Posted on 06/29/2007 11:27:57 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Chairman of the Republican Party on Friday lambasted Democrats and Republicans who helped kill an immigration bill in the Senate and challenged them to come up with a solution beyond "just build a fence along the border."
"The voices of negativity now have a responsibility to come up with an answer," RNC Chairman and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. said.
"How will you fix the situation to make peoples' lives better? How will you continue to grow the economy? How will we bring people out of the shadows for our national security and for the sake of being a country that is just?" he demanded.
Martinez spoke during a gathering of more than 1,000 Hispanic officials from across the country at Disney World, a day after the immigration bill's Senate supporters fell short of the 60 votes needed to limit debate and clear the way for its final passage.
Martinez promised to work with members of the U.S. House of Representatives to try to revive the legislation, a measure the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials supports.
Time for such efforts is tight before the 2008 presidential campaign heats up, Martinez told reporters, but he added, "you can't live from election to election. We have to once in a while act as responsible, elected officials and resolve the nation's problems."
A group of about half a dozen U.S. representatives planned to strategize over the weekend at the conference on how to revive the proposal.
But U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the lone Republican presidential candidate to attend the three-day conference, said such a revival was unlikely.
Hunter stood by his focus on legislation to extend a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border and said the government needs to do a better job of asking those here illegally to go home. He did not say how he would convince the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants to leave.
"Let's get the border enforced first before you get to the subsections of enforcement," he said.
Wednesday's immigration vote was 46 to 53, with three-quarters of the Senate's Republicans voting to derail the bill.
But the Republican Party was not to blame for its failure, Martinez said.
President Bush sent two cabinet members to Congress several times a week for months to work out a bipartisan compromise, he noted.
By failing to act, the Senate also tied law enforcement's hands, Martinez said.
The proposed immigration bill would have provided $4.4 billion for border security and workplace visa enforcement.
Martinez came to Florida from Cuba at 15 and spent four years separated from his parents until they were able to flee the communist island. He said he feared more families would be torn apart if the status quo remains.
He also warned local and state officials at the conference that the immigration issue will now land in their laps through local ordinances.
"We're going to have a hodgepodge of local laws. We will have cities that will declare themselves sanctuary cities. And then we will have others that will make it a felony simply to rent to illegal immigrants," he said.
But he blamed those who supported the bill for not explaining well enough to the American people the flaws of the current law and the benefits of the proposed one - and to allow opponents to define the bill as simply amnesty.
“The voices of negativity now have a responsibility to come up with an answer,” RNC Chairman and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. said”
Simple Bill- BUILD THE DAMN FENCE!!!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Howzabout every registered Republican marches down and changes to Independent next Tuesday?
This condescending A**hat needs to be kicked out of the helm or else we need a NEW party.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Screw you, Mr. Chairman.
New Keyword: nomoremoney4mel
So the economy will stumble and collapse just as it's been for, oh, seven years without this bill?
How will we bring people out of the shadows for our national security
This is always my favorite rationale for this kind of bill becoming law.
So, some illegal comes into the country to attack our national security, and because this bill becomes law, he's going to say "Oh, fooey! The law's changed!" and register as someone who's in the country to cause a terror attack?
How would this bill increase our security in any way that, oh, building a wall would not? Terrorists would no longer sneak into the country?
How about stripping all the amnesty stuff from the bill and only pushing the security measures on their own, if you're so concerned, Mel?
Mel Martinez says that it’s time for the amnesty bill’s opponents to act. Indeed we should act-—act Mr. Martinez out of his position as RNC chairman.
Doesn’t this just make you want to give money to the RNC? Now, where’s my checkbook?.........NOT.
Demand a border fence! Build it NOW!! Beef up the border patrol and close our borders!
U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121
U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
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Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep
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Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!
Mel, securing the borders is YOUR responsibilty, that’s why WE PAY YOU! If not, we’ll get someone else with brains and b@lls that will!
Idiot.
How soon can the next Presidential nominee come in and replace idiots like Martinez at the RNC? The sooner the better, every day with Martinez is a day we lose voters.
You would think that the GOP would get the message after Thursday’s crushing of the amnesty bill.
Evidently not. >:(
Guess it’s time to let these clueless (insert your favorite term here) know WHO THE HECK VOTES.
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Good gosh I have never been so embarrassed to be associated with such a bunch of clueless elitest pri**s.
:mad: :furious: :even madder:
It is almost at the point where we need to seriously consider a mass migration to do any good. Do we have the numbers to infiltrate and take over the Democratic party? This is only half in jest, the RNC doesn’t listen to us at all.
Martinez has to go, or we can. Their call. :\
Good one. How about this: notalottalott.
yep , NO more donations to RNC until they :
“just build a fence along the border.”
One name : Duncan Hunter
He will do it . To we have the will to support him and elect him?
Hey Mel, here are some answers.
“How will you fix the situation to make peoples’ lives better?”
Why don’t they work to make their lives better. It is not my or our responsibility to make lives better of those who do not even bother following our laws when they enter here.
“How will you continue to grow the economy?”
If you really wanted to know that, you would have asked before trying to shove this down everyone’s throat. There are other solutions that do not involve the first act in this country to be an illegal act.
“How will we bring people out of the shadows for our national security and for the sake of being a country that is just?”
The fact that they are in the shadows to begin with shows that you are making a supposition that you should not be making. They are in the shadows because they broke the law to begin with. Why are you blaming the rest of us for what others did?
Huh? Mel?
Obey the law.
First W, and now this clown?
The RNC can pound sand.
Martinez is definitely a bad appointment. I don’t know if the new nominee gets to pick the RNC chair once he’s nominated, but that’s my guess.
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