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Martinez, activists spar over immigration
miamiherald.com ^ | 5/9/2007 | CASEY WOODS

Posted on 05/08/2007 5:59:59 PM PDT by James W. Fannin


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Martinez, activists spar over immigration

Sen. Mel Martinez, stung by a national immigrant advocacy group campaign urging him to be more aggressive on immigration law reform, defended his work on the issue Tuesday.

''It's disappointing there are groups out there ready to drive wedges and politicize this critically important issue,'' Martinez wrote The Miami Herald in an e-mail. ``I've been working since day one on this matter, and for clearly partisan groups to design a national campaign and put out advertisements signals to me that they're more interested in creating a divide than working toward a solution.''

The campaign to pressure Martinez will include ads on Spanish-language radio stations in Miami and vigils in several Florida cities.

''Martinez needs to stand by his values and stand by his position and break the gridlock on comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate,'' said the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform's Clarissa Martinez at a news conference at Little Havana's Versailles Restaurant on Tuesday. ``Martinez is a moderate leader in the party . . . and we need him to play a more aggressive role.''

Last year, Martinez -- now chairman of the Republican National Committee -- helped broker the compromise immigration-reform legislation supported by many advocates. The negotiations he is helping lead this year, however, have not yet produced a bill. And advocates warn that time is running out before the charged atmosphere of the presidential election cycle will make reform impossible.

Martinez is part of a bipartisan Senate committee working on an immigration reform compromise, and lawmakers have struggled over issues such as the possible path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants.

Organizers, who include the SEIU Florida Healthcare Union and Democracia Ahora, say they also will launch similar campaigns focusing on other lawmakers involved in the negotiations, such as Republican Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and John Cornyn of Texas.

The committee members are reportedly planning to dedicate time in mid-May to negotiate legislation.




© 2007 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com



TOPICS: Mexico; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: aliens; grandbargain; immigration; martinez; silverpieces; specter

1 posted on 05/08/2007 6:00:02 PM PDT by James W. Fannin
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To: HiJinx

More on the “great bargain.”


2 posted on 05/08/2007 6:17:47 PM PDT by James W. Fannin (unappeasable)
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To: James W. Fannin

Republicans kow-tow to the amnesty crowd in hopes of getting hispanic votes.

They, in turn, rub their noses in the dirt.

RINOs will never learn, will they?


3 posted on 05/08/2007 6:25:00 PM PDT by oldbill
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To: James W. Fannin

What a Terrific choice Mel is to lead the RNC. NOT!


4 posted on 05/08/2007 6:26:10 PM PDT by acapesket (never had a vote count in all my years here)
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To: oldbill

Someone’s making out like a bandit here. History will show us by and by.


5 posted on 05/08/2007 6:26:40 PM PDT by James W. Fannin (unappeasable)
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To: James W. Fannin

Where are these Marxist Revolutionary groups getting the money to pay for all these ads? Could it be: Your tax dollars at work again?


6 posted on 05/08/2007 6:32:41 PM PDT by c-b 1 (Reporting from behind enemy lines, in occupied AZTLAN.)
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To: James W. Fannin

Martinez has really failed as a senator and as RNC leader.

He has all the sex appeal of a RINO.


7 posted on 05/08/2007 6:33:10 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: acapesket

Mel Martinez was all against amnesty, before he got elected ...

He is doing a wonderful job at the RNC, so good I had even forgot who was in charge at the RNC. Anyone seen the RNC do anything lately?


8 posted on 05/08/2007 6:33:18 PM PDT by Tarpon
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To: James W. Fannin

Just when Republicans finally get a demographic advantage (30 years of aborted leftist voters), they want to throw it all away with this insane amnesty scam.

It really boggles the mind.


9 posted on 05/08/2007 6:34:29 PM PDT by canuck_conservative
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To: James W. Fannin
GOT THIS JUST NOW IN AN E-MAIL DON’T KNOW THE AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE:

We know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado. In that context his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an immigration overpopulation conference in Washington, DC, filled to capacity by many of America’s finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor by the name of Victor Davis Hanson talked about his latest book, “Mexifornia,” explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal was destroying the entire state of California. He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.

Moments later, former Colorado Governor Richard D. Lamm stood up and gave a stunning speech on how to destroy America. The audience sat spellbound as he described eight methods for the destruction of the United States. He said, “If you believe that America is too smug, too self-satisfied, too rich, then let’s destroy America. It is not that hard to do. No nation in history has survived the ravages of time. Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that ‘An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.’”

“Here is how they do it,” Lamm said: “First, to destroy America, turn America into a bilingual or multi-lingual and bicultural country.” History shows that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two or more competing languages and cultures. It is a blessing for an individual to be bilingual; however, it is a curse for a society to be bilingual. The historical scholar, Seymour Lipset, put it this way: “The histories of bilingual and bi-cultural societies that do not assimilate are histories of turmoil, tension, and tragedy.” Canada, Belgium, Malaysia, and Lebanon all face crises of national existence in which minorities press for autonomy, if not independence. Pakistan and Cyprus have divided. Nigeria suppressed an ethnic rebellion. France faces difficulties with Basques, Bretons, and Corsicans.”.

Lamm went on: Second, to destroy America, “Invent ‘multiculturalism’ and encourage immigrants to maintain their culture. Make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal. That there are no cultural differences. Make it an article of faith that the Black and Hispanic dropout rates are due solely to prejudice and discrimination by the majority. Every other explanation is out of bounds.

Third, “We could make the Uni ted States an ‘Hispanic Quebec’ without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. As Benjamin Schwarz said in the Atlantic Monthly recently: “The apparent success of our own multiethnic and multicultural experiment might have been achieved not by tolerance but by hegemony. Without the dominance that once dictated ethnocentricity and what it meant to be an American, we are left with only tolerance and pluralism to hold us together.” Lamm said, “I would encourage all immigrants to keep their own language and culture. I would replace the melting pot metaphor with the salad bowl metaphor. It is important to ensure that we have various cultural subgroups living in America enforcing their differences rather than as Americans, emphasizing their similarities.” < /div>

“Fourth, I would make our fastest growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass, unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population. I would have this second underclass have a 50% dropout rate from high school.”

“My fifth point for destroying America would be to get big foundations and business to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of ‘Victimology.’? The Rainbow Coalition and Jesse Jackson comes to mind.? I would get all minorities to think that their lack of success was the fault of the majority. I would start a grievance industry blaming all minority failure on the majority population.”

“My sixth plan for America’s downfall would include dual citizenship, and promote divided loyalties. I would celebrate diversity over unity. I would stress differences rather than similarities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other - that is, when they are not killing each other. A diverse, peaceful, or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together. Look at the ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed that they belonged to the same rac e; they possessed a common Language and literature; and they worshipped the same gods. All Greece took part in the Olympic games. A common enemy, Persia, threatened their liberty. Yet all these bonds were not strong enough to overcome two factors: local patriotism and geographical conditions that nurtured political divisions. Greece fell. “E. Pluribus Unum” —From many, one. In that historical reality, if we put the emphasis on the ‘pluribus’ instead
of the ‘Unum,’ we will balkanize America.

“Next to last, I would place all subjects off limits; make it taboo to talk about anything against the cult of ‘diversity.’ I would find a word similar to ‘heretic’ in the 16th century - that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking. Words like ‘racist’ or ‘xenophobe’ halt discussion and debate. Having made America a bilingual/bicultural country, having established multi-culturism, having the large foundations fund the doctrine of ‘Victimology,’ I would next make it impossible to enforce our immigration laws. I would develop a mantra: That because immigration has been good for America, it must always be good. I would make every individual immigrant symmetric and ignore the cumulative impact of millions of them.”

In the last minute of his speech, Governor Lamm wiped his brow. Profound silence followed. Finally he said,.”Lastly, I would censor Victor Davis Hanson’s book “Mexifornia.” His book is dangerous. It exposes the plan to destroy America. If you feel America deserves to be destroyed, don’t read that book.”

There was no applause. A chilling fear quietly rose like an ominous cloud above every attendee at the conference. Every American in that room knew that everything Lamm enumerated was proceeding methodically, quietly, darkly, yet pervasively across the United States today. Discussion is being suppressed. Over 100 languages are ripping the foundation of our educational system and national cohesiveness. Even barbaric cultures that practice female genital mutilation are growing as we celebrate ‘diversity.’ American jobs are vanishing into the Third World as corporations create a Third World in America - take note of California and other states - to date, ten million illegal aliens and growing fast. It is reminiscent of George Orwell’s book “1984.” In that story, three slogans are engraved in the Ministry of Truth building: “War is peace,” “Freedom is slavery,” and “Ignorance is strength.”

Governor Lamm walked back to his seat. It dawned on everyone at the conference that our nation and the future of this great democracy is deeply in trouble and worsening fast. If we don’t get this immigration monster stopped within three years, it will rage like a California wildfire and destroy everything in its path especially The American Dream.

If you care for and love our country as I do, take the time to pass this on just as I did for you. NOTHING is going to happen if you don’t

10 posted on 05/08/2007 6:35:57 PM PDT by OKIEDOC (Kalifornia, DUNCAN 08, ELECTION 2008, MOST IMPORTANT OF MY LIFE TIME)
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To: OKIEDOC; B4Ranch; archy; SierraWasp; George W. Bush; stopem
Okie, I live by the words of that Lamm speech, and I stand against anyone who appears to be following the intent he describes whether intentionally -- or otherwise. Thank you for sending it my way again today. (Snope status: verified, similar text supplied.)
11 posted on 05/08/2007 6:42:20 PM PDT by James W. Fannin (unappeasable)
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To: James W. Fannin; OKIEDOC
Lamm, while always a bit of a loose cannon, was a smart guy and had the guts to say whatever he thought on a topic. Sometimes, he'd say this stuff just to wake people up and get them to think about something.

Maybe you guys should post it as a vanity. A sober reminder of the dangers the country is facing.
12 posted on 05/08/2007 6:49:22 PM PDT by George W. Bush (Election Math For Dummies: GOP รท Rudi = Hillary)
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To: George W. Bush

I include it in at least half a dozen threads annually, just to rattle some cages.


13 posted on 05/08/2007 7:04:41 PM PDT by B4Ranch (Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.)
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To: OKIEDOC
"Davis Hanson talked about his latest book, “Mexifornia,” explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal was destroying the entire state of California. He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.

No one tells the public what the costs are to give AMNESTY to millions of illegals and 273 RELATIVES EACH.

THE COST estimated to be in the TRILLIONS!!

Is that the way YOU want your hard earned tax dollars used?

YOUR tax dollars are paying to support illegal criminals already by paying for welfare!!

14 posted on 05/09/2007 5:00:38 AM PDT by stopem (God Bless the U.S.A the Troops who protect her, and their Commander In Chief !)
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To: Tarpon

Zero, Nada Pesos.


15 posted on 05/09/2007 5:15:33 AM PDT by VU4G10 (Have You Forgotten?)
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