Posted on 06/28/2007 2:27:19 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
CHAMBLISS: GEORGIANS HAVE SPOKEN, DEMAND BORDER SECURITY FIRST
June 28, 2007
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today made the following statement regarding defeat of the immigration reform bill being considered by the U.S. Senate. Chambliss voted “no” on a procedural motion requiring 60 votes to cut off debate on the bill. The motion failed by a vote of 46-53.
A lot of people have asked me why I became involved in this process initially, and there is a very simple answer: folks in Georgia sent me to Washington to engage in the issues that are important to America, and if we don’t secure the border and fix our broken immigration system our children and grandchildren will suffer the consequences of our failure to act.
Senator Isakson and I participated in the process early on because we wanted to ensure that our views and concerns were expressed and that, first and foremost, the border security triggers were included in the bill. I believe our contribution to the process was critical in strengthening key components of the legislation. While it wasn’t incumbent that everybody agree with the overall bill presented to the American people, it was important that we have a meeting of the minds to allow a full and fair debate on this critical issue. Unfortunately, the parameters that the Majority Leader set for this historic debate did not allow all senators the opportunity to offer and vote on amendments to the legislation. I believe this is too important an issue to restrict the rights of senators and the voices of their constituents.
Too often politicians talk and don’t listen. Georgians made their voices heard loud and clear and we have listened. The resounding opinion we heard was: we do not trust the federal government to enforce the laws in this new legislation because it has never enforced our immigration laws in the past; we need to secure the border the first and then deal with the collateral issues. Due to the tremendous response from Georgians, Senator Isakson and I communicated to President Bush that Congress must pass, and he should sign, a supplemental appropriations bill to fully fund the necessary expenditures to secure our borders first and separately from larger immigration reform legislation.
The debate must continue, because the status quo is not working. I will continue fighting for border security and I will continue to oppose amnesty for those who have broken our laws. Georgians demand no less than our fullest commitment to this critical issue.
I’ll tell you what, they’re still lying. The Duncan Hunter bill to build the fence was passed in October of 2006. These idiots think we are stupid. I’m still so pissed with these clowns. Saxby is up in 2008, surely there will be somebody to step up and we can unseat him. I will never trust him again, no matter what he says.
Doodad,
If not being a “dumbass” means trusting a politician who insults us with talking points like “jobs Americans won’t do” and “we need comprehensive immigration reform”, like our friends wolf and kidd, than I gladly will stand with you in the “dumbass” section of FR.
And wolf24 - nice job with the personal attacks. Since Chambliss’ behavior the last month is pretty much indefensible, I guess ad hominem attacks are all you have left.
Georgia and the rest of the country would be FAR better off if Saxby Chambliss hadn’t pitched a fit and forced the Feds to stop worksite enforcement in GA.
He is toast.
“He was wrong initially but he did the right thing and voted the right way when it mattered. And yet, dumbasses on this board still bash him.”
Yeah, I dont get that... If they come around, 8encourage them* dont bash their conversion.
I guess these folks never raised children. ... remember the Prodigal Son?
I am sorry, but Cornyn has done all the right things in this immigration debate, and his post vote words are not much different from Chambliss a month ago.
They still think we need a temporary worker program and they still want ‘immigration reform’ which could mean anything.
the ‘comprehensive’ is an amnesty codeword but the rest is vague. ‘rule of law’ is the key.
My conclusion: Chambliss is one of us.
“”GA is set to pass very stringent anti-illegal laws and their ag and const buddys (look up their campaign contributers) are in a panic.””
You’re changing my mind some. It is interesting where the biggest moves are being made, Arizona and Georgia, here come surprise “grand bargainers” like Kyl.
Now you are starting to see what is REALLY GOING ON.
It’s like I said all along: There are people vehemently opposed to the border fence, not because it won’t work, BUT BECAUSE IT WILL.
Wrong - Chambliss is one of them, as is Cornyn. Cornyn was part of this group that was crafting that horrible bill. When he saw where it was going, he withdrew. He’s up for re-election next year, so he could not politically afford to give Bush everything he wanted.
Unlike you, I don’t think we need a “temporary worker program”. American corporations are completely screwing over American citizens with various visa programs already. And it’s not just the working poor getting hosed.
Either you’re not up to speed, or you’re one of them as well. Here’s a good starting point to see just how Americans are getting hosed by businesses and their political paid whores in both parties:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU
One thought. The Dims (and a few worthless Rinos) put together a bill that had obvious flaws (e.g., 24 hour security checks, incredibly large future costs, illegals jumping ahead of patient people trying to get in legally, letting in felons and terrorists, etc., etc.).
No sane person would design such a bill. It was as though the Dims intentionally included enough stupid provisions in it that conservatives would go bananas against it while Rinos who hoped not to offend future Hispanic voters might support it.
One key objective of the bill's Dim creators might have been to split the Republican base and put the party in disarray. To some extent they've succeeded. They created a large group of angry voters who might throw Rinos out of office, meaning the Dims might pick up some of those seats.
Hopefully, however, the immigration mess has energized the Republican/conservative base in a way no other issue has. That may will benefit conservatives in 2008, but I'm not sure of the net overall effect.
Of course, another Dim objective of the immigration bill is to appeal to those Hispanic voters who only see things in simple terms (i.e., Dims were for us, Republicans were against us). If Dims could accomplish that while splitting the Republican base and putting egg on Bush’s face at the same time (and without splitting off too many of their own base), they’d think they hit the trifecta.
No, I dont think you get the whole point of the cobbled together mess.
First, the core part of the bill was the amnesty. The rest of the bill was a GARNISH on the main meal of amnesty.
Amnesty is to the liberal Democrats like Durbin and Kennedy the ‘solution’. We know it is a surrender not a solution.
To them, the wall and the enforcement is just a bunch of provisions on the side to make the conservatives happy. Supposedly. You see, it was going to be Bush’s job to convince us yokels that
“this was the best deal we could get” and
“ the border gets secured” etc. etc.
THIS IS THE KIND OF BILL SENATOR KENNEDY WRITES ALL THE TIME!!!
It’s only now, in the internet age, that we the people can review and respond to his cr*P before it becomes law.
WE HAD THE POWER TO REVIEW THE TEXT, point out the crap and make our own independent conclusions about the bill.
Just as the internet-and-radio-based New Media created an unfiltered news source that allows us to know what is *really* going on;
We have a New Politics, unfiltered by our own leaders, thanks to the power of blogs and forums like FR.
DO NOT ASSUME THESE LEADERS ARE VERY SMART WHEN IN THE END THEY ALL (BUSH, KENNEDY, MCCAIN, GRAHAM, REID, DURBIN, CLINTON, SPECTER, KYL) LOOKED VERY FOOLISH.
These guys didnt know what hit them.
Jesus Christ, you soreheads. WE WON.
If this comes up again, hold his feet to the fire again. In the meantime, TAKE YES FOR AN ANSWER. In fact, call the senator’s office and thank him for his vote.
Senator you should have been smart enough to not ever have gotten tide up with what most patriotic Americans consider a sell out America first groupie.
“Wrong - Chambliss is one of them, as is Cornyn. Cornyn was part of this group that was crafting that horrible bill. When he saw where it was going, he withdrew. He’s up for re-election next year, so he could not politically afford to give Bush everything he wanted.”
These men participated in part to make sure the bill wouldn’t be *worse* that it otherwise might, and working on the assumption - THAT MOST ON CAPITAL HILL HAD - that the bill WOULD PASS ANYWAY.
I think you need to think about the fact that these Senators do have to represent more than just us, and are trying to navigate a difficult issue. IN THE END THESE SEnATOR DID THE RIGHT THING AT A TIME WHEN SEVERAL - LIKE KYL, GRAHAM, HAGEL, MCCAIN AND SPECTER DID THE WRONG THING. Your unforgiving stance is politically foolish imho. To each his own.
“Unlike you, I don’t think we need a “temporary worker program”. American corporations are completely screwing over American citizens with various visa programs already.”
Legal immigration is an asset to this country overall, and we gain from some of the employment-based immigration.
There may be a wage effect, but with our under 5% unemployment, its not a big factor and would be less pronounced if we simply eliminated illegal immigration.
trying to be against immigration as a whole is not the way to go. Check the rasmussen poll - the same poll that showed opposition to the senate bill showed majority in favor of legal immigration. Most of the calls to the senate opposing this bill were people like me who saw the amnesty as a slap in the face to legal immigrants. (I ought to know; I am married to a legal immigrant and work with several as well.) We should have a ‘point system’ that brings a balanced set fo those immigrants who would do the most for America, and eliminate ‘chain migration’. If we made the immigration system we have more employment focussed and less Dependent-family focussed, that would be a win/win.
As a part of this, there is nothing wrong with temporary worker programs in the mix, so long as they are numerically limited and they dont convert to illegal immigrants (this is one source of illegal immigration, the temp workers overstay the visa).
We need to keep legal immigration. What we should eliminate is illegal immigration and we should do it without having amnesty.
“Jesus Christ, you soreheads. WE WON.
If this comes up again, hold his feet to the fire again. In the meantime, TAKE YES FOR AN ANSWER. In fact, call the senator’s office and thank him for his vote.”
Hear, hear.
Well said.
Thanks. I’m so sick of people who can’t see good in anything or anyone who doesn’t agree with them 100 percent.
I’m even sicker of people who remain this bitter — at someone who ended up helping us, after we’ve won a BIG victory.
Don’t we already have six temporary worker programs? Why do we need another one?
Agreed. Cut their throats and they won't be able to "fool us twice". The message will be sent.
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