Posted on 05/15/2005 10:03:54 AM PDT by nj26
HILLARY GETS IT. Hillary Clinton says she's against illegal immigration. And she would fine employers who hire illegal aliens.
Pundits say the New York Democrat is using this hot-button issue to position herself for the 2008 presidential election. It's a way to hit Republicans from the right. Polls show huge majorities of both Republicans and Democrats oppose illegal immigration -- and are frustrated that President Bush won't do a thing to stop it.
But this issue does not belong to the right. Or it shouldn't. Illegal immigration hurts most liberal causes. It depresses wages, crushes unions and kills all hope for universal health coverage. Progressives have to understand that there's little social justice in an unregulated labor market.
"Liberals are so confused on this issue," says Vernon Briggs, a labor economist at Cornell University and self-described liberal. "Immigration policy has got to be held accountable for its economic consequences."
Many Democrats used to get it. In 1964, President Johnson abolished the Bracero program, which brought in "temporary" farm workers from Mexico. Its demise let Cesar Chavez organize U.S. farm workers. His union won some battles early on, but a new wave of illegal immigrants in the mid-1970s reversed that progress. The union barely exists today.
cut
Nowadays, the messages aren't even mixed anymore. A cheap-labor Republican, George Bush won't enforce the employer penalties. He has a new amnesty program. And he vows to "match any willing worker with any willing employer." Hence, the latest stampede at the southern border.
Sounds like the Democrats have an issue. And if Clinton can seriously address the problem in non-racial terms, she could march straight to the White House. Go for it, Hillary.
(Excerpt) Read more at projo.com ...
Press 2 for English
____________________
"If there is no one on the ballot who is pro-America, anti-illegals, pro-gun, anti-judicial activism, and pro-Christian to vote for, I'm not wasting my time voting for Kolbe's and McCain's."
I'll tell you this... if our party runs a pro-abortion, pro-amnesty open borders candidate (e.g. Giuliani), our party is going to be torn down the middle.
"Keep this pressure up before the elections of '06 and you can bet even money that this issue will be taken off the table by '08."
I don't know where you live, but California doesn't have the luxury of waiting until 08. Any chance it has must be resolved within the year, or in 10 years, California is balkanized toast.
Bush indeed seems to desire at least the western states are taken over by Mexico. If he doesn't do a 180, I will consider him a traitor. As one who lives in SOCAL, I could consider him one now!
Thanks for the ping!
Bears repeating.
It absolutely floors me that in a nation of 61+million Republicans, there isn't one who obviously stands out as the next likely President.
Any one who thinks a fraud like Hillary Clinton is against illegal immigration must be very gullible. I visited the Clinton-for-President campaign headquarters here in California several times during the election of 1996, and I can assure you they were ALL working very feverishly to defeat Proposition 187 (which denied benefits to illegal immigrants and was approved by California voters by 60%, only to be over-turned by a liberal judge). If you think this leopard Hillary has changed her spots you are very gullible. If she tries to promote herself as a "leader" on this issue, somebody might wanna tell her that she's 30 years too late. And for the last 30 years, people like her have been the CAUSE of our illegal immigration mess.
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.
