Pretending immigration isn't an issue

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?

Now, can you explain to me why that level of spite and vitriol is called for? Do you always get so insulting when anyone disagrees with you?

Let me answer. Some folks that are able to see what's going on are getting angry. This invasion of millions has been going on for many many years. And year after year the politicians and our so called leaders either ignore this, or actually encourage it. When I see my country being over run by these millions, I have a tendency to become angry at our leaders.

These illegal are breaking our laws, defecating on our sovereignty, murdering our cops, bringing in drugs, choking off our social services meant for citizens, taking jobs, driving down wages, driving up taxes, etc.....

Are you starting to see why some that care for this country are not just happy sitting around and discussing this in a quite, relaxed manner? Look at my screen name.. It sums up what millions of other American's feel.

You call that "spite" and "vitriol"?

I don't think you'd recognize "spite" and "vitriol" any better than you'd recognize logic.

But then what kind of a response did you expect in return from those you would call the "rabid anti-immigration crowd?"

Seems like you were trying to insight a flame war with your invitation to "start the name-calling", weren't you?

No, that was just recoginition of how quickly these threads sink to petty spite. It's a very emotional issue, and it doesn't seem like it can ever be discussed rationally without one party or the other getting personal.

Perhaps rabid was an unfortunate choice of words on my part. If that's what lowered the debate, my apologies.

Yes, there is a very good possibility that there is an agenda here. In fact, I'm very sure of it.

Hopefully, conservatives will be able to pick up a few more seats come November. In actuality, I have a feeling that Republicans are going to pick up five to ten seats in the House and three or four Senate seats. If things don't change for the better after that, you'll know once and for all where the concerns lie.

Joe, your views are well known. That's fine. No problem. However, I happen to disagree with your views on immigration. If mere disagreement

I voted for Bush knowing that he was not destined to be a hardliner on immigration like Buchanan or Malkin. I don't think it's a stretch to assume that I'm not the only Bush supporter who knew what he getting when he cast the vote. I'll agree with you that a large number of people are upset about the immigration issue, but I think you should equally concede that a lot of people are not.

No, individually speaking, most people are. Most are not educated enough to realize where and why it's happening. Some are apathetic, some are dumbed-down, and some are hooked on entertainment and sports. However, deep-down, they care, and when problems arise in the future, they will be concerned. Unfortunately, too many people have the foresight of a gnat, only concerned about tomorrow.

If I didn't know better, I would swear you were trying to imply that anyone who doesn't see it your way is either uneducated, hooked on sports, or suffering from a lack of forsight.

You honestly don't believe there is any honest disagreement to your position do you?

Calling the RepublicRats "out of touch with the grass roots" is being charitable. They DON'T CARE what we think! Every poll shows that a large majority - as high as 90% - of Americans don't want more immigration. But the rich global elites that control the RepublicRat and DemocRat parties need cheap foreign serfs to maintain their privileged lifestyles, so that's what we get - more immigrants!

When a government no longer heeds the wishes of a majority of its citizens, it has become a tyranny.

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".

There is also a blanket ban on any posts referring to anything posted VDare.com!

That's why we voted for Buchanan. He was the only one out there that had the guts enough to touch this ever escalating issue. Bush and Gore I don't think even mentioned it. To be honest, Bush seemed like a typical politician to us.

Look, I don't know about Texas, but the overwhelming majority of people in California are outraged at our politicians and the federal government for allowing this most dangerous issue, to continue, year after year. Remember, several years ago California voted 3 to 1 in favor of prop 187. That in itself tells the story here.....

In my opinion, there is no bigger threat to this country than this unchecked, unmanaged, out of control, immigration "free for all".

Fine if you guys want to be uncompromising and have NO chance of ever getting at least part of your political beliefs realized then stay stubborn and kill your own party.

The RepublicRat Party is MY OWN party? LOL! The RepublicRats are just a dumber version of the DemocRats. The RepublicRats are bought and owned by the rich corporate elites who have no patriotism. They sold out middle-class white conservatives years ago. (To be fair, the RepubicRat Party was ALWAYS the party of rich, East-Coast elitists. Goldwater and Reagan temporarily snatched it from them, until they woke up from their triple martini haze long enough to snatch it back.)

Anyone who identifies with the Socialistic RepublicRat party is no conservative and no patriot.

I would like to bump this

When a government no longer heeds the wishes of a majority of its citizens, it has become a tyranny.

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.

Exactly my sentiments! I was fooled for the very last time in 2000. I froze my butt off in front of the VP's mansion over the Florida vote. But I've finally wised up. Like you said, the GOP's the problem, not the solution.

When I get those in the mail from the RNC, I use a marker to write my comments. I tell them that they are forgetting a very important issue - illegal immigration. I tell them that I will not donate a cent to them or to any candidate who will not address this issue. When they call on the phone I tell them the same thing, plus some other choice words about immigration and what it has done to California.

In another decade or two, they won't be able to discuss the issue without one party or the other resorting to serious firepower.

At the rate things are going, America's 250th birthday will be celebrated in a much smaller territory - if at all.

There are some scary and disturbing agendas surrounding the Republican party and this site in regards to the ever escalating immigration issue.....There appears to be some real interest in favor of this invasion from a party that calls itself, patriotic and conservative.....I mean, even the people of California voted for proposition 187!

Did you notice what percentage of the vote Buchanan got? That is an accurate

Which explains why the California US Senate delegation is moving heaven and Earth to end illegal immigration.

Oops, they aren't. Silly me.

Remember, several years ago California voted 3 to 1 in favor of prop 187.

Six years ago, to be exact. After Pete Wilson, who is the RINOest RINO in the state, became born-again on immigration, knowing that the initiative wouldn't survive judicial review and that he wouldn't have to actually enforce its provisions.

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