Dems Must Get Serious About Illegals

Real Clear Politics ^ | November 6, 2007 | Froma Harrop

[2ndDivisionVet]

Hillary Clinton -- and the other Democrats running for president -- couldn't possibly have assumed that they would forever skate around the issue of illegal immigration. That notion came to an end in the most recent debate, when the New York senator badly slipped over a question about her state's controversial plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Did she think no one would ask?

Democrats had better start dealing with this. Polls show a large majority of Americans, including Democrats, opposed to illegal immigration. They also find that most Americans favor some sort of amnesty for many illegals. Clinton apparently tried to finesse the two, while ignoring what's behind the numbers.

What many Democrats (and Republicans) don't "get" is that the support for amnesty is highly conditional. It rests on trust that any official pardon will be the last one. The "grand bargain" on immigration went down in flames last spring because no one believed the sales pitch -- that with the amnesty would come a stop to future illegal immigration.

When will people know that their politicians mean business? When they hear them say "no."

Many Democrats have a terrible time saying "no" to illegal immigrants who are otherwise good people. Trouble is, there will always be nice, hardworking folks who come here without papers. Americans want their politicians to draw lines that they'll defend.

President Bush peddled the grand bargain's amnesty as a recognition that many illegal aliens have been working in this country a long time. But when the bill came out, the cutoff date was set at just four months prior. Sen. Jim Webb, a Virginia Democrat, tried to insert some discipline into the amnesty deadline by requiring a five-year residency. He failed.(continued)

[Mr Apple]

The radio interviewer added that the Houston Chronicle does and has always tried to make President Bush and all conservatives look bad.

Yes, I know it, you know it. I imagine the radio talk show host was thinking that there might be new comers to Houston who don't know all of this. And as far as this Houston Comical goes, you're exactly right, it's a joke.
I get unsolicited calls from the Comical (and also from the N. Y. Times once in while) and to both I usually just sit the phone on the table and walk away and let them speak to themselves; walk by later and hang it up.

[Cacique]

btt

[mthom]

CIR would have also granted a massive preference to mexico in our immigration policy which would necessitate keeping the rest of the world out in larger numbers.