Posted on 08/20/2002 12:25:19 PM PDT by gubamyster
August 20, 2002
The Republican National Committee's mail-order fund-raisers often contain a comprehensive multiple-choice survey so that prospective donors can give their opinions on topics of national importance. One issue, however, is conspicuously missing from the list: immigration.
The omission isn't an oversight; it's a deliberate policy. The National Republican Congressional Committee has been advising its candidates not to mention this issue in their speeches or campaign literature.
House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., gave Republicans the opportunity to seize this issue when he addressed a radical left-wing Hispanic group, The National Council of La Raza, in Miami on July 22.
He announced a Democratic Party plan to introduce legislation to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens.
Nothing is more unpopular with voters than amnesty (which Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., called "sheer lunacy"). If the powers that be in the Republican Party don't realize this, they are out-of-touch with the grass roots.
The shyness of the Republican Party and the Bush administration about immigration explains why they manifest a deafening silence about Rep. George Gekas's bill called Securing America's Future through Enforcement Reform. The Pennsylvania Republican's bill is completely in accord with public opinion polls, showing that the majority of the American people want government to reduce the number of legal immigrants, to stop the irresponsible issuance of visas, to deport illegal aliens and to use U.S. troops to guard our borders (instead of the borders of Eastern Europe).
Title I, called Securing the Border, would increase the number of INS investigators and enforcement personnel, lengthen criminal sentences for alien smuggling, beef up the Border Patrol and use U.S. military troops until the Border Patrol reaches full strength. It would stop granting visas in countries that refuse to cooperate in combating alien smuggling.
Title II, called Screening Aliens Seeking Admission, would tighten the visa program to reduce the risk of aliens using fraudulent passports, require in-person interviews before issuing all visas, and bar any alien who is a member of a terrorist group or supports terrorism. Most people don't understand why this isn't already the law.
Title III, called Tracking Aliens Present in the United States, would establish a comprehensive entry-exit control system with registration and fingerprinting (which the INS has promised for years but never implemented). At least 40 percent of illegal aliens are visa overstayers. Several of the 9/11 hijackers had overstayed their visas.
Title IV, called Removing Alien Terrorists, Criminals, and Human Rights Violators, would authorize the INS to deport any alien who was inadmissible in the first place or is suspected of being a terrorist. This title would reverse several court decisions that accord unreasonable "rights" to terrorists claiming asylum, and would prevent the courts from releasing criminal aliens into the community.
Title V, called Enhancing Enforcement of the Immigration and Nationality Act in the Interior, would protect Social Security cards against counterfeiting and fraudulent use. This title would increase the number of INS investigators, as repeatedly requested by the INS, and double the number of INS detention beds.
Title VI would eliminate excessive review and dilatory, abusive tactics by aliens in deportation proceedings. It would also exclude aliens who knowingly make a false asylum application.
Title VII would clean up the problem of voting by illegal aliens. It would require verification of citizenship for voters and applicants.
Title VIII, called Reforming Legal Immigration, would repeal the infamous Diversity Immigrant Program which admits 50,000 immigrants a year, mostly from the Third World, including countries that sponsor terrorism, and helped the Fourth of July LAX murderer win U.S. residency. It would reform the abuses in the refugee program and in the extended-family visa program, and reduce the number of legal immigrants by 20 percent.
This would still leave immigration nearly double the traditional level. The INS is unable to cope with its current backlog of 5 million applications.
Gekas, chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, will start hearings on his bill next month. He should then add one more section requiring the INS to screen out aliens with diseases, such as the West Nile virus, malaria, Chagas disease, intestinal parasites and tuberculosis.
The BBC reported that the current epidemic of the West Nile virus (a central African disease) was probably brought to America for the first time three years ago by an imported exotic bird. The Centers for Disease Control reported that 16,000 foreign birds passed unscreened for West Nile virus through JFK airport in 1999. Where are the environmentalists when we need them?
I've got news for you. The owner of this web site told me several weeks ago that, "immigration is no big concern of mine".
No, thanks... nor would I want to join the party of the "Hate-mongering Trolls."
Thanks, though, for keeping us updated on the latest Democrat talking points.
Well yeehaawww!!! Ya allz should just start yer own party then to show dem der Republicans how yaz alls feel. Perhaps you can call it the party of kill da outsiderz!!! Yeeehhhhaaaaa!!!!
You can't be anything but a liberal, socialist, no borders idiot, with a statement like this. Any American that is breathing is extremely concerned about this invasion of millions and the destruction of our sovereignty....Thanks for letting us know where you stand.
I once heard Santana in concert lead into that song with a rant about immigration. It was back in 1992, I think-- the year the Republican National Convention had been held in San Diego, and had passed a platform plank against illegal immigration. Santana started ranting about the hypocrisy of Republicans going to a city with a Spanish name, staying in hotels where Spanish-speaking immigrants made their beds and cooked their meals, and then [Santana's words] calling those same people "aliens" instead of "brothers." He then said he was dedicating his next song to "all the Republicans," and played "Evil Ways."
I haven't heard anything new. She's been working on a column in response to Ziglar's resignation.
Freepers by and large love the idea of Michelle Malkin as INS Commissioner... we just need to get it rolling outside our little box.
Well said.
Some folks act as if Michelle Malkin, the daughter of Philippino immigrants, isn't an American, or is a redneck racist.
I guess it's better this way, as least we know exactly who we are dealing with.
I did. The most amusing part was the return email I received that said someone from the RNC would be getting in touch with me within 24 hours. No phone call yet.
If Bush doesn't 'get close' to how the average American citizen feels about illegal immigration he will surely take the same path as his father. If he doesn't come out with a plan severely reducing the illegal population in the US he is guaranteed to be a one termer.
We can't afford to let sour grapes put the communists in charge.
We can't allow our blind devotion to a bunch of stiffs that run left every chance they get to make us wish the Dems are in charge. Voting GOP has been no cure to what ails us, with the exception of RWR in '80.
If we can give the republicans some breathing room they can afford to move further to the right.
Give me a break! The GOP will never run right, as long as they are in power. They will ALWAYS adopt the strategy of "blur the lines of distinction" to stay elected. The only two times in my lifetime they campaigned to the right, they had significant pick-ups ('80, '94). Every other time, they ran left and got spanked. When they run right, I'll vote for them.
But lets be real here. Another few years of clintonian style government will just about finish us.
I agree. With 14 consecutive years of Clintonian government in the WH, I wonder what the future of America holds. Its going to take some time to repair the damage. Stay the course. It can be morning in america again but we need to sweep the demonrats out. Remember they are wicked and evil.
I've been hearing that my ENTIRE life (35 years), and it is worse today than ever. The GOP is a joke. Take a look at the spending bills the GOP has authored. Take a look at the police state inititives they have put in place. How is the IRS today? The GOP has always turned gov't power toward the people, and have been much more sinister in the advancement of the police state than when the Dems ran the place. The GOP is not the cure for what ails us. Unfortunately, no one else is. The Dems will kill us, and so will the GOP. Today's GOP is as liberal as the DNC of 15 years ago. We hated the DNC then, so why not the GOP today?
If he doesn't come out with a plan severely reducing the illegal population in the US he is guaranteed to be a one termer.
I voted for him in '00, but have no plans to vote for him in '04, even if the Wicked Witch of Westchester runs for president.
My country is doomed, either way. At least when the masses burn my land, destroy my house, rape my family, and kill me (ala Zimbabwe), I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I did not continue to vote for what I am receiving.
The GOP cares about our concerns about as much as the libs - zero!!!
If he doesn't come out with a plan severely reducing the illegal population in the US he is guaranteed to be a one termer.
I voted for him in '00, but have no plans to vote for him in '04, even if the Wicked Witch of Westchester runs for president.
My country is doomed, either way. At least when the masses burn my land, destroy my house, rape my family, and kill me (ala Zimbabwe), I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I did not continue to vote for what I am receiving.
The GOP cares about our concerns about as much as the libs - zero!!!
(applause)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.