Posted on 03/15/2010 9:15:22 PM PDT by pissant
Former Republican House leader Dick Armey said staunch anti-immigration opponents such as Rep. Tom Tancredo are destructive to Republicans — and are alienating a “natural” constituency that could help the party win elections.
“Who in the Republican Party was the genius that said that now that we have identified the fastest-growing voting demographic in America, let’s go out and alienate them?” Armey said, referencing Hispanics, during a luncheon in Washington at the National Press Club.
“When I was the majority leader, I saw to it that Tom Tancredo did not get on the stage because I saw how destructive he was,” Armey said of the Colorado congressman and 2008 Republican presidential candidate known for his opposition to illegal immigration.
Armey said “this is a nation of immigrants” and “if you love America, love freedom” and if you will work and pay taxes, you should be welcome in the country.
The former majority leader, who is now chairman of FreedomWorks and heavily involved in the Tea Party movement, said the INS is “deformed” and “dysfunctional.”
“They way they treat these folks is unbelievably rude and callous and cruel. Fix that agency, make it do its job, make it do its job in a humane … fashion and then you can control the borders,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
And how does Dick answer the second part of his question regarding the black vote? That answer would be telling... of Dick's mindset.
The migrant farm workers programs works like this: You apply for a VISA and the paperwork gets shuffled around DC for 8 months and then about 2 weeks into NOV after the first snow hits, you get your VISA approved for the growing season!
So next year, you say “screw it, I’m going in illegally like the rest of the people I know.”
Ask the farmers in upstate NY why they have illegals picking apples all summer: “Because anyone who tries to fill out the paperwork to do it legally sees how futile it is.”
But Armey’s a HUGE Tea Party supporter. I’m so confused. I don’t know who to believe anymore.
Well, we should distinguish between illegal invaders and those people who come here legally and want to be AMERICANS.
Little boys like Armey don’t really get it.
“They way they treat these folks is unbelievably rude and callous and cruel. Fix that agency, make it do its job, make it do its job in a humane … fashion and then you can control the borders,...
...the Republican Party is the most naturally talented party at losing its natural constituents in the history of the world...
...This party was born with the emancipation proclamation and can’t get a black vote to safe its life. How do they do that?”
I generally don’t agree with big Dick (Gephart was little Dick) But I think he’s right about this.
“and are alienating a “natural” constituency that could help the party win elections. “
Any “natural constituency” that believes in steambarreling over our nation’s immigration laws for self-gain and for selfish reasons can stay out of the party, as far as I’m concerned. No self-respecting citizen who says that it means a plug nickle to be a citizen of this nation would say otherwise.
Oh yeah, you're a politician... never mind.
This is what gave me a belly full of these leftist Republican frauds way back in 2004.
Compromise over conservatism?
Party over principle?
Profits regardless of consequences?
Never again!
No more voting for evil.
No more bull sh*t.
Armey said “this is a nation of immigrants” and “if you love America, love freedom” and if you will work and pay taxes, you should be welcome in the country.
Great. But while we're talking generalities, why not talk specifics. We admit a million immigrants a year, each and every year, legally. It seems like the open borders guys like Armey should have to explain why a million a year is not enough. Why must we also accept the other half million plus who come in without our permission. How does that benefit the average American; how is it fair to the people who spent years trying to follow all the sometimes stupid and arcane rules that normal immigrants have to follow?
Immigration policy should always serve the interests of citizens first last and always. No one ever steps forward to explain or defend immigration in terms of actual figures in terms of the interests of American citizens. They love to talk in platitudes, like apple pie. Who could possibly be against apple pie?
They never like to talk data. They never like to talk specifics.
Secure the border. Enforce the law. Get guys without a clue out of office. The problem will resolve itself over a handful of years almost painlessly.
He is an idiot. The illegals and most of the legal immigrants swing to the Democrats!! They don’t care who welcomes them in, they’re wise to the tricks and they vote for the party that will give them everything they need and want. THEY DONT VOTE REPUBLICAN.
If they are such a “natural constituency” why did Mr. Amnesty (McCain) himself get plummetted by this “constituency” who overwhelmingly voted for Obama?
Why is it my 'compassionate' duty to pay for the education and the healthcare expenses for some upstate NY farmer to hire cheap labor? Why NOT go to the core of the problem and that is government controlled labor wages?
IF these control freaks make legal with a 'rose garden' signing, making legal what is illegal, then that upstate NY farmer will be required to pay the government wage. How has he/she gained anything?
These so called conservatives left untouched when they had the opportunity, (being in the majority) what they continue to ignore government controlled cost of labor.
AND IF these that think Amnesty is going to resolve their labor issues they have learned nothing. Once they get this so called cheap labor issue resolved, then these leftist will be seeking 'reparations' for all the dollars unpaid on government approved union scale. The courts will be tied up for generations with civil suits.
Hey Armey...first and foremost, we are a nation of laws.
and you want to spit in the face of immigrants who followed our laws and became citizens.
Armey is destructive to the continued existance of the USA!!!
Well, Dick, the republicans could get plenty of black votes if it started promising them something for nothing. Or, start telling them the truth. Tell them it is shameful that descendants of slaves, people who fought hard to be free, would be so willing to enslave others. Anyone in favor of government entitlement programs are advocating slavery. Slavery for those who pay for it, and those who receive it.
I'm from Tancredo's neck of the woods and don't always think that his phrasing is as nice as it could be.
Right now, our nation is in the middle of a deep recession and many Americans are hurting. Our family knows people who have worked hard all of their lives, who have been out of work for going on two years and who would do anything for a job right now. Unemploment is still in the double digits for many places.
So, as inelegant as Tancredo can be sometimes, if Armey & co., thinks that they're going to win by making nice and broadcasting a pro-immigration message right now, they've got another think coming.
Frickin moron.
Agreed. Unless Dick Armey & Co., are planning to dump the rest of us overboard and cater to the "differently-legal", in which case I guess this verbal garbage makes total sense.
I wonder which it'll be?
Dick Armey is dangerous to conservatism. The Constitution, Bill of Rights and Rule of Law beg to differ with this RINO’s deranged logic.
then they should end the migrant farm workers program, let the NY orchards go bankrupt, and import our apples from Chile and Ecuador.
This is a BIG problem.
Conservatism is what wins elections, Armey, you friggin' drunkard moron.
Everything is about winning elections to these people. America's sovereignty means nothing. Border security means nothing. The rule of law means nothing. The Constitution means nothing. These people eat, sleep and breathe getting elected so that they can suck up the all bennies we provide with our tax dollars. It sickens me to no end.....
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