a Nation of laws or we are not period.

The minimum wage is the law. Therefore, it should not be broken. However, I am for elimination of it through legislation. The last thing I want to see is an increase in the minimum wage.

Where in the US Constitution does it say that government should determine when an individual is paid? I do not believe that is the proper roll of government.

[Sprite518]

Dana do we really need to go there? This is pathedic point.

You know both the employer and employee are violating Federal law. But that is OK in your book because you like break laws that you do not like.

Once again we are a nation of laws or we are not. We do not individually pick and choose which law we do not like. Yes I would like to be able to drive about 80 MPH on the Highway, but I know its the law that I can only go 65 MPH. I do not go break it because I personally disagree with it.

[Sprite518]

I thought pretty much the same thing when I heard that too.

"Mean Spirited" what a wimpy word! Fred should have known better than that. I guess when one drinks the water in Washington. Over time their brain begins to fog?

[taxed2death]

"....the Democrats are going to make sure that the GOP never sees the light of day for quite some time to come."

GWB will sign it. GWB will usher in 20+ million new dumocrats. GWB is the architect of the demise of the Republican party for generations to comes.

[BillyBoy]

>> Hmm well gee no non-imcumabnt GOP candidates who made immigration their main issue won did they. <<

Hmmm. I guess so if you only looked at 1 or 2 campaigns in the entire country. Let's just forget about IL-06, FL-13, and others that clearly disprove that statement. Have you met Henry Hyde's new successor in the House? Here he is:

NEWLY Elected Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL)

Here was his MAIN ad theme during the campaign cycle that you RINOs and Dems detested so much: Roskam for Congress

No doubt you, like the rest of the RINOs, are going to now claim this was a "safe GOP seat" all along, even though the Dems were high-fiveing themselves a week before the election that polls showed they were going to "take Hyde's seat", spent zillions on this race and Duckworth was Rahm Emanual's handpicked candidate to lead the "Democrat takeover". Gotta rewrite history when it doesn't follow your talking points, eh?

>> Also two of the biggest and outspoken candidates on immigration lost, Hayworth and Hostettler. <<

Also the three biggest and outspoken candidates on immigration won, Tancredo, Sensenbrenner, and Bilbray won, even though RINOs like yourself would support the RAT candidate over them, so what's your point? Perhaps your going to re-write history and proclaim those were "guaranteed GOP seats" no matter won. Interesting that the Dems spent all that time hand-picking a "decorated military veteran" to run against Tancredo as part of their "national stragedy". One would think they wouldn't waste all that time and money on a "safe seat". I can pick out any issue where big advocates of it won and lost.

>> Hayworth actually won with 60% of the vote in his last 3 elections before 2006, but went down to defeat as he gladly drank the Tancredo political poison. <<

Bilbray actually lost his previous Congressional election when he ran as a RINO, before he embraced the Tancredo wing of the party and won with Conservative support. Again, what's your point? Linc Chafee ran as an open borders RINO and got his ass kicked. Gee, how come he didn't get 178% of the hispanic vote by being a liberal douchebag like you want?

[taxed2death]

"I'm convinced. I live with this reality every day here in Texas. Republican politicians better get it together and embrace illegals or they are doomed to minority status forever. It is evident from the past election that the majority of voters want illegals here."
______________________________________________________

Now THAT is one funny post!

Embrace illegals?

GWB is gonna shuffle in 20+ million new dumocrats...you gonna pull 21+ million future Republicans out of yer ass or something?

[taxed2death]

"The immigration blowhards on FR could have gotten behind a good bill such as Kyl/Coryn, but noooooooooo, that was "shamnesty".


News flash: "pathway to citizenship" is amnesty.

[taxed2death]

"........over the fact that some guy named Jose is tarring a roof in 100 degree heat and that is the end of the world."
____________________________________________________________

No dummy....some legit business owners are pissed because they have to compete with scumbags who hire jose illegally and pay no FICA / insurance....but then you already know that.

[taxed2death]

"BTW, Sprite how is a worker with no gun or whip held up to his/her head being exploited, when the employee and employer agree on a wage for the work."

_____________________________________________________________

hiring illegals is ummmmm illegal.

If I suck up to a bank teller and we agree to make an unauthorized withdrawal, just because we agree on it doesn't mean it's ok (legal).

[BillyBoy]

To: Dane >> Hmm well gee no non-imcumabnt GOP candidates who made immigration their main issue won did they. Looks like Dane is wrong again. What else is new? A broken record with stale lines mixed with hyperbole. <<
>> Tim Walberg ran a superstrong campaign in favor of border security and against illegal immigrantion against admitted-moderate Joe Schwarz. Walberg beat Schwarz in the primary 53-47 and won the general election. <<

Good catch, I missed Tim Walberg . Dane's "no non-incumbent Republican who ran on tougher immigration laws" BS has been frequently cited by the RINOs on this board, who have proven they are ignorant blowhards who simply IGNORE any election result that goes against their "only RINOs can WIN!!!" theory. (either that, or they're too stupid to read the actual election results and the profiles of all the freshmen Republicans)

I also worked on the SUCCESSFUL campaign of one of those eeeeeeeeeeeeevil "non-incumbant Republicans who ran on the immigration issue". According to Dane, newly elected Congressman Peter Roskam doesn't exist. One of Dane's open borders buddies on FR was confronted with the same FACTS and then proceeded to insist Roskam's district was ultra ultra Republican and Roskam would have won no matter what, even though every single political forecast before the election said the race was a "toss-up" and the district was becoming more and more Democrat. Gotta love how RINOs and Dems re-write history if it doesn't fit their agenda.

I've just about had it with this "only RINOs can win!!!" garbage. Napkinuser, we should start a tribute thread to all the NEWLY ELECTED staunch conservatives in the House. Roskam is more conservative than Hyde and Walberg is much better Schwartz. According to the RINO lovers on FR, they're "un-electable".

I worked my butt off for Roskam and it paid off. He WON while "electable" RINOs in my state like Judy Baar Topinka went down in flames. Let's rub it in their faces.

[taxed2death]

Given time, most of these people will become average residents like the rest of us,"


Yea, we can use Los Angeles as an example, right?

[taxed2death]

"Fences are unAmerican. Stirring up forment against certain groups is unAmerican. "

_____________________________________________________________

Funny, I thought that allowing some scumbag tax cheat down the street to hire a crew of illegals and then underbid LEGAL legit business owners was UnAmerican. But thats obviously ok with you.

[taxed2death]

"Real reform, which is what Bush was offering, is not amnesty or surrendering to El Invasion. It is an offer of citizenship....."

news flash here speedy:

Pathway to citizenship is indeed amnesty.

[L.N. Smithee]

You all are so transparent.

There's nothing as transparent as people who respond to reasonable and honest argument with baseless implications their political opposites are bigots. It's no more civilized a debating tactic than calling someone a Nazi.

[L.N. Smithee]

Republican politicians better get it together and embrace illegals or they are doomed to minority status forever.

Once Bush caves like a souffle and gets the don't-call-it-amnesty-although-it-really-is he and Vicente Fox lust for so badly, the Dems will be promising the new immigrants everything they want, even if it means higher taxes to pay the fare! Exactly how do you propose that the GOP outflank the Demos for immigrants' loyalty?

Got any ideas? I'm all ears, but you're probably going to pretend you never read this post. Chicken.