Republican Leftism: Beans To Our Borders

Once upon a time, like many of you, this writer was of the opinion that the platform of the Republican Party was consistent with his moral and political view of the universe, that is, consistent with Christian and constitutional values, those core values at the foundation of our great Republic and free government everywhere.

The proof is profuse. Daily it deepens. Republican duplicity – e.g., the party's pretended conservatism, its pretended constitutionalism, its pretended morality – is fast becoming such a joke that it is no longer funny to relate, such a threat to our liberties that Osama bin Laden ought to be demoted to an also-ran.

I say pretended, and that is what I mean. Ever since the 1990s, when the Republican Party embraced the politics of the Third Way, Republicans have become convinced that there really is something as crazy as a safe middle ground – no, a superior, progressive, avant-garde middle ground – between communism and capitalism, a middle ground the party strategically renamed in the year 2000 "Compassionate Conservatism."

Now, write this down in stone: For educated people to believe in something as far-fetched as a safe, superior, progressive, avant-garde middle ground between communism and capitalism, they must be willing to lie, and they must be, in fact, liars.

Or, to approach the object from another angle, the party that chooses to be ideologically in the middle must insure that every speech, every piece of legislation dribbles out of both sides of the mouth, so as to appease communist and capitalist, atheist and Christian, alien and citizen, genius and ignoramus.

Where am I going with this? The Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Act is where.

Proposed by the president, passed in the House as H.R. 1885 and currently before the Senate, this bill has done what only a Republican Party dedicated to the Third Way could do: masquerade as a tighten-up-our-borders national security enhancement bill (in response to Sept. 11) while slipping in – that's right, slipping in – a nefarious provision that undermines our security, opens up our borders, and spits on our laws.

Maybe you've heard about it already, but let me drive this home. Provision 245(i) grants amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, thus permitting illegals – read that lawbreakers, read that criminals, read that an unknown number of terrorists and sleepers, read that Freddy the freeloaders of the ilk who overload our prisons, our hospitals, our schools and our social services at your expense, read that doctrinaire degenerates educated in the socialist philosophy of their homelands – permitting such as these, then, to stay in our country, to be granted full U.S. citizenship, and to sidestep – no, defy – the law and the regular visa requirements everyone else must obey.

Or to put it as the American Conservative Union did: This provision "effectively reward[s] law-breakers, [and] is ... contrary to the security precautions being taken by our government designed to ensure that a thorough background check is conducted on immigrants BEFORE they enter the country, not after." (1)

Compassionate Conservatives are liars. Let me say it again: Compassionate Conservatives are liars and deceivers. And I say that in earnest, because Compassionate Conservatism, you should remember, attempts to use capitalism's deep pocketbook to pay for communism's love for your neighbor. Yes, your poor neighbor. Yes, your poor, socialist neighbor.

Now, I concede that such a proposal makes no sense; it defies logic. But it does make sense and it is logical – if you are a Marxist. It was communist founder Karl Marx who preached borderless societies, because his dream was to have "the workers of the world unite."

Few things serve that particular agenda better than making it illegal for a free state to regulate the flow and the quality of immigrants. Few things serve that agenda better than to flood a free nation with millions upon millions of people who do not share the common religious, cultural and educational values of that free nation.

Before the Senate votes and/or the president signs H.R. 1885 into law, let your senator and your president know how you feel about provision 245(i) via

Yawn, more red meat from an armchair quaterback.

Anti-immigrantion: Byrd's unholy alliance with nativists

Wall Street Journal/Opinion Journal | March 31, 2002 | Wall Street Journal

Conservatives typically wouldn't climb into bed with Democratic Senator Robert Byrd even if he put a paper bag over his head. But there's nothing like a common scapegoat to smooth over political differences, and September 11 has given these foes a shared bugaboo: immigrants.

More than six months after the terrorist attacks, Congress still hasn't acted to improve border security. The reason is Senator Byrd, who has single-handedly held hostage the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act. The bill--backed by President Bush and large bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate--has been ready since Christmas. Today is Easter. If another terrorist attack occurs in the U.S. before Mr. Byrd allows Senate action, we trust he's prepared to take responsibility.

These proposals would significantly improve our first line of defense against terrorism: the gathering and sharing of information among intelligence agencies. The bill would also strengthen the country's inadequate visa screening and tracking policies, reducing the likelihood of another paperwork fiasco like the one regarding Mohamed Atta in Florida.

Mr. Byrd concedes these reforms are needed but says he can't abide a separate provision dealing with immigrant residency. This measure, which targets Mexican aliens, would expedite the visa applications of those who already qualify for permanent U.S. residency. Under current law, these immigrants must go back to their home country to apply for residency and wait up to 10 years before returning to the U.S. The Border Security Act would simply allow them to remain here while their application is processed.

Although Mr. Byrd claims he opposes the bill because of the residency provisions, we know that's not true because he opposed the bill before the provisions were added; and he opposes an alternative that doesn't even contain the provisions. The real reason for Mr. Byrd's intransigence is that he's still smarting over a spending fight he lost five months ago.

Late last year Mr. Byrd attempted to add $20 billion in extra spending to a homeland defense bill. Mr. Bush threatened a veto and Mr. Byrd was forced to back down. This is Senator Byrd's payback. He's cynically using a border security bill, and stoking anti-immigrant sentiment, to settle a political score. It's not for nothing that the Gridiron Club recently mocked Mr. Byrd in a skit as "King of Pork" and "Lord of Lard," sung to the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah."

Senate Democrats oppose his efforts and so do most Republicans. But Mr. Byrd has found rhetorical bedfellowship with conservatives outside of Congress willing to apologize for his tactics if it gives them a chance to dump on immigrants. It must amuse the Senator to have so many right-wingers carrying water for him.

Opponents of the residency provisions call them "amnesty," hoping to scare the public into thinking the bill will somehow grant instant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants. But the label is misleading for two reasons. First, the provisions apply only to those immigrants who already qualify for permanent residence under existing law. If you don't already qualify, this bill won't help you.

Second, amnesty presupposes wrongdoing, and many immigrants who stand to benefit from this legislation have done nothing wrong. They entered the country legally and hold a visa that has either expired or is about to. Those who have overstayed their visa would have to pay a $1,000 penalty before receiving the permanent resident status they are otherwise eligible for.

Forcing aliens eligible for U.S. residency to return home would break up families and disrupt businesses. These immigrants have woven themselves into the fabric of thousands of American communities. Newsweek reports that a visa-waiver program scrapped after September 11 has cost some rural communities their lone physician.

Conservatives pride themselves on seeing the world as it is, but on immigration too many abandon their realism. They talk as if it's possible to close off our southern border in any way that won't offend American traditions or humanity. Unless we're prepared to build a wall across 1,000 miles, or send federal agents into U.S. neighborhoods to round up and deport Mexicans, we have no choice but to accommodate these people.

There's no reason the U.S. can't enact a policy that distinguishes hardworking immigrants from those who wish America harm. This is precisely what the Border Security bill attempts to do. This is the reality that conservative immigration opponents and Mr. Byrd will have to face after their little immigration affair ends, if they still respect themselves in the morning.

Provision 245(i) grants amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, thus permitting illegals – read that lawbreakers, read that criminals, read that an unknown number of terrorists and sleepers , read that Freddy the freeloaders of the ilk who overload our prisons, our hospitals, our schools and our social services at your expense, read that doctrinaire degenerates educated in the socialist philosophy of their homelands – permitting such as these, then, to stay in our country, to be granted full U.S. citizenship, and to sidestep – no, defy – the law and the regular visa requirements everyone else must obey.

The Republicans have finally figured out how to defeat the leftist demoRats once and for all. They will enact the Rats leftist hate-America agenda and become the de facto demoRat Party! It would seem the only difference between the two is that the republ-Rat party is more business friendly. This will make it much easier for me during upcoming elections as I will not be voting for any candidate, from any party that supports Provision 245(i)! Republican leftism sucks just as hard as the demoRat version IMHO.

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