Posted on 01/08/2004 3:34:13 PM PST by kellynla
I am beginning to think John McCain actually won the presidency in 2000.
Conservatives were relieved when the Straight Talk Express petered out during the 2000 primary season. John McCain, although tough on national security and runaway spending, was hardly a conservative on major issues such as campaign finance, healthcare reform and immigration.
Yet this is exactly where we find President Bush today (except unlike McCain, Bush doesn’t seem to have much of a problem with runaway spending). Last year President George Bush signed the McCain-Feingold bill into law, which is one of the worst assaults on political speech this country has ever seen. When conservatives (and many liberals) howled, the President’s advisers whispered that they believed the Supreme Court would “clean up” the more onerous parts of the bill which dictates the types of political ads that can air before a general election or primary contest. Of course the Supreme Court rubber stamped the entire thing and so the result is less, not more political speech in the U.S.
And now President Bush charges across the landscape to rescue us from our “unfair” and “broken” immigration system by rewarding people who came here illegally with the promise of legal status. This proposal essentially mirrors the immigration legislation sponsored by—you got it—Sen. McCain. Under the Bush/McCain plan, anyone outside the U.S. who wants to come into the country would only need to show proof of a “job offer” in order to get an initial three-year work permit that would be renewable for an unspecified period. Such temporary workers could also bring family members here. What prevents these people from staying on beyond their time premitted for "temporary" work? As it stands now, there seems to be no limit on the immigration —temporary or permanent— allowed under this plan. And as for the claim that this would be a big boon to the American economy? Illegal immigration costs taxpayers $20 billion each year, in extra education, healthcare, welfare, and prison costs. Today thirty-four percent of Mexicans legally in the U.S., and 25 percent of Mexicans illegally here are welfare.
How are those costs diminished under the Bush plan?
Most bewildering is the Administration idea that this plan is necessary for homeland security reasons. On the contrary, it would not be surprising if some would-be terrorists are among the millions of illegals who will become “documented” under the Bush plan. As Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) charged, "Guest worker programs and gradual amnesty provide cover for terrorists."
It’s easy to understand why Vicente Fox, McCain, big business, and La Raza are happy this week—but what’s in this new proposal for working class American families? How about those immigrants who a lot of time and money to comply with our immigration laws?
The real answer is absolutely nothing. The only reasonable prediction is that wages for a wide range of jobs will be kept artificially depressed by outside workers—now with “legal status” will work for peanuts. “I have worked construction for 30 years as a truck driver (18-wheeler),” wrote one of my listeners, “And every year my pay has gone down because Mexicans are flooding the trucking industry…."
When Bill Clinton says we live in an “increasingly borderless world,” we’re not surprised. It’s the usual globaloney blather. But when a Republican president advocates a policy that will make our borders effectively meaningless, we should be outraged.
With his approval numbers high, President Bush has made a devil’s bargain with business and Hispanic groups. Elites from both parties are ignoring the view of a strong majority of Americans that we need to stop illegal immigration, not high-five it.
Another listener wonders: “What happened to the ‘party of principle’? More like the party of pandering. Considering the massive numbers involved, this amnesty being floated really is Pandora's Box, once opened cannot be closed.”
President Bush has now done the equivalent of posting a sign at the border: “Help Wanted for $5.15/hour.”
Conservatives are right to be disappointed in President Bush. We are right to ignore the Administration’s promise that this time, non-amnesty amnesty will be good for the American people. Our citizenship and legal residence should be reserved for people who love this country enough that breaking her laws—whether at the border or on the street—is out of the question. The next time I hear from his Administration that it is doing all it can to protect our homeland, secure our borders, and increase our standard of living, I will laugh.
Now I know the definition of “compassionate conservative:” a person who campaigns as a conservative, then sells out key conservative principles.
No, unless they are criminals already.
Throw them in jail?
No, I'm not paying for their benefits on ANY level! Throw them back across the border! Let Vincente deal with his OWN criminal scum!
Throw them in trains and ship them out like Nazis did to the Jews?
Nice...you must be with MoveOn.org...hint...the Nazi's had INNOCENT, LAW ABIDING Jews on the trains to KILL THEM! They were not Illegal Infiltrators.
NEVER compare the scum who cross the borders ILLEGALLY to those that DIED at the hands of BUTCHERS!
Are you going to hire 8 million more gov employees to go after them (ready to pay more taxes?).LOGISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE!!!
No, just use what we have...shut down/fine HEAVILY ANY employer that uses ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS...end the use of Welfare for ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS...no free MEDICAL for ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS...no public schools/ammenities for ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS...stop the transfer of funds to Mexico without proof of Citizenship/GreenCard/Visa...no Soc Security for ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS...use Civilian Border Patrols like the ABP to prevent ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS entering...eliminate the "anchor baby" provision for ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS...and ship the one's already here HOME!
Get the idea? Or will you be happier when one of these "Poor, innocent job-seeking" Mules brings across a "Dirty Bomb" and kills THOUSANS of Americans?
Why didn't you turn your company in? Oh BTW, did you refuse any bonuses given to you by your company for them making a business decision that saved them money and that savings may have gone into your pocket?
This sword has many edges.
How come no one ever calculates the impact on the economy via lower prices for goods and services that are directly related to the lower wages paid illegal immigrants?
Because they don't want anyone to think about that aspect, that's why.
Yeah, but they are doing it ILLEGALLY, with Illegal papers and fraudulent ID/Stolen Soc Security numbers!!
I never thought an "LEO-Uber-Alles" type like you would be OK with the systematic violation of the laws...wow!
It must be REAL hard for you when an Illegal goes up against Law Enforcement types...tell me, who do you root for then?
Naivete seems to be your forte.
I don't know Laura, what prevents people with visas to come visit Disneyland from staying beyond their time permitted to hang with Mickey and Goofy?
Should we shut down tourism as well Miss Laura?
No, I just have sympathy for people who do hard honest work in search of a better life.
You are incorrect Dane. It was done during the Eisenhower administration when we had a real Republican president.
But it might be a tad more difficult this time as it was only five million Mexicans then!
How many other countries of the world routinely deport illegal aliens? Can you name just one with open immigration that doesn't deport illegals? Were the Jews in Germany illegally? Were the Jews sent back to their country of origin or were they killed in mass extermination gas chambers? Do you actually think anyone wants to send illegal aliens to mass extermination gas chambers? What's your DU screen name? Do you post to IndyMedia?
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