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The National Review reads more like the New York Times every time I read it.

"A Republican close to the White House has told Time how Bush wants to"

This line does not belong in an article writen by any reputible journalist. However, as we say in the Miers nomination debacle, the editors at the National Review appear to be getting their guidelines from the New York Times these days.

An unnamed source, with an unknown relationship to the subject, told a third party something? The only purpose of such garbage is to spread gossip or to try and lend credibility to a story that doesn't have a credible source. It's the kind of writing that belongs in tabloids.

The author should be ashamed for using such techniques, and the editor should be ashamed for letting this be published by the National Review.

As for the content of the article, it's sensationalism that's only likely to make it considerably harder to pass any kind of immigration reform.

Let me make this simple for Mr. Lowery. Our unemployment levels are low.

We currently have a large number of illegal immigrants working in this country in legal and productive industries.

This number of employeed illegal aliens considerably exceeds the number of unemployed workers.

If we manage to accomplish reform in our immigration enforcement, but don't at the same time increase legal immigration, it's going to have a very serious, advarse effect on our economy.

Unless you think that rising inflation while the economy shrinks do to a shortage of labor is a good idea, a comprehensive approach is the only rational approach to immigration.

We MUST address both illegal immigration and legal immigration at the same time.

This is not a simple task, and there are many different special interest groups pulling in different directions.

Making it sound like the president has some devious plan isn't going to help matters. It definately isn't addressing the problems by addressing the facts, it's pulling the typical liberal tactic of emotionalizing the issue.

We need a program that includes an increase of legal immigration as goals in reducing illegal immigration are met. That's going to be difficult because the numbers are all estimations and everyone is going to estimate things differently.

People who keep calling this an amnesty program without offering solutions that address real labor needs are part of the problem.

There is still considerable leeway in how an increase in legal immigration could be handled.

Do we allow people who are in the country illegally to apply? My answer would be a resounding no. Even the suggestion of such would cause a surge in illegal immigration. We have a right and a duty to be selective in who we admit to work in our country.

Bush has remained consistent in his approach to this, his initial program would have allowed illegal immigrants to apply from within the US. However, he has not taken a hard stance on that and I highly doubt he would veto legislation over that. Therefore it's up to congress, since they're the ones that make laws, not the president.

Do we allow people who have been deported to apply for legal immigration?

This one is a bit harder for me. They are criminals, but they are basicly laws that are enforced about as stricty as speeding. They come from countries where law enforcement is arbitrary. It's hard to respect laws that are obviously not enforced.

Because of this I would go with a bit of a comprimise. I'd suggest that illegal aliens have 60 days after the law goes into effect to turn themselves in and be deported. If they do so they would be allowed to apply for the guest worker program. If they are apprehended during that sixty days, but do not fight deportation, they could possibly be treated the same as if they had turned themselves in. They would be deported, but not barred from reentry.

After that 60 days if they are caught in our country illegally, they should be barred from reentering the country for not less than 5 years.

If they committed crimes while they were in our country they should also be barred from entry. If they are unable to support themselves, they should be deported. The federal government should stipulate that illegal aliens or those here on work visas of any kind should not receive benefits from federally funded social programs. They pay their own way while they are here, or they get sent home.

The exception to this is that we should provide needed emergency medical care if they are unable to pay for it. However, if they cannot pay for it they should be deported after the necessary care is provided.

I have heard suggestions that all immigrants should be required to attain some level of health insurance to work in our country, I think that is an exellent idea. It could be provided by the companies that employ them, by thier home country's government, or they could pay for it themselves.

The problem of illegal immigration is not goingt o be solved through rhetoric about amnesty. If you require people to apply from their home countries, how are you offering illegal aliens amnesty? Yet that's exactly how Senator Cornyn's plan was described.

These people are not helping fix this problem. Fixing the problem can only be done by dealing with the facts, not by stirring up emotion with half truths.