On Immigration, GOP is Duh

A story in the Jan. 10 Los Angeles Times ("Wave of U.S. immigration likely to survive Sept. 11") observes: "The most significant development in the national immigrant debate is what hasn't happened: No lawmaker of influence has moved to reverse the country's generous immigration policy, which for more than three decades has facilitated the largest sustained wave of immigration in U.S. history."

That policy is getting even more generous. And Republicans, of all people, are now playing Jolly Old St. Nick to huddled masses (legal and illegal), despite mounting evidence that immigration is poison for the party.

In the 2000 election, Al Gore carried five of the seven states with the largest numbers of foreign born. He lost the sixth, Florida, by a hair, due to the anomaly of the Cuban-American vote. Bush took all 10 of the states with the lowest immigrant populations.

Their senses dulled by a multicultural binge, Republicans can't connect the dots. Because the GOP is still minimally identified with American values, it cannot successfully compete for the affection of immigrant voters, who are more interested in handouts than tax cuts.

But, heedless of this reality, in his 2003 budget (to be submitted to Congress in February) Bush reportedly will call for restoring food stamps to 363,000 legal immigrants -- a benefit non-citizens lost in the 1996 welfare reform.

It's estimated the change will cost $2.1 billion over the next decade. But then, food-stamp use expands in a recession. Plus, more benefits will encourage more immigration. So the price tag is open-ended.

Do we really want to encourage immigrants to come here and go on the dole? Whatever happened to the concept of not giving visas to those who might become a public charge?

Because they are poorer and less educated, the foreign-born are already above-average consumers of government services. Currently, 21 percent of immigrant households use at least one major welfare program, compared to 15 percent of native-born families.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Colin Powell met with his Mexican counterpart to see about getting another amnesty for illegal aliens (excuse me, "undocumented workers") back on track. Prior to Sept. 11, Bush was pushing for legal status for 3.5 million of these lawbreakers.

Illegal immigrants are already coming at an annual rate of half a million. Just as the 1986 amnesty (which "adjusted the status" of 2.7 million) helped generate the following waves of illegals, another amnesty would add fuel to the fire that rages on our borders.

Between 1990 and 2000, while the nation grew by 13 percent, our foreign-born population increased over 50 percent. Steve Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that immigrants and their children born here accounted for two-thirds of all population growth in the 1990s.

Unlike immigrants of the past, all too often the new immigrants aren't assimilating. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., says: "There are too many coming in too quickly. And with multiculturalism and bilingualism in the schools, it's not a melting-pot mentality. It's a Bosnia mentality."

Still, Bush and his political strategist Karl Rove continue to pursue the illusive Hispanic vote, mesmerized by the fact that the president took 35 percent of that vote in 2000, compared to the 21 percent Dole got in 1996. They forget that Reagan received an even higher percentage in both of his campaigns, without pandering.

Whil losing two-thirds of Hispanics, the president won just 54 percent of the non-minority vote. He won't expand that base with food stamps for legal immigrants and amnesties for illegals.

The Times story quotes Doris Meissner, Clinton's commissioner of the Immigration and Nationalization Service, who cliams current immigration policy "reflects a sort of wise and grown-up attitude on the part of Americans."

Besides reflecting liberal condescension, Meissner's evaluation is dead wrong. Americans never voted for a generous immigration policy. In poll after poll, the public demands stringent controls. But due to the Republican default, voters have no choice here. On immigration, the GOP is duh.

When globalization is the goal why would Republican politicians care if they commit suicide? They don't believe in the Republican platform, in fact the Republican platform doesn't even resemble a Republican platform.

When the Constitution is done away with there will be no need for a two party system will there? In fact there will be no voting, there will be appointments to power by a committee. We are looking at some radical changes here in the next five to ten years. You think a nation with an immigrant majority fresh off the boat will pay attention to Washington voting to suspend the Constitution? It could very well happen, what would we be able to do about it?

Yeah we are accomplishing in under 300 years what it took Rome a thousand years to do, die out. Obviously our children have been separated from their history enough to make the move to globalism. The older generation will die out, and as for the hand full of rest of us, we can be disarmed and go peacably and those that won't can be pushed into a fight and delt with.

"Unlike immigrants of the past, all too often the new immigrants aren't assimilating>"

Please, Mr. President, stand up and lead on the issue of immigration and assimilation.

Even more than I want you to win in 2004, I want you to be the President of the United States of America.

Unless immigration is severely cut back and soon, one of two things is going to happen within the next generation. Either there's going to be an anti-immigrant backlash, complete with violence and civil war, or the country will peacefully break-up with the Southwest seceeding and becoming a separate nation. This because assimiliation is non-existent.

Too many people have guns fortunately for the government to try and suspend the Constitution and take away everyone's rights. They may try, but it won't be done without a fight in my opinion.

Adapt or perish

You don't really think that real American Citizens in fly over country are going to take that threat lightly. In case you did not realize the people in fly over country are verrrrrry well protected for this invasion.

Bush apparently believes that legalizing the illegals will gain republicans more support among our hispanic population. And so he flaunts his ability to speak Spanish as he panders to this growing voting bloc.

But he may be wrong in his assumptions. There is every possibility that the legal hispanics don't want the illegal hispanics here any more than the average citizen does. After all, a portion of their hard-earned tax dollars will be going to support the demands of these illegals. And maybe they were more honest, and waited in line to become American citizens, and resent those who didn't wait their turn.

Then again, maybe I'm just dreaming and ignoring the probability that the legal hispanics would welcome the illegals, as the greater numbers increase their power base.

It's too late. Shunning the Hispanic vote will put Democrats in control for the next 50-100 years. Adapt or perish.

I see. So your answer is to keep the borders open forever to ILLEGAL ALIENS so we can double, triple, quadruple their population yet again. Just as long as the Republican Party has power, that’s all that is important. I’ve got news for you. I have no use for a party that refuses to protect America's heritage, culture, interests and borders. And there are many millions of Americans that feel like me. From what I see, it’s the Republican Party that is going to perish. Once they realize that it is impossible to out pander the socialists and rightfully lose 30% or more of their base in the process maybe they will finally wake up.

I offer as evidence the fact that we have had the worst terrorist attack anywhere on earth in anyone's history, we lost more people in NY and DC than at Pearl Harbor, and yet, not one, not one congressman, not one politican, including our President has made one move to stop the flood, on the contrary, they are opening the flood gates.

It is only a matter of time before the worst of the worst happens and a terrorist uses a dirty bomb. It is not if it will happen but only when. All hell will break loose and people in Washington if they survive an attack will be running to their gated homes because the natives will have had enough of this open border policy. Not only are they trying to do us in - but in the end - they will also be doing themselves in (Dem and Republicans). The rest of the country that survives will have to finish the job through a war with the invaders and kick their asses back to the third world holes they came from

I agree. From everything I have witnessed with the soaring population of 3rd world immigrants in this country one of these two possibilities will most definitely happen. Assimilation is not occurring anymore because our government and social institutions no longer require it.

A person can't help but try to add this insanity up to see what it means. These Congressman have kids, grandkids, are they insane?

I read a report that 31 million student visas a YEAR, are issued by our ebassies world wide, that is just student visas, that doesn't factor in other kinds. We have alot of embassies, even if you divided the 31 million a year equally between them, that's alot of very busy people typing like crazy to get that many done in a year.

No way they can check out their backgrounds, given that load. Men in white coats have not been seen on Capitol Hill, so they are not insane they are being deliberate. Now why is that?

The Stupid Party stumbles on.

So George Bush is now responsible for undoing 30 years of Democratic immigration policy disasters overnight? I don't thing so Mr. Whine. You should be attacking the Kennedy Immigration Party.

The line between Bush and Kennedy is very thin. If it exists at all.

The line between Bush and Kennedy would be a lot thicker in your mind if the votes wasted on the Libertarian Party had gone to Bush. We might very well have found ourselves with a workable majority in both houses. Why is it always the 3rd way people who insist it is the only way?

And if the GOP wants to transform itself into minority party its doing a heck of a better job than anything the Rats could do to it.

The problem is that it is the goal of the business party(whose members run for office in both parties)to keep wages low and keep sales and profits up. More people, downward pressure on wages, more stuff bought...Americans buy more stuff that anyone else, so let them come here. Want to control the little folk and keep their aspirations in check?...well, let's just trash the schools with silly programs. And convince the little folk they can trust their life savings to be secure.

This has nothing to do with you or me or the myth of political parties. When it comes to the bottom line, both parties agree just fine.

Obviously the Cuban Hispanic vote is very different than the Mexican Hispanic vote. The Cubans voted for Reagan without him speaking Spanish and promising food stamps, they voted for him because they really were Conservatives. Only some of what are called Mexicans are really Conservatives, they do vote for Republicans but the others are liberals who want large government and the welfare type programs including bilingual education so they can keep their own culture and language. If Bush has to promise like a Democrat to get those votes then he will lose the Conservatives.

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