Posted on 06/18/2007 11:13:55 AM PDT by hardback
Last week Senator Elizabeth Dole successfully helped scuttle the so called grand bargain immigration reform bill that would have given amnesty to over 12 to 20 million million illegal immigrants -- while doing virtually nothing to secure our borders.
Backed by President Bush, who is looking to enhance his legacy, Ted Kennedy and Senator John Kyl -- this bill was accurately described as a mess.
The last straw for consevatives was when Bush attacked his own conservative base 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 phrase describes that other than amnesty?
The Heritage Foundation made the following points: Congress should set aside this "grand bargain" and begin a new the serious work of crafting sensible immigration reforms that will:
- enhance rather than compromise national security, - affirm rather than undermine rule of law, - facilitate economic growth in a fiscally responsible fashion, - create a temporary worker program that is balanced, market driven and enforceable, and - Enrich the fabric of our culture while truly uniting us as a people.
Senator Dole understood, as did many conservatives out side of Washington DC, that none of the above would be accomplished by passing the so called grand bargain.
In an interview with the Raleigh News and Observer, Dole said, "My view overall on all this is: What people want, and what we've heard from thousands of people, is they don't have any confidence right now with regard to securing the borders."
Dole continued stating, "The rush shouldn't be to legalize 12 million people; the rush should be to do everything in our power to show the borders have been secured," she said. "Rush to do that. Rush to secure communities."
The Senator was right on target.
Dole first tried to make improvements to the bill, but after essentially being road blocked Mrs. Dole changed tactics: Basically the bill comes down, she said.
Dole was pressured by the GOP leadership and the backers of the immigration reform measure not to make a move, but she changed her vote anyway. This was act of political courage that North Carolinians have not witnessed since former Senator Helms stood firm against the Panama Canal Treaty.
Conservatives must realize that that President Bush and the leadership of the Democratic party view last weeks defeat as a temporary set back and in fact will make one more try at passing this flawed bill.
For those of us in the conservative movement, the rejection of the immigration bill opens a chance for real reform reform that respects the will of many of us, and also protects the economic and national security of the American people.
Conservatives should insist that in order to fix this broken system, several things must be accomplished:
First and formeost, we must stop new illegal immigrants from entering the country by funding and building the 700 miles of wall autorized by Congress and signed into law last year by President Bush.
Second, entice existing illegals to return home by eliminating welfare payments and other sevices to illegals. Illegal immigrants come to the U.S. to work. If we make it more difficult for them to find work, substantially fewer of them will come, and many of those already here will return home. It also shows the respect richly deserved to all imigrants who follow the rule of law and come here legally. In doing so they show us they want to be a part of the American work force and will gladly obey our countrys laws and live by the rules which govern us all.
Also, we should make it less attactive to all employers to hire illegals by fining them for doing so. Illegal immigration is not some sort of uncontrollable force of nature. It can and should be regulated. My great grandparents came thru Ellis Island -- legally. They learned to speak English, learned American history and became produtive citizens. The rule of law and the our borders must be respected by those who would come here. Period.
By opposing the Bush/ Kennedy Amnesty bill, Elizabeth Dole is signaling a way for a new approach: Enforcement first, amnesty last, and open arms for hard working legal immigrants.
I’m going to have to do some more trolling and say:
Good for her. I can now almost forgive her for doing such a terrible job with the Republican Senatorial Campaign Commitee. Schumer wiped the floor with her.
Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
White House comments: (202) 456-1111
Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Good for her. I can now almost forgive her for doing such a terrible job with the Republican Senatorial Campaign Commitee. Schumer wiped the floor with her.
Sorry but I am not that forgiving. She is going to have to do a hell of a lot more than that before I think she is reelectable or worthy of the term “convervative”.
Not entirely true. I thought so also, but friends told me that Rove made saving Chafee a big priority, and Rove thought both Allen and Talent would pull out victories, and so funds were diverted from those two races to the Chafee race. Big mistake, but not entirely Dole's fault.
Lets see what she does with the next one...
Elizabeth “the Silent” Dole also kept her mouth shut during the biggest civil rights case in decades (in Durham, involving a DA’s flagrant violation of the laws, death threats to defendants inside a courtroom by uniformed members of a racist organization, the beating of minority citizens by drunken white cops, etc.)
All of that in her home state, and she never uttered a peep.
Maybe she didn’t think it was important. . .
Thank you,
A North Carolinian (I hesitate to say fellow NCer as you didn't realize this was your home state until you decided to run for office. BTW, you do know where NC is in on the map don't you?)
That’s all well and good, but a huge part of her job was as an advocate for us going into the home stretch in places like MEET THE PRESS, and she just couldn’t make the case. Rove is a disaster though.
Illegal immigration is not a legislative problem! It's an executive (enforcement) problem.
Illegals are here in ever growing numbers, not because the law hasn't caught up to the problem, but because the executive branch simply couldn't care less. In fact, the executive would apparently love to see illegal immigration accelerate.
Because it's an enforcement problem, additional legislation won't do a single thing to affect it. Just as more gun laws don't stop guns, more immigration laws won't stop illegal immigration.
Enforcement of the law makes the law effective. More laws won't solve the problem.
Govt largesse, Mexican Lover,Horrible execution of war after saddam was overthrown...I could go on.
What a legacy!
I agree with your post completely .
Thanks!
BTTT
I am now convinced she was undermined at the NRSC. Look what I found from 2004 and I imagine the threats were worse in 2006 — believe he has been levying threats for 2008 from several sources. I didn’t know this went back to 2004:
Quote from 2004:
Sources say that in recent weeks, word has gone out from Karl Rove’s office that Republican congressional candidates who fail to “stay away” from the issue of illegal immigration risk losing the financial support of their national party. While this is not surprising (when the Wall Street Journal called for contributions recently to the campaign of Chris Cannon, whose support for amnesties forced him into a bruising primary, former Enron lobbyist and Republican National Committee chair Ed Gillespie responded with a personal donation of $500.00), it’s difficult to see the wisdom in preventing Republican candidates from speaking about an issue that polls consistently show the vast majority of Americans of both parties care so deeply about.
While the White House works to suppress the issue of illegal immigration at the convention, there is talk in as many as a dozen state GOP parties about adopting state party “no amnesty” planks. That nearly a quarter of the country’s GOP hierarchy would consider what amounts to open rebellion against the unpopular Gillespie and the Wall Street Journal extremists demonstrates the fissure that is widening between rank and file Republicans and the corporate globalists who wield such influence within the party.
http://www.kfi640.com/immigration.html
Thanks Liz. Good for you.
Wow. That’s just upsetting.
Wow. That’s just upsetting.
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