A lesson for GOP panderers

who only cares about getting people elected that have GOP appended to their party affiliation tag.

Since when is doing what people pay you to do a bad thing?

Please specify where the word 'English' appears in the Copnstitution.

The Constitution is written in English. That pretty much sums it up for me.

BTW, when my grandparents came to America (legally) they were REQUIRED to learn and understand at least basic English, or they would be sent back home. Somewhere along the way politicians of both parties forgot what the concept of a nation and a culture is all about. Their policies are fracturing us into a thousand pieces. Of course this can all be stopped if Congress would do what the American people are demanding and legislate a time-out on immigration so we can absorb all these newcomers. Unless they're here illegally, then they will have to go home and enter the right way.

I agree that the Republican Party is doing nothing wrong in reaching out to spanish-speaking citizens for votes, and as you mentioned, for many, many years, politicians have been going into ethnic neighborhoods, saying a few words in the 'native' language and eating a knish or some corned beef and cabbage. This wasn't seen as pandering, simply acknowledging and respecting whatever ethnic group the politician was asking for votes. Now, it's a huge deal to some when it's done in spanish neighborhoods. We can draw our own conclusions on what the basis is for much of the whining.

That said, I'm totally against the massive illegal immigration we're dealing with as it really does undermine the social fabric to have tens of thousand of undocumented aliens in our country who have no affiliation with America other than as a haven from poverty, entering the country at an alarming rate. It's simply not good, and when Republicans like Governor George Pataki make financial concessions for illegal aliens, it's flat out wrong, an insult to those who came here the hard way - legally - and to those N.Y. taxpayers who are being forced to subsidize illegal immigrants, should such a bill become law.

It's this kind of foolishness that gets folks upset with 'immigrants' that come her illegally and receive benefits some native-born Americans can't get, like tuition breaks on state colleges. That's not fair and yes, it's pandering of the worst kind and I oppose it. President Bush's ideas about Mexican immigration differ from mine and I believe he's wrong when he wishes for 'open borders' with Mexico. I don't understand his motivations in this position but we part company on it and the 'racist' label doesn't faze me a bit. If that's how a fellow Republican wants to defend a pro-illegal-immigrant position that way, it says a lot more about him/her than me.

Karl Rove does a fine job. he's not a policy-maker but a political operative, doing what he should do. I don't look for Rove to be a conservative conscience for the President. That's not his place or his job. Ripping on Rove is just another way of criticizing Bush without mentioning him. Tacky.

The Marin County high school student, Andrew Smith, who spoke the truth, plainly, in his school newspaper article is a hero to me. Illegal immigrants are just that, illegal. Lawbreakers that shouldn't be pampered and catered too. That's absurd but it's what a lot of Republicans are doing - and it's wrong. The boy had it right.
A clear case of announcing that the Emperor isn't wearing any clothes, in my opinion.

The fact that young Mr. Smith was harrassed and otherwise given a hard time by other students and his article disowned by school officials prompted his lawsuit, which is probably an overreaction. Then again, Smith is a teenager that sees the illegal immigration issue clearly and for that, I'll forgive his sensitivity to criticism and hope he soon joins us at Free Republic. We could use him.

I hear a lot about President Bush proposing open borders, but I have never actually seen that. What I do see is that his comments about easy access from one side to the other is portrayed as an open border policy. That is misleading, and I do not understand it that way at all.

Immigrant workers who wish to come here LEGALLY should not have their way made difficult by an INS that is bogged down in red tape. Part of the illegal problem is attributable to that problem. Part of it is also due to American employers who don't wish to pay the going wage, and will use illegals until they are caught. This is wrong, and I am hoping to see the Tyson prosecution the first of many in this regard.

It would not hurt the country to allow documented, legal workers to move back and forth easily between Mexico and the US. It DOES hurt the nation when we have so many illegals draining resources and bringing crime with them. I believe this is a complicated problem which is going to take much effort to solve. I do believe we will see it solved, though.

It is very important to have a good relationship with both Mexico and Canada. We cannot possibly patrol every inch of both of those borders, and nevermind the coastline. We must have a good relationship so that THEY stop dangerous people before they sneak into our country. I think this is part of what's being worked on.

My son works with quite a few Hispanics (all legal) and they have added much to our city's culture. They are reviving neighborhoods and churches that had been run down. I do not wish to make these people's lives more difficult simply to placate the anti-Hispanic crowd.

I would like to see a program implemented where the employers say how many legal immigrants they could use (assuming the job is not one that could be filled by US citizens) and totals from those reports used as a benchmark for allowing people in. In the landscape industry there would be quite a few, in nuclear mediciine, maybe none. I think this was the way it was done a long time ago, and seems to me to be the most fair.

I no longer vote for any person running for public office. I will still vote on the initiatives.

OK...how about Hispanic bashing, or Latino bashing.

Look, this is not a problem that is going to be solved overnight, much as we wish it could be. I recognize it is a problem, and a danger. However, there are also other things going on in the world besides our border problem.

I don't think Pataki's initiative, IF it is as presented here, is anything BUT pandering. On the other hand, I think asking for votes in Spanish is NOT pandering.

When people lump all these things together, it seems to me that they are taking an anti-Hisipanic position. That is counter-productive, as well as being just plain wrong.

Apparently you are not aware that we have had a huge influx of Hispanics in Indiana. My son just sat at the emergency room with a Hispanic employee who was hurt on the job, and had to get a translator for the medical terms.

I am tired of hearing about how I don't understand the problem because I don't live in a border state. My dad grew up in Texas. I have lived in Texas myself. The problem of illegal immigrants is not confined to a few border states; we have had numerous problems and arrests here in Indiana. In fact, my sister was injured in a car accident with an illegal immigrant who, of course, had no insurance.

So drop this garbage about pontificating. I am trying to figure out what the best thing is for a SOLUTION< rather than ranting about Hispanics. If you think that is pontificating, well fine. I thought we were supposed to be discussing solutions, rather than ranting.

Are Republican leaders so afraid of being labeled "racists," and so desperate for votes, that they'll continue to sell out their commitment to the rule of law -- and our national security with it?

Yes, they're throwing our nation down a third-world toilet.

Worthless, self-serving bastards!

Miss Marple, you haven't a clue. You're up there in Indiana, a state which has seen relatively little effect as a result of illegal immigration. Yet, you go on and act like you understand the issue completely. You don't, for you're not in the thick of it. The southwest is being INVADED. That is a FACT. You living up in homogeneous Indiana hasn't a clue. I bet it's nice living up in an American-like Atmosphere, while, on the other hand, throwing insults as though you're somehow "progressive".

I live in Georgia, and I can see southwesterners points. Hey, we have a huge problem ourselves. Indiana is a nice state, yet I sometimes wonder about most of the midwest. They seem so out of touch from reality.

Indiana is a nice state, yet I sometimes wonder about most of the midwest. They seem so out of touch from reality.

LOL! Well, this native Buckeye needed that bit of humour.

Well, it's generally true, right?

OK. Here I will make everyone feel better. WE ARE BEING INVADED!!

Indiana has had a HUGE influx in Hispanics. Do you realize that my son works with almost ALL Hispanics? That he has had to learn SPANISH? That my sister was injured in a car wreck with an illegal alien?? DOES NO ONE READ WHAT I POST?

What I am TRYING to say is that rather than making UNREALISTIC COMMENTS like "ship them all back" or "seal the borders", neither of which is DOABLE, we should try to find out what a SOLUTION is.

Now, don't talk to me like I don't understand about the Southwest. My dad was from Texas and I have lived there. I understand there are huge problems. I also understand that the governor of California is doing NOTHING except encouraging it. So get off your high horse with me, if you please.

I did like that post of yours.

In what industry does your son work?

Well, it's generally true, right?

Wrong. Quite wrong.

The only places in the U.S. that are truly out of touch with reality are the Northeastern seaboard and the entire West coast. The Midwest is considered fly-over country. Only the larger urban areas in the Midwest emulate the Northeast and West coast.

I'm talking about immigration realities, not Conservative principles. I know that most midwesterners are Conservative, as are most westerners and southerners. However, what I'm referring to is most midwesterners avoidance of this subject. Out of sight, out of mind....and "you're a racist" for saything that it exists.

Commercial landscape. This is a business which would be totally absent without Hispanics, at least in our area. Very few whites apply to do the work, and it is very rare that they stay in the job.

If you remove Hispanics from this section of the workforce, there would not be enough people to do the work here in Indiana. Period.

We did not have many landscape companies here until there was a work force available. My son could explain more about this. He posts here as The Coopster, but he won't be here until later this evening or tomorrow. He is working.