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#DontStandWithRand (His amnesty speech was a pastiche of clichés)
National Review ^ | 03/20/2013 | Mark Krikorian

Posted on 03/20/2013 6:31:51 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Rand Paul’s amnesty speech before the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was a pastiche of establishment cliches. Permit me to select some and respond:

Growing up in Texas I never met a Latino who wasn’t working.

While this kind of flattery is expected when politicians pander to any kind of group, in this case it’s not true. The latest data show that 65.4 percent of U.S.-born Hispanics over age 16 have a job, and 68.4 percent of Hispanic immigrants (legal and illegal) do, compared with 69.3 percent for the country as a whole. That’s not a difference worth getting excited about one way or the other, but it does show that Hispanics are regular people, not toiling supermen.

Republicans have been losing both the respect and votes of a group of people who already identify with our belief in family, faith, and conservative values. Hispanics should be a natural and sizable part of the Republican base.

Oy vey. Hispanics are more negative about capitalism, and more positive about socialism, than even supporters of Occupy Wall Street. By almost four-to-one, Hispanics prefer bigger government over smaller government. Sixty-two percent of Hispanics support Obamacare. The majority support gay marriage. Among the U.S.-born (who make up the large majority of Hispanic voters), 40 percent use welfare and 45 percent have no federal income-tax liability. Outreach is important, but can we finally retire the notion that there’s a conservative Republican inside every Hispanic voter just waiting to come out if only the GOP backs amnesty?

About his ancestors, Senator Paul said:

In their home and their church they spoke German. Republicans who criticize the use of two languages make a great mistake.

The problem is not use of two languages. It’s the official use of two languages, and the utter lack of diversity in the immigration flow, creating the unprecedented situation where a majority of immigrants speak a single language, increasingly making Spanish a co-official language with English. That way lies Quebec, or worse.

Many have faced intolerance and bigotry. It was not always easy to be German American in the face of two world wars started by Germans. Intolerance is not new, and it is not limited to one language or skin color.

Unbelievable. The victimology craze has reached the point where someone of partly German ancestry can proudly boast that he, too, knows the sting of prejudice. Who’s next, Episcopalians? They were hassled by the Puritans in colonial Massachusetts, you know.

I’ve never met a new immigrant looking for a free lunch.

This betrays an almost childlike lack of acquaintance with reality. Most immigrants using welfare also work. In fact, our welfare system is designed to subsidize the working poor who have children, which is a good approximation of the average Latin American immigrant. And we do almost nothing to bar or remove immigrants using welfare.

The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.

This is at least coherent, but wrong-headed. A post-industrial, knowledge-based economy with a well-developed welfare state and a multiculturalist, anti-assimilationist elite, does not benefit from more immigration. Someone wrote a book about this, if I recall. What’s more, Senator Paul just a few months ago said the trade-off for amnesty should be “not to accept any new legal immigrants while we’re assimilating the ones who are here.” To go from an immigration moratorium to open borders in the space of four months is a real accomplishment.

Unfortunately, like many of the major debates in Washington, immigration has become a stalemate-where both sides are imprisoned by their own rhetoric or attachment to sacred cows that prevent the possibility of a balanced solution.

(My emphasis.) Now he’s getting his talking points from Obama? A “balanced solution” on immigration will work out the same as on the budget; just as future spending cuts promised in return for present tax hikes never happen, future enforcement in return amnesty today will never happen. Spending cuts — and enforcement — first.

Let’s start that conversation by acknowledging we aren’t going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.

I’m sorry, who’s proposed that?

If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you.

This comes after a reference to illegals, so might be referring to them, but they already “live and work in America” — that’s the whole point. But if, as his advocacy for ever-more immigration suggests, he’s referring to people who aren’t here yet, then we’re approaching libertarian kookiness. Gallup reports that 150 million people want to move to the United States, and once they get here, scores of millions of their relatives will also want to do so. There is no practical limit to the number of people who would move here based on market forces, so we have to impose one.

This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society. Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.

Jeez, immigration speeches are just a matter of Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V. Illegals aren’t in the “shadows”, they’re lobbying Congress and appearing on TV. Illegals already pay taxes; it’s just that they’re so unskilled and thus earn so little money that they are inevitably net costs to taxpayers (and the sum of those costs would increase with amnesty). And the lack of assimilation isn’t caused by illegality, it’s caused by government race laws and affirmative action and big-city school systems (that most immigrant kids attend) that teach students to be embarrassed about America.

My plan will not grant amnesty or move anyone to the front of the line.

I’d have a lot more respect for someone who just came out and said, “look, of course it’s amnesty, and I don’t like it any more than you do, but we’re stuck having to clean up the mess our predecessors left us.”

But what we have now is de facto amnesty.

Sure it is, because Senator Paul’s amnesty ally, President Obama, has downgraded immigration violations to a secondary offense, like not buckling your seat belt, meaning that only those who violate a “real” law face possible deportation.

The solution doesn’t have to be amnesty or deportation-a middle ground might be called probation where those who came illegally become legal through a probationary period.

I love this — the “middle ground” between deportation and amnesty is a different kind of amnesty. This is like saying the middle ground between my offer for a car and the salesman’s price is my offer, but I’ll pay by check instead of credit card.

My plan will not impose a national ID card or mandatory E-Verify, forcing businesses to become policemen.

Even Democrats understand that immigration enforcement is literally impossible without giving employers a tool to distinguish between honest people and liars. This really is a recipe for open borders.

We should not be unfair to those who came to our country legally.

It’s not those who “came to our country legally” who get screwed by amnesty, though of course they’re exposed as suckers for having obeyed the law. It’s those honorably waiting abroad who really get the shaft, because illegals jumped the line to get into the U.S. and are rewarded for their lawbreaking by being permitted to stay.

Nor should we force business owners to become immigration inspectors-making them do the job the federal government has failed to do.

Business owners are just making sure the people they hire aren’t lying to them. If Senator Paul wants to abolish Social Security, the income tax, and the entirety of labor law, that’s a coherent stance to take. But you can’t honestly leave all that in place but say that employers, in filing the standard paperwork for a new hire, shouldn’t have to check to make sure they’re not being lied to.

.After an Inspector General has verified that the border is secure after year one, the report must come back and be approved by Congress. In year two, we could begin expanding probationary work visas to immigrants who are willing to work. I would have Congress vote each year for five years whether to approve or not approve a report on whether or not we are securing the border.

I don’t even know what this means. I guess once the border (meaning the whole immigration system, including airports, land crossings, the entire visa process, etc.) is secure, all the illegals would get their amnesty, and then Congress would vote again every year for five more years. But if they vote no, then what? Would the “probationary work visas” be revoked? Maybe in some alternative universe, but not here in the real world. So basically, his plan is the same as the Schumer-Rubio amnesty.

Senator Paul amassed a lot of political capital with his filibuster, even among people who don’t fully agree with him on the drone issue, or foreign policy in general. But I’m afraid he’s just dissipated a lot of that good will with this embarrassing, amateurish foray into a policy area he knows nothing about.



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2013; amnesty; immigration; krikorian; randpaul; standwithrand
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To: Slump Tester

Rand has said many times the quote of Milton Freedman “as long as you have a welfare state you have to have secure borders” you what to solve the illegal immigration problem you must block illegal’s from getting welfare. I was skeptical when I read the news about Rand’s speech then I went and listended to it and the news, left wing news are the ones lying about what he said to turn you away, because they fear him!!!


21 posted on 03/20/2013 7:24:13 AM PDT by qman (The communist usurper must go!)
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To: KC_Lion; AuntB; Liz
The touted unemployment rate for our military veterans is around 9% (probably higher than that), yet our pols insist on giving these foreign illegals here on our soil, taking jobs that Americans are READY and WILLING to do, a free pass. They already suck our government handouts dry, overwhelm our medical resources and vote illegally in our elections.

Rand Paul, Juan McCain, Jeb Bush, Lindsay Graham, Rick Perry, and Marco Rubio can ALL just KMA for pushing this illegal immigration wave off lunacy as some magic pill to save the party. The party can go to hell. The party is over. The reality doesn't support their fantasy and America is being dragged down because of it.

22 posted on 03/20/2013 7:26:46 AM PDT by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: Pan_Yan; Pan_Yans Wife
RE :”It’s always amusing when Freepers, swoon and crash,”

Same thoughts here. And its less than 6 months after the last,

Dont forget the BIG swoon and crash of 2011.
It-was a doozy!

23 posted on 03/20/2013 7:28:55 AM PDT by sickoflibs (O's sequester Apocalypse tour just proved why we need the 2nd amendment more than ever NOW!)
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To: Pan_Yan

That reflects more on the politicians than on Freepers. The politicians are all so lame, that people want to believe, can’t blame them really.


24 posted on 03/20/2013 7:30:32 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: SeekAndFind

What is a ‘Hispanic’ Chamber of Commerce?


25 posted on 03/20/2013 7:31:24 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
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To: Blue Highway

The thing is, I’m big enough to agree with him when he’s right, and disagree with him when he’s wrong.

Even better I don’t have to drop to my knees to service the GOPe to disagree with him.


26 posted on 03/20/2013 7:36:56 AM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: All

You get the impression that the GOP either:

1. Doesn’t give a flying F**K about the base believing that “were’ the lesser of two evils”. Whatcha gonna do conservative base, vote Democrat? Stay home and those evil demmies take over (GOP puts on a scary mask and goes “bugga-bugga-bugga” like a witch doctor).

2. Thinks they can acquire a new constituency and skip the base (or some combination of base and new voters much like the way the DNC treats black voters).

3. Have given up and it’s all about the plunder. If they lose, they’ll have one last “smash and grab”, hide in their ultra red fiefdoms and accept scraps.

4. Thinks that conservatism is dead and must become dem-lite.

5. Have become so shell-shocked from “stockholm syndrome” they can no longer act in a responsible manor.


27 posted on 03/20/2013 7:37:49 AM PDT by Kolath
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To: dfwgator

^5


28 posted on 03/20/2013 7:39:44 AM PDT by Jane Long (Background checks? Dandy idea, Mr. President. Shoulda started with yours. - Sarah Palin)
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To: dfwgator

I don’t mind when people make the rational choice to vote for the lesser of two evils in an election. I don’t always agree with it but I can respect their choice. I am disappointed when FReepers are suddenly able to overlook a politicians entire history because he (or her) is now “our guy” (or girl).

Rand Paul was pro amnesty before he ran for office. He was pro amnesty when he got to the Senate. He was pro amnesty while he was filibustering last week. No one on FreeRepublic should be typing “I’m so disappointed; now I’m not sure about him.”

FReepers, being by definition conservative political junkies, should not be waking up after every election sticky, broke and cold.


29 posted on 03/20/2013 7:46:58 AM PDT by Pan_Yan (I love it when spell check selects every single word in my post.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Okay . . . I’m confused. Isn’t Rand’s father a “palaeoconservative,” and therefore anti-immigrant? I mean, he’s basically with Pat Buchanan on that issue, isn’t he?


30 posted on 03/20/2013 7:49:32 AM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (Ki-hagoy vehamamlakhah 'asher lo'-ya`avdukh yove'du; vehagoyim charov yecheravu!)
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To: TADSLOS; KC_Lion; AuntB; Liz
RE :”Rand Paul, Juan McCain, Jeb Bush, Lindsay Graham, Rick Perry, and Marco Rubio can ALL just KMA for pushing this illegal immigration wave off lunacy as some magic pill to save the party. The party can go to hell.”

Given that those who you listed keep telling us that Hispanics(Latinos) are all natural conservatives, then they would be opposed to amnesty.

So if they are conservative, opposed to amnesty, then why wouldn't they proudly tell these groups that they oppose amnesty?? (in this case Rand yesterday) To get their cheers for it? Why would you propose amnesty to 'natural' conservatives?

Just askin.

I think Rand means that they are conservatives trapped inside of liberal's just dying to break out for the right man, him, or Jeb, or Rub, or..., who says the right things

31 posted on 03/20/2013 7:51:51 AM PDT by sickoflibs (O's sequester Apocalypse tour just proved why we need the 2nd amendment more than ever NOW!)
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To: qman

Saying a quote from Milton Friedman many times doesn’t cover for the speech. Here’s the speech, with no commentary except for FReeper analysis:

Rand Paul’s immigration speech

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2998395/posts

I thought it was awful, and I hadn’t seen a single word from a media type when I read it.

And I’m not predisposed to be against Rand, either.

Now, about this article on this thread: Did you not read it? If you had, you couldn’t help but see that he quotes Rand from his speech. He didn’t make up the quotes. They are from the speech. So how is that telling us something that Rand didn’t really say? It isn’t.

A quote from Friedman, and a plan for a “bipartisan congressional committee”(watch out for that word, “bipartisan”) to supposedly keep track of whether or not the border is secure and to keep on taking votes on issues in Rand’s plan going forward, will not make up for this defective speech on illegal immigration.

Here’s what’s wrong with the big picture. All these negotiations and plans are so wrong. All of them. Why? Because before a word is uttered about “what to do with those who are here illegally”, the BORDER SHOULD BE SECURED.

SECURE THE BORDER.

Until then, shut up, you ridiculous politicians!


32 posted on 03/20/2013 7:56:49 AM PDT by txrangerette ("...hold to the truth; speak without fear..."(Glenn Beck))
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To: sickoflibs

I’m not blaming her, just disappointed as she would have won as she isn’t the typical RINO lite that we always get stuck with. Hell, I would have been happy with Godfather’s Pizza entrepreneur Herman Cain.


33 posted on 03/20/2013 7:57:06 AM PDT by Blue Highway
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To: sickoflibs

Rick Perry doesn’t belong on that list with the others. But you can never tell that to someone with a track record of deep hatred for all things Perry.


34 posted on 03/20/2013 7:58:53 AM PDT by txrangerette ("...hold to the truth; speak without fear..."(Glenn Beck))
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To: sickoflibs

l really don’t give a damn what twisted logic Rand Paul or any other pol is using to sell this unicorn fantasy crap. It’s damned pathetic and the coward’s way out. Do something useful. Enforce the f*&king law!


35 posted on 03/20/2013 8:01:18 AM PDT by TADSLOS (The Event Horizon has come and gone. Buckle up and hang on.)
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To: SeekAndFind

“I’d have a lot more respect for someone who just came out and said, “look, of course it’s amnesty, and I don’t like it any more than you do, but we’re stuck having to clean up the mess our predecessors left us.””

If Paul doesn’t know this is amnesty, then he’s dumber than a rock. If he does know, then he’s just full of BS like all the others.


36 posted on 03/20/2013 8:01:50 AM PDT by AuntB (Illegal immigration is simply more "share the wealth" socialism and a CRIME not a race!)
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To: Kolath

#2, they try to use the race card for a dem-lite strategy. They’ve used it many times and it always backfires. They did it with Michael Steele as head of RNC Chairman, making him a me-too black guy to rival Obama, they are getting on board with a me-too Hispanic in Rubio in hopes to try to corral the latino voters. In any event the RNC thinks by getting these “new” voters they can say FU to the conservatives.


37 posted on 03/20/2013 8:02:09 AM PDT by Blue Highway
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To: Zionist Conspirator

RE: ’m confused. Isn’t Rand’s father a “palaeoconservative,” and therefore anti-immigrant? I mean, he’s basically with Pat Buchanan on that issue, isn’t he?

_________________________________________

Rand Paul shares many things on issues with Pat Buchanan, however I don’t think they include Free Trade and Immigration.

I see that he shares his father and Pat’s isolationist tendencies ( to what extent, I am not certain ).


38 posted on 03/20/2013 8:03:50 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

One of the biggest canards that they all still use, Paul, Rubio, et al., is the one about securing the border.

If they wanted to secure the border, they could do it from the previous amnesties. The laws are already on the books; all they require is enforcement.

But, still, Paul and Rubio, just like McCain, Romney, Graham, etc., claim that securing the border is the #1 priority for the new amnesty.

DOUBLESPEAK.

HOODWINKING.

GOBBLEDYGOOK.

Those amnesty pushers have been using the same old lines from the same old speeches and plans since the 1960s.

It is the same old shellgame.


39 posted on 03/20/2013 8:06:23 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: SeekAndFind

Just heard #DontStandwithRand on Glenn Beck selling this crapola. No thanks, Rand. We have laws, why not just enforce them?


40 posted on 03/20/2013 8:09:49 AM PDT by Jane Long (Background checks? Dandy idea, Mr. President. Shoulda started with yours. - Sarah Palin)
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