Posted on 03/06/2008 5:53:24 PM PST by BGHater
While John McCain was being coronated as the heir apparent at a highly publicized White House meeting with President Bush, his colleagues on Capitol Hill couldn't resist rolling out what could be described as a Lou Dobbs dream package of immigration bills.
It was one of those moments where one had to wonder if the right hand of the Republican Party was talking to the left, er, moderate hand.
Immigration is the preeminent issue that has divided McCain from his party, as he has supported an ill-fated comprehensive immigration overhaul, including a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Since that debacle, he has been chastened, saying he believes in border security first.
Yet while Bush was passing the torch to McCain as the party's standard bearer, a half dozen conservative GOP senators were unveiling proposals dealing with deportation, making English the official language, revoking funds for "sanctuary cities" and giving local police more immigration enforcement powers.
"This debate has not ended. It's not on hold," said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) as he unveiled a series of Republican immigration proposals. "Something needs to be done this year."
Sessions said he had not consulted with the White House on the issue, nor had he talked directly with McCain. Sessions also hasn't asked the man who sets the Senate schedule, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), to consider on the proposals.
Sessions and other opponents of comprehensive immigration reform believe McCain has learned his lesson.
"He has said he got the message and believes the way to go is border enforcement first," Sessions said. "I think he'll be supportive of much of it."
"There's nothing in here that represents an attempt to embarrass him," Sessions was quick to add. But these issues still might create trouble for McCain now that he's turned his attention to the general election. He still needs his reticent GOP base to turn out, yet he'll also need independent voters and a reasonable support level from Hispanics in Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona and other swing states.
The package of proposals unveiled by McCain's colleagues may only inflame the immigration debate. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), for example, has proposed withholding federal law enforcement money for "sanctuary cities" that have lax immigration enforcement. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) wants to dock states 10 percent of their highway funding if they give licenses to illegal immigrants. And Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has a bill that would make English the "national language."
Sessions, who made a name for himself by spending hours at a time on the Senate floor last year, fighting the doomed immigration bill, has proposed mandatory minimum prison sentences for illegal immigrants.
None of these proposals is likely to see the light of day unless they appear as amendments to next week's budget resolution, which might force McCain to either flip flop on key immigration issues. or duck the vote altogether.
Democratic leaders aren't playing ball, either. "While Senator Reid continues to support legislation that is tough on people that break the law, fair to taxpayers and practical to implement, this falls far, far short of what is needed to deal with the issue of immigration reform," said Reid spokesman Jim Manley.
In the House, Republicans were making a more concerted effort to coordinate their immigration message with McCain.
Some House Republicans were moving ahead full-throttle to force a vote on an immigration enforcement measure offered by Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina. But leaders have temporarily applied the brakes to that effort until they have more time to coordinate with the McCain campaign.
Boehner has tapped four Republicans to coordinate on the immigration issue as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) works with her members to devise a compromise measure that would be acceptable to the competing interests within her own party. Those Republicans met Tuesday night and again Wednesday, but they won't make a decision until top leaders have had a chance to brief members of the McCain campaign team.
Meanwhile, a group of House Democrats met Wednesday to discuss more comprehensive legislation that would mend a persistent shortfall in temporary visas for seasonal workers and grants some protection to undocumented workers already in this country.
UPDATE: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), one of only three Hispanic senators, has called on McCain to reject the GOP proposals, saying the package would only create a "wedge" issue come November.
“The Republican Party might think this is a wedge issue for November, but their strategy only dims their chances this year and for generations to come," Menendez said. "Latinos are not a group on the fringes of our society that can be manipulated to score political points. If this presidential primary season has shown us anything, it is that Latinos are no longer the sleeping giant in American politics – they are fully awake, active and making a difference. This is the type of cynical effort that serves to deepen the divisions in our nation that we should be working to bridge.”
I was impressed, too. What a tough cold life. The cross fire is getting closer and closer to my house!
I’ve been through enough election cycles to know that coattails happen and it doesnt matter if the candidate is a clone of the top of the ticket guy, its a matter of turnout. McCain wins = good for conservative Republicans running for congress. McCain loses = bad for conservative Republicans running for congress.
In any case, there is a more direct way to success in the Congressional races than helping McCain.
we need to simply support the conservatives that are running in tight races in Congress ... our help will make a difference ... such as:
http://www.redstate.com/blogs/dld1717/2008/mar/06/congressional_updates
MI 7 Walberg (R)
A poll of voters in southern Michigan’s 7th U.S. House District shows Republican incumbent Tim Walberg and Democratic challenger Mark Schauer running about even.
The polling company EPIC-MRA says 49 percent of those it phoned supported Schauer, while 48 percent backed Walberg. The company polls for The Detroit News and WXYZ-TV.
2006: Tim Walberg (R) 50 percent, Sharon Renier (D) 46 percent
President Bush carried district with 53-54% in 00 and 04
Walhberg is a conservative candidate who knocked off a RINO in 2006.
“Without winning majorities in at least one (probably both) houses of Congress, those tax cuts are history regardless of who sits in the White House.”
Well Republicans should use this issue like a hammer so they win back the Congress!!
Just take a look at the total insanity of Juan McCain. The lunatic must be stopped ALL costs!
# 2006- Sen. McCain voted against extending the border fence in the Sessions Amendment (2) to H.R. 5441.
# 2006- Sen. McCain voted to prevent the border fence from being built by voting in favor of the Managers Amendment to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006.
# 2006- Sen. McCain voted to allow illegal aliens to receive Social Security by voting to table the Ensign Amendment to S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006.
# 2006- Sen. McCain voted against funding additional immigration investigators by voting against the Sessions Amendment (1) to H.R. 5441.
# 2005- Sen. McCain voted against providing funding for additional Border Patrol and ICE agents by voting against the Byrd Amendment to H.R. 1268.
McCAIN: THE AMNESTY KING FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
o 2007 ? Sen. McCain was heavily involved in the backroom negotiations of S. 1348 with Sen. Kennedy and Pres. Bush ? this was an amnesty (permanent residency & path to citizenship) for more than 10 million illegal aliens.
o 2007 ? Sen. McCain cast several votes to protect the amnesty in S. 1639 and to move the amnesty toward a vote.
o 2007- Sen. McCain is a cosponsor of S. 774, the DREAM Act. The bill would grant in-state tuition and amnesty to more than a million illegal aliens under the age of 30.
o 2007- Sen. McCain is a cosponsor of S. 340, the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007 (AgJOBS). This bill would grant amnesty to millions of illegal agricultural workers.
o 2006- Sen. McCain voted in favor of S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. This bill would have awarded amnesty to 10.2 million illegal aliens.
o 2005- Sen. McCain and Sen. Kennedy introduced S.1033, an amnesty for virtually all illegal aliens.
o 2005- Sen. McCain was a cosponsor of S. 239, the AgJOBS amnesty.
o 2003- Sen. McCain was a cosponsor of S. 1645, the AgJOBS amnesty.
o 2003- Sen. McCain was a cosponsor the S. 1461 amnesty for millions of illegal aliens.
McCain is going to depress Rep turnout. And his positions on the issues will help the Dem opponents running against Reps who must take positions opposite the standard bearer. McCain will turn off Reps when he debates his Dem opponent. He will be espousing many of the same views they do on such issues as immigration, global warming, campaign finance reform, tax cuts for the wealthy, closing Gitmo, embryonic stem cell research, drilling in Anwar, etc. Conservatives will be blowing a gasket watching him. If you think it is bad now, wait until the Fall.
Since we are most likey screwed I say we loudly stand our ground then either McCain comes to us he is screwed. As is the country.
Jumping on his bandwagon as he courts DamnocRATS just means you approve of his sellout to mexico.
Still, John McCain would pimp his 95 year old Mom to President. I'm counting on McCain's blind ambition.
Regards
Sherrif Joe will take good care of them.
“In a McCain administration, they will be very effective in thwarting the Democrat amnesty and open borders agenda like they are doing now. McCain would continue that situation.”
That is just dishonest. Really really dishonest. You have absolutely zero basis for that statement.
Seriously, which parallel universe do you speak of this happening in? It sure as hell wouldn’t happen in our universe.
“Best case scenario: McCain manages to have a huge sweep. It bring back enough Republicans in the House to make amnesty a dead letter.”
Highly unlikely unless the Dem. candidate becomes very suspect or discredited.
Unless he does something concrete to win conservatives, a significant number will simply not vote for McCain and he’ll lose several states because of it. If just 5% - 10% of the base stays home in a few key states that could sink him.
I don't 100% count on my hunch that the dems will clutch at the last minute and not vote for either a black messiah or a predominantly female WJC.
Short of kidnapping his puppy and demanding that he take Duncan on as VP, or getting a court order keeping him away from Ted Kennedy; I'm not long on options.
“That is just dishonest. Really really dishonest. You have absolutely zero basis for that statement.”
I’d say he’s spot on. Republicans in the Senate would fight Hillary or Obama harder on amnesty. If McCain were president, you’d have John Kyl and other Republicans helping push an amnesty bill through, Republicans who’d fight the same bill if a Dem. were in the WH.
And, as in 1992, Republicans have a far better chance of regaining the Senate if a Dem. is in the WH. Also, with McCain, he’d be constantly “reaching across the aisle” to come up with more bills such as McCain/Feingold, McCain/Kennedy, McCain/Lieberman and others.
McCain gained the nomination by receiving about 35% of the vote, while the non-McCain vote was split among three and four candidates. So many winner-take-all states have given us a candidate with very shallow support in the party, but he’ll only do what he damned well pleases (”I know what’s best for America”) if in the WH, and will cause more splits in the party as he’s done in the past. He’s no way forward for the Republican party.
Git that guy to the CONSTITUTION PARTY convention in April, for petes sake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know. I know. It is just a platform and it is just symbolic. That language needs to be solid and clear and uncompromising. Then, every GOP candidate worth his or her salt from McAmnesty down on should openly pledge to support that. McCAIN might run against the platform but true GOP Conservatives can openly campaign for it and hold that as their higher ideal, rather than any transient, once in four years RINO come-along guy.
Furthermore, our action in that regard right now forces McCAIN out in the open. Either he Mr. McCain is with us or he is agin' us. Either the RNC is going to follow our orders, or it is going to not follow them and we rebel as a result.
Time to test the whole rotten bunch up there and make them step on the fumie.
I agree with you completely. But his post is saying McCain would actually help stop amnesty. I’m saying there’s zero basis for that assumption and it’s dishonest to imagine it.
Best case scenario: McCain manages to have a huge sweep
Best case scenario would be for there to be a revolution in the party at the convention and nominate a conservative, but a check of reality shows that that isn’t happening, either.
If you are a drinking man, you had best save some hooch for November and make it the cheap stuff, if you get my drift...
Border security first, ................then what?
That is just dishonest. Really really dishonest. You have absolutely zero basis for that statement.
Conservative Republican Senators stopped amnesty when Bush was for it, and Conservative Republican Senators can stop amnesty if and when McCain asks for it.
McCain's position has pretty much been George W Bush's position, although McCain has in the primary move to Bush's right on this, saying he wont ask for amnesty until the border is secured. They wanted a 'comprehensive' approach. The Democrat leaders in the Senate, Harry Reid and his pals Schumer, Kennedy, Feinstein, Durbin, wanted it as well. So you had about 7 RINOs plus 45 or so Senate Democrats wanting it.
They were stopped, because they needed 60 votes. There are about 40 conservative Republicans who voted against the comprehensive amnesty, and about 30 of them are solid on anti-immigration position. A small group of Democrats peeled off against amnesty (like Byrd) and that was enough.
If we lose Allard to a liberal Democrat Udall, if we lose Domenici's seat to a liberal Democrat Udall, if we lose other seats, like Virginia to a liberal Democrat ... then we have lost the capability to filibuster amnesty in the Senate.
Unlike McCain, Obama is not predicating border fence before amnesty. Obama voted against the border fence in 2006 and was one of only 18 very liberal Senators who voted against cloture on it in September 2006, when most of the Senate felt compelled to 'do something' about the border. Not Obama (Clinton, McCain and 80 other Senators were for it).
If Obama wins, amnesty will happen. Not necessarily because who wins the White House, but because his win will come with coattails and when Obama puts his political capital down to push for it (he will, the open borders folks are behind him 100%) he will get it from the Democrat Senate majority. Although, it is clear now that McCain wont push as soon and as hard for amnesty as Obama will ... it is really about who wins in the US Senate.
On the other hand, Bob Shaffer in Colorado will not be voting for amnesty. Kilgore in Virginia will not be, neither will any Republican take the Obama/Clinton 100%-for-amnesty position.
If McCain wins, the status quo will prevail. Moreover, McCain has clearly signalled that he will not even ask for amnesty until the border is secured. This is his verbal agreement to the Isackson (sp?) amendment and other amendments from the 'enforcement first' side. The border fence progress is not even close, certainly not enough to justifying any claim that it is secured or will be secured any time soon. While there is a risk that down the road the issue will come up once the borders are deemed 'secure', it will delay action and keep focus on border security for a few years.
Seriously, which parallel universe do you speak of this happening in? It sure as hell wouldn’t happen in our universe. -
Excuse me, but it is dishonest of you to use that language. The basis for this analysis is what happened in 2007 and the many races and actual positions of candidates who are running for Congress as well as President. To be simplistic and just bash McCain is to get it wrong.
Can you post the voting records on this of the other presidential contenders?
He endorsed Romney for President.
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