Time to Split the Blanket

Townhall ^ | June 2, 2007 | Pat Buchanan

[oldtimer2]

Time to Split the Blanket

By Patrick J. Buchanan

Saturday, June 2, 2007

"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical."

So said Jefferson. It would appear to be time again for a little rebellion in the Grand Old Party -- this time against George II.

For President Bush has attacked his own loyalists for a lack of patriotism. "If you don't want to do what's right for America," he said of opponents of the Bush-Kennedy immigration bill, "if you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill's an amnesty bill. That's empty political rhetoric, trying to frighten our citizens."

But if the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens are instantly legalized, what other term is there to describe that than amnesty?

Not only are opponents not doing "what's right for America," their courage is in question: "People in Congress need the courage to go back to their districts and explain exactly what this bill is all about. The fundamental question is, will elected officials have the courage necessary to put a comprehensive immigration plan in place."

Where, one wonders, was "Bush's Brain," Karl Rove?

For, worse than a crime, this attack on his base was a blunder. The people Bush is savaging -- columnists, commentators, talk-show hosts, congressmen fighting his bill -- have been the front-line troops in his fight to sustain funding for the war.

And if there were any doubt whom Bush had in mind, his surrogate, Linda Chavez, cleared it up:

"Some people just don't like Mexicans -- or anyone else from south of the border. They think Latinos are freeloaders and welfare cheats who are too lazy to learn English. They think Latinos have too many babies and that Latino kids will dumb down our schools. They think Latinos are dirty, diseased, indolent and more prone to criminal behavior. They think Latinos are just too different from us ever to become real Americans. ...

"Unfortunately, among this group is a fair number of Republican members of Congress, almost all influential conservative talk radio hosts, some cable news anchors -- most prominently, Lou Dobbs -- and a handful of public policy 'experts' at organizations such as the Center for Immigration Studies, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, NumbersUSA, in addition to fringe groups like the Minuteman Project."

Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan cites other attacks by Bush surrogates on the conservative base: "Sen. Lindsey Graham has said, 'We're gonna tell the bigots to shut up.' ... Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff suggested opponents would prefer illegal immigrants be killed; Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said those who oppose the bill want 'mass deportation.' Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson said those who oppose the bill are 'anti-immigrant' and suggested they suffer from 'rage' and 'national chauvinism.'

"Why would they speak so insultingly, with such hostility, of opponents who are concerned citizens? And often, though not exclusively, concerned conservatives?" asks Noonan.

Because, Peggy, down deep where they live, they don't like the right, never did and have always sought to be seen by the Big Media as the progressive children of a dysfunctional and retarded family.

Bush's attack on the motives and character of conservatives tell us it is Goldwater-Rockefeller time again -- time to split the blanket. Conservatives need to declare their independence of Bush and to repudiate Bushism as the philosophy of their movement and party.

While Bush's court appointments, setting aside the Harriet Miers mess, have been superb, while his tax cuts have been Reaganite, while his stand on traditional values is courageous, beyond is a vast wasteland as far as the eye can see.

His free-trade zealotry has led to five straight record trade deficits. While America's economy is now growing at under 1 percent, China's is booming at 10 percent. His refusal to defend and secure the borders is well-nigh impeachable. His compromises with Teddy Kennedy on No Child Left Behind have doubled the size of the Department of Education without any appreciable gain in test scores. His "Big Government Conservatism" marks him as his father's son, not Reagan's heir. In Ward Connerly's courageous battle against reverse discrimination, the Bushes have all been on the other side.

His bungled war of choice on Iraq has left us with 3,400 dead, 25,000 wounded, hundreds of billions deeper in debt and an Army on the point of breaking. Relations with Europe, Russia, and the Arab and Muslim world are worse than they were when he took office.

His clandestine drive to merge Mexico, America and Canada in a "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America" -- a North American Union modeled on the European Union -- entails the loss of sovereignty and end of the republic as we know it.

The damage Bush has done to his party is beginning to rival that of Herbert Hoover. If the Clintons were doing this, would conservatives be mute? Time to lock and load.

Pat Buchanan is a founding editor of The American Conservative magazine, and the author of many books including State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America .

[oldtimer2]

I have been very negative about Pat for several years, but I am reading more and more articles by conservatives that I admire about distancing conservative goals fron the present Republican Party. Maybe we need to have a discussion.

[Puddleglum]

Pat’s right (except for that “lovk and load” line).

A lot of Freepers denegrate Pat when he is anti-Iraq war, but he is right in this column. Maybe he was right on other things, too.

[cripplecreek]

Pat, like the rest of us, is right about some things and wrong about others. I’m just really unhappy that the man that we the people elected has chosen to attack us as racists.

Quite frankly it doesn’t matter if we’re racists or not. He is still a civil servant and we’re still entitled to representation. If he doesn’t like it, there’s nothing preventing him from stepping aside and letting someone who wants to represent us take over.

[mkjessup]

I have been very negative about Pat for several years, but I am reading more and more articles by conservatives that I admire about distancing conservative goals fron the present Republican Party. Maybe we need to have a discussion.

Try listening to Pat in the original German, and you'll reconsider that notion.

[ovrtaxt]

Because, Peggy, down deep where they live, they don't like the right, never did and have always sought to be seen by the Big Media as the progressive children of a dysfunctional and retarded family.

That's brilliant. Go Pat!

[Alberta's Child]

A lot of Freepers denegrate Pat when he is anti-Iraq war, but he is right in this column.

What makes the supporters of this immigration bill so p!ssed off is that if Pat is right on this one, then he's right to be opposed to the war in Iraq, too.

Sending 130,000+ troops halfway around the world to establish an Islamic state in a Third World sh!t-hole while at the same time allowing millions of illegal immigrants to pour across our southern border basically exposes this so-called "war on terror" as a complete fraud -- and these people know it.

[CPOSharky]

"Some people just don't like Mexicans...

Some Most people just don't like Mexicans CRIMINALS.

There, fixed it.

[WorkingClassFilth]

"Some people just don't like Mexicans -- or anyone else from south of the border. They think Latinos are freeloaders and welfare cheats who are too lazy to learn English. They think Latinos have too many babies and that Latino kids will dumb down our schools. They think Latinos are dirty, diseased, indolent and more prone to criminal behavior. They think Latinos are just too different from us ever to become real Americans...

CORRECTION:

"Some [genuinely patriotic] people just don't like [treasonous politicians doing nothing to prevent] Mexicans [pouring into our country illegally in a flood like lemmings] -- or anyone else from south of the border [, or the middle east, or Asia, or from anywhere else who are coming in illegally]. They think [some politicians and media types won't acknowledge that many, many] Latinos are freeloaders and welfare cheats who are too lazy [or arrogant] to learn English. They think [that too many] Latinos have too many babies [for anchor purposes] and that [unassimilated and illegal] Latino kids will [clearly] dumb down our schools [as evidence already shows]. They think [the barrios in south LA clearly show that some] Latinos are dirty, diseased, indolent and [myriads of news stories prove that many illegals are] more prone to criminal behavior. They think [illegal, and therefore criminal,] Latinos are just [that - criminal - and because of this pernicious and glaring fact,] too different from us ever to become real Americans [because real Americans come through legal channels and are legally naturalized].

THERE, THAT SHOULD DO IT.

[Jim Noble]

Pat is right about a lot of things, AND the things he is right about are the things that would make the GOP stronger if it lined up with him.

America is not an economy with some features of nationhood. The economy exists to serve the people, not the other way around.

But, unfortunately for Pat, he has a blind spot a mile wide. His affection for the Germans, and his ability to empathize with their collective suffering from 1914-1945, is morally obtuse. The fact that it gets him into trouble with Jews is the most important practical effect of this problem, but it's much deeper than Jews.

The German nation, in a more democratic way than most, brought all of its suffering upon itself, and what they got, they deserved. This is an important insight for someone who would himself lead a nation, and it is an insight which Pat totally and completely lacks.

It's a shame.

[webstersII]

You Bushbots are out early this morning.

Try actually engaging in a discussion instead of just name-calling.

[ken5050]

thanks for the coffee spew..LOL...

[Enterprise]

I need someone to explain how someone is unpatriotic because they oppose amnesty for criminals.

[pabianice]

If only Buchanan weren’t a rabid anti-Semite I’d more likely listen to him.

[em2vn]

If we look back it is evident that “W” was showing his Rockefeller Republican side almost as soon as he entered the White House.
The Kennedy education bill was the tip off that we willfully ignored. “W”s trial balloon on immigration in his first term was something we should have known he was going to try to force on us in his second term.

[Popman]

Try listening to Pat in the original German, and you'll reconsider that notion.

That's a low blow

Pat may be accused of many things, but being fluent in German isn't one of them.

: )

[mtbopfuyn]

Jorge, you really don’t want to get me started about right and wrong and who’s selling out America.

[David Isaac]

In the flame-wars of the not-so-distant past, there were many who knew the score. It is too bad that many are coming to realize the truth, only now. It will take a great deal of work to ensure that conservatism does not go the way of the dinosaur.

[Oklahoma]

Pat has changed positions on many issues in the past twenty years or so. Somewhere or another he got the idea in his head that the trade unionist view of economics was the correct one. He’s also a raghead lover. Thats the real reason he hates Israel and opposes our us of force against radical Islam.

[Smocker]

“Pat, like the rest of us, is right about some things and wrong about others. I’m just really unhappy that the man that we the people elected has chosen to attack us as racists.”

Very true.

[ChessExpert]

The basic thrust of this article is right. Good content and good polemic as in:

Because, Peggy, down deep where they live, they don't like the right, never did and have always sought to be seen by the Big Media as the progressive children of a dysfunctional and retarded family.

But since he mentioned it, I have to say I cannot agree with Pat’s anti-free trade opinions. As a general rule, the free trade of goods, like freedom itself, is beneficial to us.

But sometimes something is more important. For example, in the sale of military equipment, national defense is more important. And people are different than goods. Tourism is O.K, but terrorism, and illegal immigration are not. There are issues associated with legal migrant workers.

When a conservative thinks something is out of kilter, he might consider Reagan’s adage that the government isn’t the solution, it’s the problem. I suspect that domestic goods are taxed at a higher rate than foreign goods. That would favor foreign manufacture. Maybe the “Fair tax” would tax both equally.