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A Tale Around the Outhouse (Illegal Immigration Is Killing US!)
New Media Journal ^ | June 16, 2007 | Buster Jiggs

Posted on 06/17/2007 5:09:20 AM PDT by GFritsch

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To: nicmarlo
18 States CAN'T be WRONG! 15 states have pending Anti-NAU legislation and 3 states have passed Anti-NAU or Anti-SPP legislation in both their House and Senate!!!

Wow!

21 posted on 06/17/2007 7:21:39 AM PDT by Borax Queen
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To: Borax Queen

Yeppers. That’s to help people understand the NAU is not FICTION.


22 posted on 06/17/2007 7:24:03 AM PDT by nicmarlo
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To: nicmarlo

Really, you are overreacting. Anyone can join.


23 posted on 06/17/2007 7:25:10 AM PDT by Borax Queen
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To: nicmarlo

:0)


24 posted on 06/17/2007 7:25:27 AM PDT by Borax Queen
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To: Borax Queen

lol!


25 posted on 06/17/2007 7:28:10 AM PDT by nicmarlo
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To: angkor
"Sorry to be dismal."

Can't disagree with you. If we lose, this is the last big battle for the soul and the future of the USA. We need to expend maximum effort to turn back the the President and his allies, but if we lose, it is time to plan for what next. The main question is where to go and how to escape the reach of of the US government for our assets and incomes.

26 posted on 06/17/2007 7:36:45 AM PDT by Truth29
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To: Truth29

I agree with you 100%. If we lose this political battle, I believe we may see enough of us so frustrated by the destruction of everything the US Constitution stands for we will have to do more than vote to remove these traitors from office. Time to invest in guns, ammo, and canned goods for the future of this country is bleak if this passes.


27 posted on 06/17/2007 7:46:11 AM PDT by KC-10A BOOMER (Looks like I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue)
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To: Truth29
The main question is where to go and how to escape the reach of of the US government for our assets and incomes.

Those kinds of conversations tend to go out of kilter on FR, I don't know why.

But if you're serious start with escapeartist.com and go from there. Be leery of the stuff they're selling and promoting, take it all with a grain of salt.

Best way to discover "where and how" is to actually put your boots on the ground. Most places you can get a good fix on the terrain in a week or so. Being there and asking questions is the only sure way to know.

The folks at escapeartist were promoting Ecuador last year, but they also were flogging real estate. But I had very nice reports from my neice who taught there for a year.

Ironic to employ reverse migration as a strategy: they come here, we go there.

28 posted on 06/17/2007 8:48:06 AM PDT by angkor
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To: txminutemen; All

A bill in the Senate being ignored addresses the anchorbaby problem and some other glaring loopholes.

The ENFORCE ACT.

Sen. INHOFE ANNOUNCES ONLINE PETITION FOR AMERICANS TO SUPPORT BORDER SECURITY AND NO-AMNESTY IMMIGRATION REFORM

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1850980/posts


29 posted on 06/17/2007 8:50:18 AM PDT by AuntB (" It takes more than walking across the border to be an American." Duncan Hunter)
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To: txminutemen
Fight back! Make a call to their office and use these loopholes as talking points about why the Bill should not be passed.

20 Loopholes in the Senate Immigration Bill

Loophole 1 – Legal Status Before Enforcement:

Amnesty benefits do not wait for the “enforcement trigger.” After filing an application and waiting 24 hours, illegal aliens will receive full “probationary benefits,” complete with the ability to legally live and work in the U.S., travel outside of the U.S. and return, and their own social security card. Astonishingly, if the trigger is never met and amnesty applications are therefore never “approved,” the probationary benefits granted to the illegal alien population never expire, and the new social security cards issued to the illegal alien population are not revoked. [See pp. 1, 290-291, & 315].

Loophole 2 – U.S. VISIT Exit Not In Trigger:

The “enforcement trigger,” required to be met before the new temporary worker program begins, does not require that the exit portion of U.S. VISIT system – the biometric border check-in/check-out system first required by Congress in 1996 that is already well past its already postponed 2005 implementation due date – to be in place before new worker or amnesty programs begin. Without the U.S. VISIT exit portion, the U.S. has no method to ensure that workers (or their visiting families) do not overstay their visas. Our current illegal population contains 4 to 5.5 million visa overstays, therefore, we know that the U.S. VISIT exit component is key to a successful new temporary worker program. [See pp. 1-2].

Loophole 3 – Trigger Requires No More Agents, Beds, or Fencing Than Current Law:

The “enforcement trigger” does not require the Department of Homeland Security to have detention space sufficient to end “catch and release” at the border and in the interior. Even after the adoption of amendment 1172, the trigger merely requires the addition of 4,000 detention beds, bringing DHS to a 31,500 bed capacity. This is far short of the 43,000 beds required under current law to be in place by the end of 2007, or the additional 20,000 beds required later in the bill. Additionally, the bill establishes a “catch, pay, and release” program. This policy will benefit illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico that are caught at the border, then can post a $5,000 bond, be released and never show up for deportation hearings. Annual failure to appear rates for 2005 and 2006, caused in part by lack of detention space, doubled the 2004 rate (106,000 – 110,000 compared with 54,000). Claims that the bill “expands fencing” are inaccurate. The bill only requires 370 miles of fencing to be completed, while current law already mandates that more than 700 miles be constructed [See pp. 1-2, & 10-11, and EOIR’s FY2006 Statistical Yearbook, p. H2, and The Secure Fence Act of 2004].

Loophole 4 — Three Additional Years Worth of Illegal Aliens Granted Status, Treated Preferentially To Legal Filers:

Aliens who broke into the country illegally a mere 5 months ago, are treated better than foreign nationals who legally applied to come to the U.S. more than two years ago. Aliens who can prove they were illegally in the U.S. on January 1, 2007, are immediately eligible to apply from inside the U.S. for amnesty benefits, while foreign nationals that filed applications to come to the U.S. after May 1, 2005 must start the application process over again from their home countries. Last year’s bill required illegal aliens to have been here before January 7, 2004 to qualify for permanent legal status. [See pp. 263, 282, & 306].

Loophole 5 – Completion of Background Checks Not Required For Probationary Legal Status:

Legal status must be granted to illegal aliens 24 hours after they file an application, even if the aliens have not yet “passed all appropriate background checks.” (Last year’s bill gave DHS 90 days to check an alien’s background before any status was granted). No legal status should be given to any illegal alien until all appropriate background checks are complete. [See pp. 290].

Loophole 6 – Some Child Molesters Are Still Eligible:

Some aggravated felons – those who have sexually abused a minor – are eligible for amnesty. A child molester who committed the crime before the bill is enacted is not barred from getting amnesty if their conviction document omitted the age of the victim. The bill corrects this loophole for future child molesters, but does not close the loophole for current or past convictions. [See p. 47: 30-33, & p. 48: 1-2]

Loophole 7 – Terrorism Connections Allowed, Good Moral Character Not Required:

Illegal aliens with terrorism connections are not barred from getting amnesty. An illegal alien seeking most immigration benefits must show “good moral character.” Last year’s bill specifically barred aliens with terrorism connections from having “good moral character” and being eligible for amnesty. This year’s bill does neither. Additionally, bill drafters ignored the Administration’s request that changes be made to the asylum, cancellation of removal, and withholding of removal statutes in order to prevent aliens with terrorist connections from receiving relief. [Compare §204 in S. 2611 from the 109th Congress with missing §204 on p. 48 of S.A. 1150, & see missing subsection (5) on p. 287 of S.A. 1150].

Loophole 8 – Gang Members Are Eligible:

Instead of ensuring that members of violent gangs such as MS 13 are deported after coming out of the shadows to apply for amnesty, the bill will allow violent gang members to get amnesty as long as they “renounce” their gang membership on their application. [See p. 289: 34-36].

Loophole 9 – Absconders Are Eligible:

Aliens who have already had their day in court – those subject to final orders of removal, voluntary departure orders, or reinstatement of their final orders of removal – are eligible for amnesty under the bill. The same is true for aliens who have made a false claim to citizenship or engaged in document fraud. More than 636,000 alien fugitives could be covered by this loophole. [See p. 285:19-22 which waives the following inadmissibility grounds: failure to attend a removal proceeding; final orders of removal for alien smuggling; aliens unlawfully present after previous immigration violations or deportation orders; and aliens previously removed. This appears to conflict with language on p. 283:40-41. When a direct conflict appears in a statute, the statue is interpreted by the courts to the benefit of the alien.].

Loophole 10 – Learning English Not Required For A Decade:

Illegal aliens are not required to demonstrate any proficiency in English for more than a decade after they are granted amnesty. Learning English is not required for an illegal alien to receive probationary benefits, the first 4-year Z visa, or the second 4-year Z visa. The first Z visa renewal (the second 4-year Z visa) requires only that the alien demonstrate an “attempt” to learn English by being “on a waiting list for English classes.” Passing a basic English test is required only for a second Z visa renewal (the third 4-year Z visa), and even then the alien only has to pass the test “prior to the expiration of the second extension of Z status” (12 years down the road). [See pp. 295-296].

Loophole 11 – Earned Income Tax Credit Will Cost Taxpayers Billions In Just 10 Years:

Current illegal aliens and new guest workers will be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable tax credit designed to encourage American citizens and legal permanent residents to work. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this loophole will cost the U.S. taxpayer up to $20 billion dollars in just the first 10 years after the bill’s enactment. To be consistent with the intent of the 1996 welfare reforms – which limited new immigrants from receiving public benefits until they had been legal permanent residents for five years – the bill should withhold EITC eligibility from amnestied aliens until they become legal permanent residents. Closing this loophole will save the taxpayers billions of dollars. [See p. 293 after S.A. 1190 was adopted, p. 307, p. 315, §606. All that is required for EITC eligibility is a social security number and resident alien status. Nothing in the bill’s tax provisions limit EITC eligibility. The issuance of social security numbers to aliens as soon as they apply for amnesty will ensure they are able to qualify for the EITC.]

Loophole 12 – Affidavits From Friends Accepted As Evidence:

Records from day-labor centers, labor unions, and “sworn declarations” from any non-relative (acquaintances, friends, coworkers, etc) are to be accepted as evidence that the illegal alien has satisfied the bill’s amnesty requirements. This low burden of proof will invite fraud and more illegal immigration – even aliens who are not yet in the U.S. will likely meet this burden of proof. DHS will not have the resources to examine whether the claims contained in the “sworn declarations” of the alien’s friends (that the alien was here prior to January 1, 2007 and is currently employed) are actually valid. [See p. 293: 13-16].

Loophole 13 – Taxpayer Funded Legal Counsel and Arbitration:

Free legal counsel and the fees and expenses of arbitrators will be provided to aliens that have been working illegally in agriculture. The U.S. taxpayer will fund the attorneys that help these individuals fill out their amnesty applications. Additionally, if these individuals have a dispute with their employer over whether they were fired for “just cause,” DHS will “pay the fee and expenses of the arbitrator.” [See p. 339:37-41, & p. 332: 37-38.]

Loophole 14 – In-State Tuition and Student Loans:

In-state tuition and other higher education benefits, such as Stafford Loans, will be made available to current illegal aliens that are granted initial “probationary” status, even if the same in-state tuition rates are not offered to all U.S. citizens. This would normally violate current law (8 U.S.C. §1623) which mandates that educational institutions give citizens the same postsecondary education benefits they offer to illegal aliens. [See p. 321: 8-31].

Loophole 15 – Inadequacy of the Merit System:

The “merit system,” designed to shift the U.S. green card distribution system to attract higher skilled workers that benefit the national interest, is only a shell of what it should have been. Though the merit system begins immediately, it will not increase the percentage of high skilled immigrants coming to the United States until 2016, 8 years after enactment. Of the 247,000 green cards dedicated to the merit based system each year for the first 5 years, 100,000 green cards will be reserved for low-skilled guest workers (10,000) and for clearing the current employment based green card backlog (90,000). From 2013 to 2015, the number of merit based green cards drops to 140,000, and of that number, 100,000 green cards are still reserved each year for low-skilled guest workers (10,000) and for clearing the current employment based green card backlog (90,000). Even after 2015, when the merit system really begins (in 2016) by having 380,000 green cards annually, 10,00 green cards will be reserved specifically for low skilled workers, and points will be given for many characteristics that are not considered “high-skilled.” For example, 16 points will be given for aliens in “high demand occupations” which includes janitors, maids, food preparation workers, and groundskeepers. [See p.260: 25 – p. 261: 20, p. 262, & The Department of Labor’s list of “occupations with the largest job growth” available at www.bls.gov/emp/emptab3.htm].

Loophole 16 – Visas For Individuals That Plan To Overstay:

The new “parent” visa contained in the bill which allows parents of citizens, and the spouses and children of new temporary workers, to visit a worker in the United States is not only a misnomer, but also an invitation for high rates of visa overstays. This new visa specifically allows the spouse and children of new temporary workers who intend to abandon their residence in a foreign country, to qualify to come to the U.S. to “visit.” The visa requires only a $1,000 bond, which will be forfeited when, not if, family members of new temporary workers decide to overstay their 30 day visit. Workers should travel to their home countries to visit their families, not the other way around. [See p. 277:1 – 33, and p. 276: 38-43].

Loophole 17 – Chain Migration Tippled Before Being Eliminated:

Though the bill will eventually eliminate chain migration (relatives other than spouses and children of citizens and legal permanent residents), it will not have full effect until 2016. Until then, chain migration into the U.S. will actually triple, from approximately 138,000 chain migrants a year (equal to 14% of the 1 million green cards the U.S. currently distributes on an annual basis) to approximately 440,000 chain migrants a year (equal to 45% of the 1 million green cards the U.S. currently distributes on an annual basis). [See pp. 260:13, p. 270: 29 – pp. 271: 17]

Loophole 18 – Back Taxes Not Required:

Last year’s bill required illegal aliens to prove they had paid three of their last five years of taxes to get amnesty. This year, payment of back taxes is not required for amnesty. The bill requires taxes to be paid at the time of application for a green card, but at that time, only proof of payment of Federal taxes (not state and local) is required for the years the alien worked on a Z visa, not the years the alien has already worked illegally in the United States. Though Senator McCain’s S.A. 1190, adopted by voice vote, claimed to “require undocumented immigrants receiving legal status to pay owed back taxes,” the amendment actually only required proof of payment of taxes for “any year during the period of employment required by subparagraph (D)(i).” Since the bill does not contain a subparagraph (D)(i), nor require any past years of employment as a prerequisite for amnesty, the amendment essentially only requires proof of payment of taxes for future work in the U.S., not payment of “back taxes.” [See p. 307, and p. 293 as altered by S.A. 1190, amendment p. 2: 19-20.]

Loophole 19 – Social Security Credits Allowed For Some Illegal Work Histories:

Aliens who came to the U.S. on legal visas, but overstayed their visas and have been working in the U.S. for years, as well as illegal aliens who apply for Z visa status but do not qualify, will be able to collect social security credits for the years they worked illegally. Under the bill, if an alien was ever issued a social security account number – all work-authorized aliens who originally came on legal visas receive these – the alien will receive Social Security credits for any “quarters of coverage” the alien worked after receiving their social security account number. Because the bill requires social security account numbers to be issued “promptly” to illegal aliens as soon as they are granted “any probationary benefits based upon application [for Z status]” (these benefits are granted 24 hours after the application is filed), an illegal alien who is denied Z visa status but continues to work illegally in the U.S. will accumulate Social Security credits. [See pp. 316:8 – 16, and pp. 315: 32-39]

Loophole 20 – Criminal Fines Not Proportional To Conduct:

The criminal fines an illegal alien is required to pay to receive amnesty are less than the bill’s criminal fines for paperwork violations committed by U.S. citizens, and can be paid by installment. Under the bill, an illegal alien must pay a $1,000 criminal fine to apply for a Z visa, and a $4,000 fine to apply for a green card. Eighty percent of those fines can be paid on an installment plan. Under the bill’s confidentiality provisions, someone who improperly handles or uses information on an alien’s amnesty application can be fined $10,000. Administration officials suggest that the bill’s “criminal fines are proportionate to the criminal conduct.” Why, then, is the fine for illegally entering, using false documents to work, and live one-tenth the fine for a paperwork violation committed by a government official? [See p. 287: 34, p. 317: 9, p. 315:6-8, & remarks made by Secretary Gutierrez on Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4:00 May 31, 2007]

Senator Sessions Releases List of 20 Loopholes in the Senate Immigration

—GWB and DHS got $1.2 billion for a border fence,
—GWB authorized 6,000 National Guardsmen to the border in rolling deployments of 3 weeks

—In his 2006 budget, GWB’s budget showed that 216 BP officers would be hired, not the 2,000

U.S. Border Patrol Director David Aguilar said two weeks ago, “The United States will have “operational control” of its border with Mexico by 2013.”

Mr. Chairman of the Board, Mr.CEO,
Are you prepared for the cost of selling our country out from under us? Remember, payback, as they say, is a real bitch.

30 posted on 06/17/2007 9:03:53 AM PDT by B4Ranch (DRIP = "Don't Return Incumbent Politicians," – two terms, and they're out.)
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To: LadyNavyVet

The deal is that we will be forced to give “vulnerable and exploited” illegals “dignity through amnesty” ....OR the invaders will rob, beat, assault and kill Americans, and sexually abuse our children.

-—As reported in Grassfire’s booklet, “The Truth About The Illegal Invasion,” some 325,000 criminal illegal aliens will be incarcerated in state and federal prisons
this fiscal year.

——Illegal aliens commit 12 murders every day in the U.S. and kill another 13 daily through drunk driving incidents. That’s more than 9,000 people killed every
year by illegal aliens.

-—On average eight children are sexually abused by illegal aliens every day — that’s over 2,920 annually.

-———And that’s just a small portion of the illegal alien crime wave.......some 4.1 million crimes by illegal aliens.

-—More people are murdered by illegal aliens in one year than have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars since their inception.

-—A GAO study found that illegal aliens commit, on average, 12.6 criminal offenses. This means incarcerated illegal aliens have committed over 4.1 million crimes

-— and that does not include illegal alien criminals who are not incarcerated.

-—According to Congressional sources thousands of illegals are coming from terrorist and suspect nations and they are bent on killing Americans.

These “vulnerable and exploited” invaders should be thrown out of our country, subito.


31 posted on 06/17/2007 9:48:00 AM PDT by Liz (It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. Voltaire)
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To: Liz

Good post with some facts I hadn’t heard, and I try to keep up to date. I’m finding it more and more ironic that Bush is intent on fighting for our security over there, but completely ignoring our many, serious security vulnerabilities right here. We’re either a nation at risk in a dangerous world, in which case close the flippin’ borders already, or we’re not, in which case, what is the point of being in Iraq?


32 posted on 06/17/2007 9:53:47 AM PDT by LadyNavyVet
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To: LadyNavyVet
THE ENEMY WITHIN: The Mexica Movement
SEPARATISTS define the immigration debate
13 JUNE 2007 By Bridget Johnson
FR Posted on 06/13/2007 6:07:44 AM PDT by radar101

Many Americans are wary of reconquista aims voiced over the years by groups such as MEChA. But the Mexica Movement - largely composed of young people, (seen at public events) minces no words about its aims, which are broader and accompanied by more disturbing rhetoric. ‘We are slaves of the parasitic genocidal Europeans,’ states the Mexica Movement’s philosophy; another online Mexica article states about Europeans that ‘a cancer must be removed and parasites must also be removed, for the sake of your life as a healthy human being.’

According to the Mexica Movement, begun in 1993, all Western Hemisphere borders are considered European and illegal, and North America is its indigenous nation of ‘Anahuac’ of the ‘Nican Tlaca’ people.

The concept of the Aztlan homeland (territory purchased by the U.S. at the end of the Mexican-American War) is criticized for recognizing European borders. Che Guevara is even panned for being too European: ‘Che was an Argentine, European descent, not our people!’ states the Mexica Movement’s Web site. ‘We don’t need no pinche Che!’

The Mexica Movement is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization, well-organized and omnipresent with the slickest signs and literature at rallies, that calls Latinos who protest illegal immigration ’self haters,’ traitors and more: ‘The only rational comparison would be to the numerous Jewish Nazis who worked for Hitler and somehow rationalized sending their own brothers and sisters to concentration camps, and in some cases personally firing the ovens,’ as written on the Mexica Web site’s report of a December 2005 protest. After all, ‘individualism is treason,’ notes their philosophy statement. ‘Where’s your anger and your confrontation of this occupation and ongoing colonization? … But we care more about 6 million Jews. ‘… Participation in liberation is not a choice, it is an obligation. … We need a new generation of warriors.’

Liberation, they claim, will be aided by demographic shifts. ‘We were only 4% in the 1970 census. We were 14% in the 2000 census. We are projected to be 25% in 2020. We are projected to be over 50% of the population of the “Western USA” in 2050. We will easily be the majority of the population of the “USA” in 2100. We’ve got to be prepared for liberation then by getting knowledge now.’…”

Read more here: http://www.dailynews.com/bridgetjohnson/ci_6115657

33 posted on 06/17/2007 10:03:49 AM PDT by Liz (It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong. Voltaire)
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To: GFritsch
Am I the only one who is frustrated that the only form of protest is an email or a letter and of course the Phone call?

These forms of protest go unreported as far as the numbers are concerned. Has anyone ever heard the reporting of the exact amount of phones call that the White House has received? Emails? Letters?

I feel like my Government is laughing at me.

We need 5 million marching peacefully in Washington.

There is no chance to win this; NONE

34 posted on 06/17/2007 10:07:11 AM PDT by Afronaut (Press 2 for English - Thanks Mr. President !)
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To: GFritsch

35 posted on 06/17/2007 10:23:02 AM PDT by Travis McGee (--- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com ---)
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To: 1_Inch_Group; 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 3pools; 3rdcanyon; 4Freedom; 4ourprogeny; 7.62 x 51mm; ..

ping


36 posted on 06/17/2007 12:37:43 PM PDT by gubamyster
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To: GFritsch; gubamyster
"To reject this bill will be almost as great an accomplishment as was the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the production and ratification of the US Constitution of the United States"

Amen!

37 posted on 06/17/2007 12:57:57 PM PDT by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: GFritsch

Check this out, pass it on:

Jobs Americans Won’t Do, Part DCCLXIX [Mark Krikorian]

The indefatigable Norm Matloff, a computer science professor at UC Davis, pointed me to this video of an immigration lawyer explaining to clients how to pretend to look for American workers in such a way as to make sure they don’t actually find any (it’s at about 7:55). The law firm may take the video down once it gets some publicity, so here’s the nut graf:

And our goal is clearly not to find a qualified and interested U.S. worker. And you know in a sense that sounds funny, but it’s what we’re trying to do here. We are complying with the law fully, but ah, our objective is to get this person a green card, and get through the labor certification process. So certainly we are not going to try to find a place [at which to advertise the job] where the applicants are the most numerous. We’re going to try to find a place where we can comply with the law, and hoping, and likely, not to find qualified and interested worker applicants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N7l2f_bQ1k

Also, update from K.Lo:

Battle of the GOP Senate Aides [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

Senate staffer #1 talks back to leadership:
“your correspondent makes a point about an amendment procedure (often called a “clay pigeon” amendment) under Rule XV (3) of the Senate Rules that needs a bit of clarification. It is rarely used, but it has been used in the Senate as recently as last year. Sen. Coburn used the procedure last April in an attempt to strip pork from an appropriations bill.”

RESPONSE: The reason it is unprecedented in this case is that it has never been used by the Senate power structure, to our knowledge, to RESTRICT the rights of Senators wishing to get their amendments heard. Rather it has been the case (as with Senator Coburn last year) that the rare times it has been used (perhaps, 2 or 3 times in history?) were specifically to ensure that Senators were not blocked from getting those amendments called up. Indeed, some Senators concerned about PROTECTING their rights may well have been in their rights to try to attempt this procedure two weeks ago, but may well have decided that it would have been “too nuclear” of an option at that time. Now, Reid - and anyone working with him to effectuate the plan - is using it to restrict the rights of Senators to offer amendments they believe could improve the bill and to debate the amendments in question...

“Also, Reid won’t need the help or support of any other Senator (leadership, grand bargainers or otherwise) to get this bill on the Senate calendar under Rule XIV. He can get the bill on the calendar under the rule with no help at all. To get it on the floor (under the motion to proceed) will require either unanimous consent (which it won’t get) or a cloture motion. That takes 60 votes.”

RESPONSE: This is technically correct, but misses the point.
Recall that the point we made was “We expect Reid, in conjunction with support from McConnell, Lott and Grand Bargainers Kyl, Martinez, Graham and McCain, to introduce a brand new piece of legislation - and use Rule 14 to put the bill immediately on the Senate calendar without going thru committee...” So, yes, it is only Reid who will introduce said legislation (as the Majority Leader). But, the reality is that this process is being conducted in full coordination with the Grand Bargainers and, presumably, with the support of the group above. In other words, Reid isn’t moving forward (and getting the bill on the Senate calendar under Rule XIV kicks that off) without support from the group above as part of an effort “to get to 60” and get the immigration bill across the line.

“The Republican leadership gave Reid no assurances about cloture on the bill; the final makeup of the bill after amendments will determine whether or not cloture is invoked on the bill itself. And, unlike before the last cloture vote, the leadership was successful in getting another dozen or so Republican amendments pending to the bill. There will now be more GOP roll call votes on amendments than on last year’s bill when the GOP was in charge (not counting the committee amendments).”

RESPONSE: As to the first point - it is good to hear that no assurances have been made. But, the plan is still in process - a plan designed with a fair amount of coordination among certain Senate leadership staff, the White House and Democrats - with the goal of attaining 60 votes and getting the bill passed and sent to the House. It is not a secret that certain members, well within their rights, believe this bill is “better than the status quo.” That is their view. It is not the view, we believe, of the majority of the Republican caucus and certainly not the view of a majority of Americans, much less a majority of Republicans throughout the nation.
As to the second point about “successful in getting another dozen... Republican amendments pending” and “there will now be more GOP roll call votes on amendments than on last year’s bill.” The response, respectfully, is so what? Even discounting the lack of committee process (which the source notes above), the fact remains that the amendments are being cherry-picked to buy-off votes and figure out how to get the bill passed.
The problem here is a continuation of the same broken, closed-off process we have been struggling with from the beginning. The Grand Bargainers, and those supporting their efforts, recognize that further open, public scrutiny and debate of this bill harm the chances of passage.

Final point. Is it not a shame that this is where we are? It didn’t have to be this way. Senator Reid pulled down the immigration bill because he didn’t want to give Republicans (and some of his own Democrats) the ability to fully debate amendments and to continue to expose the significant flaws in this legislation. Republicans could have proceeded forward, together, to produce legislation that reflects the views of the vast majority of Americans and could have used that to show how far out of step with America Democrats truly are. Unfortunately, a small band of Republicans are hell-bent on coordinating legislation with Ted Kennedy that has no chance of working because they fall prey to the worst phrase in Washington: “we have to do something.”

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38 posted on 06/17/2007 1:27:44 PM PDT by AliVeritas (America, love it or leave it.)
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To: B4Ranch

BTTT

The 20 Loopholes


39 posted on 06/17/2007 2:17:39 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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To: AliVeritas

Ali.....

There has to be something we can do about this abominable AMNESTY Bill...

Because as American citizens we have never had to defend our country to this extent in the past, we are at odds as to the right actions to take now...

We think we are as helpless as kittens...but we are kittens with the might and power of the the Constitution of the United States to back us...

By using the COTUS to the extent to which our forefathers meant it to be used in order to protect us, we the American citizenry, the legal occupiers of this sovreign nation, will prevail and push back the hordes of traitious enemies, both the foreign illegal aliens, and the domestic public servants, the members of the US Senate and the US House...

What is it that we are not doing? What action have we yet to take? There is something that we can do but it has not been identified nor attenpted..

Either we are an independent, sovreign nation with all the legal power in place to defend successfully against any and all attempts to irradicate our legal infrastructure..or we will become and remain for all time second class citizens and slaves in a third-world colony..


40 posted on 06/17/2007 2:48:18 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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