Posted on 05/16/2006 9:24:55 AM PDT by Paul Ross
It's Time for Bush to Listen to His Base
by Michael Reagan
Posted May 15, 2006
A week before he died I asked Lyn Nofziger if the White House was arrogant or just plain stupid.
“Both,” he said.
Nofziger was one of the nation’s most astute political analysts and a White House aide my father Ronald Reagan greatly admired. If you need proof that Lyn knew what he was talking about, you need only consider the White House policies on illegal immigration, which are both incredibly stupid and incredibly arrogant.
Aside from the Iraq war, no issue threatens Republican control of Capitol Hill more than the problem of illegal immigration. The overwhelming majority of Americans are outraged over the problem of our porous borders. People are demanding that the borders be sealed tight against the thousands of illegals violating them.
If the president and the Republicans in the House and Senate don’t act to enforce our current immigration laws and vastly increase border security you’ll have to hire a private detective to find any Republicans on Capitol Hill next year.
"Will they win? I think that's still up to the Republicans," Newt Gingrich told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the other day.
He added that he agrees with those who believe a substantial number of conservative voters -- upset over unbridled federal spending and unsecured national borders -- could sit out the mid-term elections, giving Democrats an edge in close House races that might otherwise go to Republicans.
"The problem you have right now is the conservative movement -- which is still very healthy in the country at large -- feels very abandoned in Washington," he told the Trib. "Conservatives actually believe in a balanced budget as a moral issue. Conservatives actually believe you ought to control the border as a matter of national security. Conservatives are the people who pay the taxes. They're not the people who get the pork."
He put his finger on the solution. "If you have the White House, the House and the Senate, and if you have the natural majority in the country, you always have the potential to be able to pose the election on your terms," he said.
The president had better wake up to the fact that the only thing he’s got going for him right now is that the Democrats are in absolute disarray. They have no leader, they have no direction, and even with the president down to his lowest point in the polls, as low as he is, the Democrats aren’t much higher due to their lack of leadership.
As a result, the Republicans still have it within their power to hang onto control of both houses of Congress -- providing they stop being stupid, and pose the election on their terms.
The Republicans need to pass two immigration bills immediately. First and foremost the border must be closed, and only after that should we negotiate the other issues, such as what to do about the 11 million-or-so illegal immigrants living here.
In addition the GOP has to alert the American people to exactly what would happen should the Democrats take over the Congress, with all their wild talk about tying the president’s hands with countless investigations and impeaching him in the middle of a war. The people have to be warned about the dangers of letting the Democrats legislate us into cutting and running in Iraq, creating hugely expensive new programs that will require massive tax increases, sabotaging the prescription drug plan now saving seniors billions of dollars, and making Rep. John Conyers chairman of the House Judiciary Committee where he says he wants to hold hearings on reparations for slavery.
It’s time for the president to listen to his base -- the people who put him in the White House twice. He’s lucky that the Democrats have the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy and Howard Dean. If they had anybody else but this bunch the Republicans would be flat on their backs.
But because the Democrats lack real leadership and their party is being run by their far-left whacko wing, the GOP has a golden opportunity to exploit the Democrats’ weaknesses and win back their base and a majority of the voters.
Bud, listen when it comes to sending soldiers off to war to possibly give their lives....it isn't about your silly as$ approving of the "political side" (or what you seem to like to calling..."when he does good").
A CIC sending soldiers off to war is 100% about trust in the man. He has access to 100% of the information known, much of it classified obviously.
To suggest because you "politically" agree with what he is doing that you would then approve of sending soldiers to war (even though you don't necessarily trust this CIC - Nor do you have access to the classified information from which decisions to go to war are based off of)....that to you this is completely fine, because you agree with it "politically" is disgusting.
Sending others off to war isn't a game nor about your approval of the politics behind it (if at the premise you don't trust the CIC in question!). Which you have clearly stated you don't trust him and openly believe he is disloyal to this nation when he sees fit to be!
With that being the case it takes a mighty shallow person to still go ahead and suggest that it is still fine for this CIC to send others off to war because "you believe it is good" (when you don't have an f'ing clue to 90% of the classified information on which the WOT/Iraq is being fought).
No! You think?! But it has gone from 3 million in 1986...to 20 million today. From merely being a serious nuisance...to a true threat to national survival.
It has not gone from 3 to 20. The best estimates seem to put the illegal number around 12 million (though if you want to take the inflated figures which say 20 million including family members, etc....then the same holds true for 1986 in which that number wasn't 3 million but when inflated it was put at closer to 8).
Furthermore in the past 5 years over 6 million illegals have been turned around at our borders (through tremendous efforts). Not to mention more is being done on our borders with regard to national security then can openly be talked about (for very good reasons).
Additionally you keep foolishly acting as if all those currently here illegally came here illegally. That is not the case! Many came on our flawed temporary workers permit program...and have simply never returned back. GWB is looking to address this problem in his commonsense comprehensive proposal.
Simply securing the border first (which is the new goal post for a minority of the "right") would do absolutely noting to stop illegals of this nature.
At any one time there is supposedly to be no more then apprx 200,000 - 300,000 temporary work visas granted per year (aggregating those numbers to take into account extensions of visa eligibility, one could easily speculate that upward to apprx 1 million people at any one time are here yearly on some form of U.S. temporary worker program).
Now take into account the last amnesty bill (R. Reagan) was passed in 1986 - We are talking 20 years of these such numbers, with a size percentage of these people never returning back -
Do they make up the full 12 million of current illegals. Of course not, nor did I suggest such. But they most certainly do make up a sizable portion within this 12 million. Do I have an exact number on this....No (outside of my field of work).
But clearly GWB is looking to address both the border security needs along with the large flaws in our temporary worker programs.
And this President is making every sign that he plans on using the same shell-game tactic the RINOs did before against Reagan in '86. Promise enforcement, but first, we gotta make sure that we legalize the illegals via his "comprehensive" approach.
This is such a laughable argument for you to try and make in defense of poor R. Reagan. Excuse me, but R. Reagan knew exactly what he was giving (full amnesty) and he had no illusions about what the DEM's were or would offer down the road. Or wait, why didn't he just DO IT right then! (like you are demanding of GWB??).
Oh and wait, we are suppose to seriously believe R. Reagan had simply forgot about all the "spending cuts" that were promised him in 81,82 and 83 during his great tax-cut programs! (those spending cuts promised by this very same Congress...that they never delivered on!...and you expect us to believe Reagan thought they "really" meant it when it came to immigration enforcement down the road) - Please, we're adults here - Take that load of BS to a 6th grade civics class. Nobody is buying it here -
I trust Donald Rumsfeld
Well what's that saying (even a broken clock is right twice a day???) Because you are correct on this one - SecDef Rumsfeld is the best SecDef we've had in the last 50 years - And he has been fully supported by GWB! (even when everyone has been foolishly asking for his head...and even when SecDef Rumsfeld himself offered it).
Which is further eroded when he says it's "impossible" to deport 12 million illegals. As Jay Leno said, Mexico did it. How mentally feeble do you think the American People are?
Again this only shows the complete foolishness of your mindset - As the brilliant Thomas Sowell is oft to say "adults are forced to choose between options that are actual available to them" (not pie in the sky BS!)..nor do silly one-liner's from even silly late night talk show hosts does a adult policy make.
The notion that we are going to round up over 12 million people and force them out of the Country is utterly silly.
This country could hardly remove a little Cuban boy back to his own father without erupting on itself. Yet you sillyly suggest we could do this to over 12 million people (not even taking into account the logistics and such). Again, I'll stick with Thomas Sowell's line of thought.
Thankfully GWB is an adult and understands the constraints of reality that are placed upon him by recognizing such.
A charachter in my mind that is almost totally besmirched by his disengenousness, liberalism and disloyalty on illegal aliens. And his resolve on this issue needs to be firmly opposed. To-the-hilt. He is wrong.
Nope. You are wrong. GWB is taking a serious and systematic approach to helping fix (or move in the right direction at the least) a 40 year in the making problem.
I keep saying that Bush should be listening to FReepers round the clock!!
This is in regard to WMDs, dirty bombs, profiling, etc - Again while the border issue of course involves both NS and immigration...there is a separation between the two as well (to a degree).
Yep, the Kennedy, Durban, Reid wing of FR.
When the fact is it doesn't matter if 6 million have been deported or not, with the border insecure they simply return within hours or days. The important number is not how many have been deported, the important number is how many are here, and how many more are entering illegally as we speak.
Deporting people with no way to assure they will stay deported is a waste of time and money. And that is the reason so many of us say the first step needs to be securing the border.
That is a straw-man's argument - As GWB is not saying lets only do one of the above...he is saying lets do both.
The reality is a sizable portion of those who are currently here illegally did not come here illegally...they came here via temporary worker permits...and simply never returned back once they were here.
This part of the system needs to be fixed (as well as the 40 year in the making border security issue). GWB is simply saying lets systematically do both. Which is exactly the right way to go.
Those here on workers permits we need to know who they are, where they are and if they do not leave we need to know that sooner rather then later - GWB is offering a system (ID cards on non-U.S. citizens) along with a process which will help to solve this temporary workers problem.
He is also at the same time addressing the border. Suggesting he isn't addressing the border and only wants to deal with either the illegals here now or those within the temp workers program simply isn't being honest. He is saying lets deal with all these issues now. Lets not push them off.
A trench then a Wall.
The trench is easier. We could even think about filling it with desalinated water for the coasts.
Sincerity is a minor and insignificant virtue. My sense is that the president sincerely believes the business community needs illegals to fill jobs. Does his sincerity lend anything at all to the weight of the argument? No. Does it lead him to minimize and discount the harm done to the national economy by this distortion of the market? Yes.
But yeah, he's a sincere guy, I have no doubt.
Maybe a few alligators and crocs?
How about the army core of engineers?
They can work wile the Nat Gard watches.
Mr. Walker appears to be speaking of federal spending in the sense of guaranteed entitlements - The point here being people trying to suggest GWB is spending more the ever when in reality he is simply spending less in terms of federal spending as a % of the economy - And he has cut non-security related discretionary spending for 5 straight years!
That doesn't mean that federal spending isn't too high (not to mention State and local spending)....but the reality is GWB is trying to address the largest federal spending entitlement program via Soc Sec reform (of course it would have helped greatly if R. Reagan hadn't foolishly raised FICA taxes on all Americans and thus only began the larger wealth stealing burden on to another generation....we expect this of DEMs...but Reagan should have never raised FICA taxes).
GWB is simply having to deal with this automatic increases in federal spending that are to a large degree completely out of his control.
I knew that is what you were referring to- the problem is it is not working as far as overall border security. When anyone with a backpack can and does cross pretty much when they want and where they want current security is not working. Whatever it is, it is not working.
I worked for CBP as a contractor for 10 years, I worked right on the border, I closed my business January, 2005. I saw many of the things you are eluding to being put into place after 9/11. I have seen and heard of more since I left. I still believe as long as a person can walk across the border with whatever they choose to carry, and in many places can enter illegally with a vehicle- the border is certainly not secure. I know the legal crossings on the border are 1000 or more times more secure than pre 9/11. I personally have little fear that anything related to terrorism will come through a Port of Entry. I have no confidence that terrorists can not or have not crossed in the areas between ports.
The problem is the border is not much more secure if at all between the ports of entry. I was hesitant to post things like this for quite a while, due to not wanting enemies to know, but reality is those of us who live on the border know it is not secure due to what we see with our own eyes. Anyone we might try to keep this fact from can also see with their own eyes that the border is not secure.
I am not one who says President Bush has done nothing to secure the border, I know he has done a lot of things to secure the border. I also know as far as the miles in between legal crossings, what has been done is not effective. That is why I want to see the border secure before we deal with other issues like illegals in this country. I have seen how much has been done, and the fact that it hasn't worked is why I support a major fence on the border.
I think anyone would agree with you here - That more needs to be done with border security - Though were it seems like we differ (and the President) is that we can do both. It does not have to be a situation like do one first...then the other. To me that is foolishness.
I am not going to get into specifics. But on the whole someone can't just walk into this country with "anything" in their backpack. Nothing is 100% clearly....but on the whole my above statement stands -
Lastly I just find it odd how some are so ready to martyr themselves with the notion we can only do one thing at a time regarding this immigration issue. That somehow we are not capable of doing a systematic reform system. We most certainly are capable and it is exactly what we should be doing.
Again, it is like DEM's always saying "we have to deal with the deficit first....BEFORE we can ever talk about tax-cuts"...that is just silly and economically foolishness.
And I would suggest it is larger then what you are describing. Simply that he wants cheap labor for the business community. It is a larger issue then that with this President (hell they account for less then 5% of the work force, if that).
I know there have been serious efforts to secure the border since 9/11. The border is still not secure, if it is now possible to just secure the border while at the same time implementing a major plan to deal with illegals (which will BTW involve many of the same bodies to implement and enforce) then why is the border not already secure??
I am not using straw man arguments, how funny of you to say that. I thought we were having a reasonable discussion on issues that we differ on- now you sound like those who throw out things like straw man to disrupt the discussion. I am disappointed, I thought you seemed like someone to have an intelligent discussion with.
I can discuss issues with anyone who is reasonable and truly wants to discuss the issue, regardless of whether I agree with them or not. I am beginning to think you did not intend to discuss this with anyone, you just want to state your beliefs as facts, throw in some hint of knowledge of secret activities and we are all supposed to just blindly follow you. The border issues are complicated and no one is going to have all the answers, but if we can't reasonably discuss the issues, solutions will not be found.
Bad choice of words (my apologizes). I meant that in the sense there seems to be this "straw-man" argument out there (across the political landscape today) that we can only do one or the other (either secure the borders...OR...fix the temporary workers program).
I think we can do both and surely we can pass legislation that requires both at least start the process of happening.
The most reasonable (and well stated) comments I've seen made on this issue (on FR). And I think this falls directly in line with what our President GWB is trying to address.
However there seems to be a minority on the "right" that simply wants "only" border security dealt with without even taking into account the other aspects that go along with our current immigration problems that must be addressed to.
Worse yet, suggesting if you want to look at a total and systematic approach to this 40 year in the making problem...somehow you are against this nation's security. That is hogwash.
Illegals can and do walk by my house every day with backpacks, are you saying someone is checking those backpacks and allowing the illegals to continue to enter any way?? I call BS on this!! Smugglers bring vehicles across the border here, are you saying someone is checking out those vehicles for dirty bombs and other weapons and letting drugs and more get through? I will call BS on that too.
You expect me to believe those who enter illegally across the desert and manage to make it in cleanly- which many do every day- are checked along the way- but allowed to continue in anyway- and you call me the one being foolish??
If it was easy to secure this border, it would already be secure. You make it sound like it will be easy to do, so easy we can do several other related tasks at the same time with a lot of the same manpower. If it will be easy to secure the border would you mind explaining why it has not been done?
Yep. You got it! Too simple for some to grasp obviously, though.
As we are implementing any new system to legalize illegals we will need to deport those we identify as dangerous or otherwise don't qualify. How do you plan to make sure those individuals stay deported if the border is not secure when you start the process??
If the border is not secure when you begin the process, how do you keep out new illegals arriving every day?
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