Principled Conservatives, Not Clever Strategery - Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh ^ | July 1, 2003 | Rush Limbaugh

[TLBSHOW]

Principled Conservatives, Not Clever Strategery

by Rush Limbaugh

One of the conspiracy theories evolving out there has George W. Bush and Tom DeLay working together, while appearing to be at odds, to kill certain legislation conservatives don't like. The prescription drug bill would be a prime example.

Bush gets the opportunity to say publicly that he's for it, and gets the credit from Democrats for trying, but ultimately it doesn't happen. The close vote in the House of Representatives on their version of the prescription drug bill had no wiggle room in there, but there's all kinds of wiggle room in the Senate. So whatever the conference committee between the House and Senate produces, if it's not almost exactly what the House came up with in the first place, the House could vote it down, meaning there would be no prescription drug benefit added to Medicare at all.

Conservatives win when the votes are counted on the legislation, and Bush wins too, because he's been all over the map demanding it. There's not a person in this country who does not know that George W. Bush wants this prescription drug benefit on his desk now and wants to sign it. This is by no means, a slam-dunk, but it's a theory that more and more people are glomming onto. This is either a very fortunate accident or it's one of the most clever bits of maneuvering and strategery that we have seen yet.

I discuss the ins and outs of this in a little further detail in the audio link below, but I do issue this warning.

Some of you out there may be assigning mythic proportions to this man, George W. Bush, much like the liberals did with Bill Clinton, assuming he's doing everything for a reason, and that in the end, he's always going to snooker the other side.

I'd be a little careful about that, folks. I don't necessarily believe that there is any strategery going on here. If this bill dies, it won't be because of a secret plan.

It will be because of principled conservatives in the House of Representatives, conservatives like Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, who went to the White House and told the president in person that he could not and would not support this bill.

[TexasCowboy]

Don't you dare paint me as a racist!
I've never said one derogatory word about Hispanics.
I work with them every day.

GW doesn't make the distinction between legal and illegal; to him they all have the right to be here.
He HAS encouraged mass immigration!
He HAS kowtowed to the requests and demands of Vincent Fox!
He HAS permitted our borders to become non-existent!
I say again that if you're not conscious of these things, you're burying your head in the sand.

[cyncooper]

GW doesn't make the distinction between legal and illegal; to him they all have the right to be here.

That is an outright lie.

He HAS permitted our borders to become non-existent!

There's another one.

[TexasCowboy]

Bury your head a little deeper.
I'm through talking to you.

[Dane]

GW doesn't make the distinction between legal and illegal; to him they all have the right to be here.

He HAS encouraged mass immigration!
He HAS kowtowed to the requests and demands of Vincent Fox!
He HAS permitted our borders to become non-existent!

I say again that if you're not conscious of these things, you're burying your head in the sand

Huh TexasCowboy, I guess you missed the below listed link.

Juarez Drug Use Blamed on Bridge Security(Ciuadad Jaurez, the city across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas.)

[Marine Inspector]

Can't say much about what's happening on the border.

I do know that Arizona is still getting hit hard and the major focus of the BP, is on the smuggling operations.

They took Agents away from the border to run an OP here at the airport and from what I see; it's a major failure.

At the POE's (Ports of Entry), it's business as usual.

No changes, everyone trying to figure out this Homeland Security BS, Chain of command is obscure, INS and Customs Supervisors fighting over control, ect.....

IMO, the drop off in illegal alien traffic across the border is due to the poor economy. Once the economy rebounds, I'll bet you'll see and increase in traffic. Jobs are scarce, so less illegals are crossing.

Getting apprehensions has never been a major concern for the illegal border crosser. If the new technology is helping, as anjin claims, then apprehension would be up, IMO. The new technology does affect the drug traffic, because they don't like to get caught, but your average illegal does not care.

[Marine Inspector]

Huh TexasCowboy, I guess you missed the below listed link.

Due to Customs taking a stronger approached to drug crossing, the drugs are harder to cross. Not so for illegal immigration.

For the illegal immigrant. it's not much harder to cross now then it was prior to 9/11.

The major reason for the drop in apprehensions, is the economy.

[Sabertooth]

Oh, are you one of those who interchanges the term "Hispanic" with "illegal"? I see your problem.

Politicians of both parties are content to "reach out to Hispanics" by being soft on Illegals. Ordinarily, legal Hispanics don't want the Illegals here either, but the race-baiters on the Left and their silently complicit RINO allies have been successful in promulgating the "anti-Illegal = anti-immigrant = racist" canard; that's the problem.

I think you've given their rhetoric more credibility than it deserves, and doing so is one of the obstacles that must be overcome in order to get the Illegals out of the country.

[Marine Inspector]

Good post and your absolutely correct.

[Sabertooth]

Due to Customs taking a stronger approached to drug crossing, the drugs are harder to cross. Not so for illegal immigration.

For the illegal immigrant. it's not much harder to cross now then it was prior to 9/11.

Any thoughts on the level to which NAFTA trucks are being used to facilitate the smuggling of Illegals?

[Marine Inspector]

Any thoughts on the level to which NAFTA trucks are being used to facilitate the smuggling of Illegals?

Not a clue, but I'd bet it's high.

Another interesting development: Since Customs took over the INS Inspectors, they have been cutting our shifts and overtime, causing fewer officers to be on duty at the various ports of entry, increasing the workload.

Of course, no customs officers shifts and OT are being cut.

[Dane]

Due to Customs taking a stronger approached to drug crossing, the drugs are harder to cross. Not so for illegal immigration.

For the illegal immigrant. it's not much harder to cross now then it was prior to 9/11.

The major reason for the drop in apprehensions, is the economy

Okay you from what you are saying is that drug apprehensions are way up, but immigrant apprehensions are way down, and all due to the economy.

OK whatever MI, could you at least look at the facts there. Drug apprehensions way up and illegal apprehensions way down.

Did it ever occur to you that Vincente Fox is getting the message.

[NittanyLion]

Do you still think there are less illegals now than there were in 2000, or did you "conveniently forget" to address those issues now that the facts are in?

[TexasCowboy]

Thanks for that clarification, MI.
Just for the record, ten years ago when I was working in South Texas, at least 80% of my crews on the drilling rigs were white.
Now over 80% are Mexican (and I'm calling them what they call themselves - Mexican).
I have no problem with that. Some of the best hands I've ever seen were Mexican, and these are all legals, having come in the hard way.
What it does point up, however, is that the hard, dirty work of being a roughneck is not paying well enough to attract young white men anymore, even though the work load is much less than when I did it.
The scale has increased over the years, but it hasn't kept up with the increase in the cost of living.

[cyncooper]

No, I didn't "conveniently forget", sorry. I am on my way out and haven't had time to compose my reply--but suffice to say I concede Sabertooth's point that slowing doesn't = less.

I will say I reject your analogy on anecdotal evidence since I did not cite one incident and leave out years of context to buttress my point.

[Dane]

What it does point up, however, is that the hard, dirty work of being a roughneck is not paying well enough to attract young white men anymore, even though the work load is much less than when I did it. The scale has increased over the years, but it hasn't kept up with the increase in the cost of living.

Huh, your above passage sounds like something from the talikng points a text book union organizer would say, IMO, especially your last sentence.

[Marine Inspector]

< Okay you from what you are saying is that drug apprehensions are way up, but immigrant apprehensions are way down, and all due to the economy.

Immigration apprehensions are down due to the economy. I never stated that drug seizures were up due to the economy. I stated that due to customs increased efforts; it was harder to cross drugs at the POE's.

Did it ever occur to you that Vincente Fox is getting the message.

The only message Fox has got is to be patient and that came from Bush. Bush will push and pass the amnesty that Fox wants. Just wait until the election is over.

[Dane]

The only message Fox has got is to be patient and that came from Bush. Bush will push and pass the amnesty that Fox wants. Just wait until the election is over.

Whatever, we shall see, especially after Fox's public and vocal criricism of the US freeing of Iraq.

JMO, but I do not believe that Fox is on the Bush WH invite list right now, but you and others who focus on one issue(the border and how the US should build a 2,000 mile long Berlin wall) are free to believe anything you want.

[Marine Inspector]

JMO, but I do not believe that Fox is on the Bush WH invite list right now, but you and others who focus on one issue(the border and how the US should build a 2,000 mile long Berlin wall) are free to believe anything you want.

Of course Fox is not on the A-list. Bush has an election to win. After the Election, watch what Bush does.

As for a wall along the border, I've never advocated it and never will. It's a waste of time and money.

Yes, Immigration (both legal and illegal) is my number 1 issue, considering it affects all other issues.

[Dane]

Of course Fox is not on the A-list. Bush has an election to win. After the Election, watch what Bush does

Fine, if the drug rate in the new Libertarian pro-drug haven of Ciuadad Juarez goes up, more power to Vincente Fox, I say, maybe the Mexican people will finally get rid of their corrupt government.

As for a wall along the border, I've never advocated it and never will. It's a waste of time and money.

Well you just bitterly disappointed the rabid Trancredo caucus on FR with your above italicized passage.

Yes, Immigration (both legal and illegal) is my number 1 issue, considering it affects all other issues

Immigration is a big issue, as it should be, but, JMO, I don't think that the ted kennedy like demagouging done by some on FR, helps finding a solution.

[jmc813]

Fine, if the drug rate in the new Libertarian pro-drug haven of Ciuadad Juarez goes up, more power to Vincente Fox

Libertarians.......the real cause of Montezuma's Revenge.

Libertarians.......Pancho Villa was one, you know.

Libertarians......the reason Julio and Enrique Inglesias don't speak.