Posted on 05/03/2007 11:39:32 AM PDT by Reagan Man
He has never called for the deportation of all illegal immigrants, but Lou Dobbs believes the U.S. could pull off such a feat if it really wanted to. The CNN anchor, whose stance against illegal immigration has helped raise his ratings but also fueled criticism, speaks to Lesley Stahl for a profile to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, May 6 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Dobbs is against amnesty programs for illegal immigrants and the president's guest worker proposal, so Stahl wonders whether Dobbs thinks the government could deport all illegal immigrants. "I've never called for their deportation,"says Dobbs. "But at the same time, when this president and open-borders, illegal-alien-amnesty advocates say, 'You can't deport them,' my answer is, 'You want to bet?' because this is the United States. I think this country can do anything it sets its mind to," he tells Stahl.
The former host of "Moneyline" for over 20 years, a business program on CNN, Dobbs has transformed himself into a purveyor of "News, debate and opinion" in the words used to introduce his current CNN program, "Lou Dobbs Tonight." The debate is often about illegal immigration. He is a believer in curtailing illegal immigrants' access to some social services. "I happen to think that it is necessary, given the fact that the federal government won't control immigration and won't control our borders," Dobbs tells Stahl. Dobbs says he's not for shutting off medical services, but illegal immigrants' use of other entitlements and the public schools is problematic. "Going to food stamps Ð should taxpayers be paying for food stamps? Should taxpayers be burdened with schools that are overcrowded?" Dobbs asks. "[Taxpayers'] children, therefore, are being denied education. Those are very serious issues," he says.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus accused Dobbs of being anti-Hispanic for these types of views. "I was asked if I'd ever eaten a taco before, for God's sake," says Dobbs, who has been married to a Mexican-American for 25 years. Hispanics have called for his job and Dobbs finds such criticism ironic because he grew up on a small farm and picked crops alongside migrants. "I am probably one of the few people in the debate who actually has [worked with migrants]. I've got the greatest respect for those folks," he tells Stahl.
Dobbs' opinions are a main feature of his nightly program, behavior that would exclude him from the classic definition of journalist as an objective reporter. Nevertheless, he still considers himself a journalist. Here's his opinion on that: "The idea that a reporter should be disqualified because he or she actually cares, actually isn't neutral about the well-being of the country and its people, that's absurd," he tells Stahl.
Developing...
Dream on Bush has the opposite intention, he wants the borders erased period.
If you break any existing or future immigration laws of America you should face prosecution. Illegal aliens who break US immigration laws are engaging in and promoting anarchy and chaos. They should be punished. The US is a nation of laws.
Btw, zing me, ping me. Thanks
On the issue of opposing amnesty, opposing open borders and opposing liberal immigration policy, Lou Dobbs is right.
We've already have a national ID card of sorts. Its called a Social Security card.
sw
I bet your part of the former Buchanan Brigades.
I'll bet you back Rudy?
sw
The social welfare programs are a major incentive for Hispanics. Stop that and you reduce the reasons for staying. Although there are thousands of Asians and others who have over stayed their visas that do not use the welfare system. They work for cash at low rates.
I live in Los Angeles. One block away from where I live was the final staging area for the big illegal rally(300,000 people) demanding their rights. Unless you could have seen this in person you have no idea how this was about political power.
When a government creates harsh laws that are not commensurate to the crimes it breeds contempt. That is why a just law builds support. Some of the ideas I have seen presented here are beyond the pale.
Bush claims they have deported SIX MILLION illegals
Do you have a source for this? Not a challenge, just a question....
“Bush on Monday said that during his administration, increased border patrol and security efforts have led to more than 6 million illegal immigrants being deported”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,189160,00.html
You guys just think I make this stuff up as I go. LOL
You're busted..:)
sw
Here Here !!! End the free schooling and free health care, stop all the talk about amnesty and allowing some type of legal status for those who have broken the law to come here;
have a few employers do the “perp walk” .. stop allowing people to rent housing to those without legal status documentation...(ala Richardson, Texas) and they will deport themselves. Oh, yea, and stop paying Social security to people who worked here illegally.
And while we are at it — have a different tax rate for non-citizens working here....of course I’d prefer abolishing the tax code altogether and establishing a national sales/use tax but that is another issue...but one that would ensure that the illegals and those in the underground economy pay taxes like law abiding folks.
All a pipe dream as there is no political will in Washington for any of this!
I don’t believe that a nat’l ID would be required, any way what do you think your SS# is, that alone would be enough info to deter the hiring or conducting bussines with illegals
The system wouldn’t have to be so perfect that it would catch every single illegal. just catch enough employers and punish them and the rest will stop and there wont be any incentive for them to be here. unless their goal is to become an American citizen
You already have to show a state government issued ID and provide a Social Security Number when you're hired for a job.
What you need are more reliable state IDs (Which REAL ID should provide eventually), and for the Social Security Administration to report when SSN is sent in that is a duplicate or belongs to someone with a different name.
That doesn't place any additional burdens on citizens as far as employment goes than they face right now.
It can be avoided to some extent by them working as independent contractors rather than employees, but if if the majority, that are actual employees are dealt with, the remaining ones that claim self employment will be easier to find and deport. You could also require any reasonably large company check the taxpayer Id of those independent contractors as well.
I don't think landlords have any requirements to run background checks or verify identities or legal status. It's been a long time since I rented from someone and I've never rented to someone.
It wouldn't be difficult to require a landlord to check an Id, and if the Ids are reliable and legal status is required to get one, merely checking an Id will those who's legal status didn't change before the Id expired. Setting up a toll free number to verify that the Id is still valid could also be done, but since they are State Ids, the landlord should have to call the state government, but immigration is a federal issue, so that might make legislating it difficult.
Simple. Change the constitution so that if you are born here you are a citizen ONLY if your parents are here legally. No anchor baby, no anchor parents.
There ya go! Darn right it's been good for a few while the middle class and the poor AMERICAN CITIZENS have to compete with slave wages/illegal entry employees/illegal labor.
Just like any elitist says, " I hate the poor!"
Real wages for those on the bottom scale of society (everyone can't be an investor!)has steadily fallen for the last 5 years.
Pretty sad actually, that your 'great' economy can only survive on illegality!
You should have watched the Lou Dobbs special last night. You could learn a thing or two.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0705/02/ldt.02.html
And the fact that economics indicate that we have a surplus of labor, rather than a deficit, is something we have to pay attention to. Is it determinate on the issue? No. But it's part of the facts that we all have to come together on and deal with honestly.
The four industries in which illegal aliens constitute the predominant employment are leisure and hospitality, restaurants and hotels, landscaping, and construction. And, in those four industries, wages have declined for the past four years.
GRAYSON: They got 400 applications, and they hired 200 Americans, most of whom were African-Americans. They were quite willing to take the job, provided that there was safety in the workplace and there were decent wages and there was job protection.
DOBBS: These darn American citizens. They want things like worker safety. They want absolute rules in the workplace, and they want to be paid a living wage.
>>>>>When a government creates harsh laws that are not commensurate to the crimes it breeds contempt. That is why a just law builds support. Some of the ideas I have seen presented here are beyond the pale.
Again. Strict border security, tough employer sanctions and a halt to welfare handouts to illegals is not what I call provisions of a harsh law. The Dec2005 enforcement first bill passed in the House, HR4437, was a good bill. The Senate version S.2611, the liberal McCain-Kennedy, was a bad bill. It was an amnesty bill. We'd be better off implimenting mass deportation of illegals, then granting a blanket amnesty to illegals.
We have laws and we enforce those laws so we don't have anarchy and chaos in our American society.
Enforcement is impossible unless a real National ID system comes first. Tin Foil Americans won't allow that, but will still complain about the illegals.
Busted for what? Not wanting to put the future of my country in the hands of democrats. People like you helped give us the crap we have in the majority now. I’ll be you sat 06 out or wasted a vote on some loser third party.
ROBERT RECTOR, HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Illegal aliens cost a lot at the present time, but if you give them amnesty, one effect is that they will all have access to Social Security, Medicare, this program called Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid when they retire, OK?
So the real impact of amnesty would be -- let's say you have 12 million people. You give them amnesty. The impact of that, the net requirement cost alone would be negative $2.5 to $3 trillion. Negative $2.5 to $3 trillion.
DOBBS: $2.5 to $3 million?
RECTOR: Yes. And that's with 12 million. You're taking 10 million people and putting them into Social Security. That is one of the biggest budget impacts -- that is the single budget -- biggest budget impact I've seen in a quarter of a century. It's fantastically expensive, and it is fantastically irresponsible for Congress to be contemplating that, and they don't have a clue in the world, they don't care what it will cost. RECTOR: You know what? If you look at low-skill immigrants, OK, which most illegals are, in fact, in every stage of their life cycle, they take more in benefits than they pay in, in taxes.
Each -- each low-skilled immigrant -- and illegals are predominantly low-skilled immigrants -- that comes across to the United States, if they bring a family with them, the net cost that they impose on the taxpayers, benefits received minus taxes, is over $1 million over their lifetimes. It's fantastically expensive.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0705/02/ldt.02.html
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