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Red-state senators feel the heat of a fiery immigration debate
The Christian Science Monitor ^ | June 4, 2007 | Patrik Jonsson and Faye Bowers

Posted on 06/03/2007 4:19:42 PM PDT by mdittmar

GREENVILLE, S.C., and PHOENIX - In South Carolina last week during the congressional break, Sen. Lindsey Graham generally avoided crowds. Likewise Sen. Jon Kyl, back home in Arizona, scheduled no public appearances, instead huddling with party officials in Phoenix.

It could not have been an easy week for the two GOP senators, key brokers of the compromise immigration-reform bill that has infuriated so many of their red-state constituents. How well they and other senators in the hot seat endured the heat may become clear when the Senate resumes debate on the bill this week – and whether the amendments to come are designed mainly to alter it or, rather, to kill it.

The week at home made one thing evident: Senators who back this measure, especially Republicans, are taking a calculated risk.

To some, they are traitors and sellouts, offering "amnesty" to illegal immigrants who broke the law by crossing into the US. Angry constituents promise repercussions at the ballot box, and political analysts say those are not empty threats.

"Among a lot of Republicans, there's been intensely negative reaction directed against the Republican senators who have been involved with [the bill]," says Merle Black, a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta and coauthor of the book "Divided America." Though the Republican senators "are saying that they're actually responsible for most of the conservative parts of the bill, they're not seen that way by their supporters."

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; civilwar2; illegalaliens
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To: driftdiver

They aren’t just mexicans.


21 posted on 06/03/2007 4:43:03 PM PDT by Stayfree (*************************Get your copy of The Fred Factor by David Gill at Capitol Hill Comedy.com)
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To: mdittmar

The problem here in Illinois is that conservatives have NO representation. Turban Durbin and Barak Hussain Obama use letters of complaint from conservatives as toliet paper.


22 posted on 06/03/2007 4:43:28 PM PDT by KeyLargo
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To: driftdiver

Mexico supposedly accounts for “only” 42% of illegal aliens..try Nicaragua, El Salvador, Belize, China, Philippines, Middle East, etc....

watch this video from 1997 and see how many people would like to live here:
http://www.numbersusa.com/video/


23 posted on 06/03/2007 4:43:39 PM PDT by rolling_stone
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To: Prokopton

Your concern is misplaced. There are plenty of well-known Republicans in South Carolina who can keep that seat in the Republican column.


24 posted on 06/03/2007 4:45:56 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (If the GOP were to stop worshiping Free Trade as if it were a religion, they'd win every election)
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To: padre35

The fiddler will be paid on this one.


25 posted on 06/03/2007 4:47:04 PM PDT by WorkingClassFilth (Current tagline banned under hate speech laws.)
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To: mdittmar
RNC = Really Not Conservative
26 posted on 06/03/2007 4:48:58 PM PDT by DTogo (I haven't left the GOP, the GOP left me.)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

It’s a lot more likely that some people’s off-shore bank accounts are being fattened up.


27 posted on 06/03/2007 4:50:25 PM PDT by Farmer Dean (Every time a toilet flushes,another liberal gets his brains.)
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To: Stayfree; rolling_stone

The vast majority of illegals are from Mexico with China coming in second.

Lack of border control and the entire lack of federal response to illegal immigration is a huge issue. Using inaccurate stats does not further the cause to stop this travesty.


28 posted on 06/03/2007 4:52:55 PM PDT by driftdiver
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To: snarkpup
"The most plausible reason I've heard why Bush and other Republicans are pushing open borders even at the cost of being swept from office is that the government of Mexico has photographs of them in bed with dead women or live men." "El Presidente Fox, we took a piksure of Senor Bush in heez pajamas!!"
29 posted on 06/03/2007 4:53:05 PM PDT by KeyLargo
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To: DTogo

Love this!!!!!!


30 posted on 06/03/2007 4:54:35 PM PDT by cblue55
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To: Stayfree

Good post. This country will be gone if this bill passes. We don’t have the infrastructure to absorb this many people.


31 posted on 06/03/2007 4:55:25 PM PDT by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: Farmer Dean; Stayfree; rbg81
I thought it was so obvious I didn’t need a SARCASM tag.
I will work against any traitor who votes for this bill regardless who their opponent is. Traitors cannot be supported under any circumstances.
32 posted on 06/03/2007 4:56:11 PM PDT by Prokopton
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To: Prokopton
They HAVE to send him back, otherwise one of those terrible Democrats will get in.

After what the GOP and moderates are doing right now, they all deserve to have their asses swiftly kicked right out of office. And I mean royally.

Stop that thinking. A moderate rino is not better than a DBM/dem. That's what got us into this crap in the first place because the conservatives let too many moderates have power! Now were in danger of losing control of congress for at least another 40 years! NOW is the time to find a conservative canidate before the primary, vote for the conservative and send Lindsey packing!

33 posted on 06/03/2007 4:56:22 PM PDT by sirchtruth (No one has the RIGHT not to be offended...)
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To: mdittmar

The current roster or Republicans has got to be the dumbest bunch ever to hold office.


34 posted on 06/03/2007 4:56:35 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: snarkpup

“dead women or live men.”

Sounds about right for Lindsey G..


35 posted on 06/03/2007 4:57:31 PM PDT by A Strict Constructionist (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.)
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To: mdittmar

They damn well better feel the heat, and respond accordingly. If they don’t they’ll be out of job and every shred of credibility.

Same for the RNC. Its time to clean house and ditch these back stabbing sellouts for actual conservatives. They’ll never get another dime from me or my wife until they fix this garbage. Not another dime. What they will get are repeated nastygrams and ugly phone calls.


36 posted on 06/03/2007 4:57:56 PM PDT by navyguy (We don't need more youth. What we need is a fountain of SMART.)
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To: sirchtruth
Stop that thinking.

See post 32.

37 posted on 06/03/2007 5:01:12 PM PDT by Prokopton
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Tell them to support the Sen Inhofe bill on Immigration:

Sen Inhofe One Page Immigration Bill!

38 posted on 06/03/2007 5:01:45 PM PDT by PhiKapMom ( Inhofe for Senate 08 -- Broken Glass Republican supporting our nominee against the RATs)
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To: upchuck
 
"Republican by day, Democrat by night."

 
Lindsey Graham: "Democrat by night"

Well, according to a former Daschle aide, Graham was quick to work with Daschle and the minority on a number of issues. After one such meeting, Graham emerged from Daschle's office, walked to the door, turned around, and proclaimed loudly for the Daschle's entire staff to hear:  "Republican by day, Democrat by night."

 
                                                  Senator Lindsey Graham
 

39 posted on 06/03/2007 5:06:00 PM PDT by Wolverine (A Concerned Citizen)
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To: Prokopton

WHAT!?! Perhaps Palmetto Staters can find a good conservative to take him out in the primary and we can keep the seat out of the hands of the dems and get rid of McCain’s gutless cabin-boy.


40 posted on 06/03/2007 5:16:01 PM PDT by Buckeye Battle Cry (Life is too short to go through it clenched of sphincter and void of humor - it's okay to laugh.)
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