House Again Passes Border and Visa Security Legislation

Sensenbrenner's press release. ^ | 3/12/2002 | James Sensenbrenner

[sarcasm]

Even one is too many but I guess that both you and Bush don't think so.

[Miss Marple]

No, Shermy, it didn't have to be in this bill. They already PASSED the bill once, without the amnesty, and Daschle HAS BEEN SITTING ON IT FOR MONTHS.

It looks to me like Bush is using this amnesty to force Daschle to pass the rest of the program, which is FAR more important.

[hchutch]

Perhaps, but it looks more like Bush is going to set up something else.

The left does not like efforts to crack down on illegal immigration - that I will concede. And we don't like the notion of an amnesty, either. What it looks like Bush has done is trade an amnesty that will last for four months at the most in return for the border security package Daschle's bottled up.

It's like the trade the Brewers (my favorite baseball team) made earlier this year. They traded Jeromy Burnitz, a good player who had a decent following in the city, in a three-team deal with the Mets and Rockies. The team also traded a pitcher who was very good when healthy (one year with semi-good health over the past three), and a couple of bench players for a left-handed starter who was decent but stayed healthy, a 4th outfielder, and a decent pinch-hitter.

The trade looked bad at the time, but when they signed a free agent, my view changed a little. This free agent could provide 95% of Burnitz's production, and the Brewers are paying him $6 million less than they would be paying Burnitz.

THAT made the deal look a LOT better.

Daschle's possibly in a box now. He either goes along, and illegal immigration will be much easier to handle (especially since immigration documents will be harder to forge, plus we'll have the amnesty as an excuse to deport anyone who HASN'T applied), or he bottles it up, and we play a race card against the Dems (ain't that poetic justice?).

This is not the best thing in the world, but it isn't a bad deal, either.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

Thanks for this explanation of the legislation. I knew that President Bush wouldn't have pushed for a bill that was not in this country's best interest.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

BUMP!!!!

[Lady In Blue]

Thanks and a bump for this post.

[sarcasm]

I suggest that you hone your reading skills - it says nothing about excluding aliens from terrorist countries from the amnesty program.

[JimSEA]

Good post. The student visa strengthening is particularly important. We have every right to keep those who wish harm to us out. At the same time we can't cut ourselves off from the world.

[Cable225]

Gee, perhaps people are not informed! OR, perhaps they don't WANT to be informed!

You hit that nail on the head. Why be informed when you can come on here ranting and screaming about how the Pubbies and GWB have sold out America?

I never thought I'd use this word to describe our side, but the extremists on this board are worse than the liberals when it comes to distorting the truth and having an inability to listen to reason.

[hchutch]

Doesn't the green card process involve a criminal background check? Warrants and all that stuff? That's probably already covered.

[BJClinton]

From the initial article:

-- Barring nationals of countries that are state sponsors of terrorism from receiving temporary visas unless it has been determined that the aliens do not pose a threat to the safety of Americans or the national security of the U.S.

[BJClinton]

...but the extremists on this board are worse than the liberals when it comes to distorting the truth and having an inability to listen to reason.

Nah, it's about the same. You just expect more from conservatives.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Oops, it's not nice to verbally slap Miss Marple.

[sarcasm]

Do you really think that the INS is capable of processing anything competently? They just issued visas to the hijackers of the planes that were used on September 11th - six months after they committed the terrorist acts.

[ijcr]

How about a 120 day amnesty on rape, or say theft, or better still company fraud? "Men, are mere atoms, they are born and they die. Principles are eternal," William Jennings Bryan.

It is always easy to excuse violating your principles, but so much harder to stick to them.This vote was a chicken's way out of dealing with a social issue that effects all Americans.It violates the principle that laws must be obeyed.It demeans Congress and the Presidency.

[sarcasm]

They are talking about visas - not the green cards that are issued along with legal status. Visas are issued to allow entry to the country - the illegal aliens are already here.

[holdonnow]

And that steel tariff thing ... I suppose you see a silver lining there as well, as opposed to a transparently political act? We can support the president without surrendering our own principles (some of which he enunciates) can't we? Or maybe you and those who are arrogantly denouncing others on this thread are the real extremists, i.e., you follow the party line regardless ...

[hchutch]

So you'd rather be stuck with easily forged immigration documents?

An amnesty of four months at the MOST is a worthwhile trade, and we have the Democratic obstructionists blocking this thing.

We don't have 535 people like Jeff Flake and Bob Barr in Congress, so we're gonna have to learn to craft deals that can get us anywhere from 60-90% of what we want until we get more people like Barr and Flake in Congress.

Of course, if you decide to have a conniption fit and put Hillary or OwlBore in the Oval Office in 2004, I can't stop you. It's your choice.

[Miss Marple]

What a ridiculous comment. Sticking by your principles? WHAT principles? The principle of mass round-up and deportation? The principle that at no time should one have some compassion for immigrants? An amnesty means that they admit they were in violation of the law. They must pay a fine and register with INS.

So, exactly what principle is being violated here?