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.
the pubbies have a problem. their choices like those of the people on flight
93 are between certain death and near certain death.
If they allow the illegals citizenship--the illegal/legals will do what they did after 1986: vote democratic and tip the country to a democratic majority as they have done in california and that because after 1993 in California many mexicans began voting in california to preserve gov bennies--for which the dems excel. There won't be social security benefit for Americans of retirement age from the illegals/legals because they will suck up what ever they put into the economy--as they are now. They won't yield a net gain. ie they won't pay for anyone's social security.
Everyone but everyone who has ever been to any government building that dispenses anything from health care to drivers lisences can't help but notice that the place is swamped with foreigners. Basically the welfare state system set up in the 1960's is being totally gamed by foreigners.
If the president gets his way he will demoralize the republicans bringing on the effects of the 1992 & 1996 elections. There may not even be a third party but when W builds in a reversal of the fortunes of the war of 1848--it creates a kind of passivity in people when they see their leaders commit them to the status of world historical losers.
If Bush decides to put up a wall and expel the illegals then there is a chance to preserve Republican majorities. It would be helpful to promise that the USA will kill the cost of water desalination and transport so as to make it economically possible to turn the deserts 1000 miles from any desert seacoast -- green. (this would increase the habitable size of the USA by a third and double the habitable size of Mexico.)This work is already ongoing and will be accomplished in five years or so--or in about the same time frame that GM promises to have a cost effective fuel cell car. For GM as it is for the GOP its do or die time.
The chief difference between the pubbies current predicament and flight 93 is that they are currently in the cockpit. (if you presume that bush is a republican or at least more of a republican than a bilderburger.)
The point here is that if these guys cannot act like loyal americans at least they can act like republicans. ie people who have a stake in the continuity of the republican party.
Since they are not doing this the republicans in the white house and senate all need to be smacked on both sides of the face and kicked in the but.
His name is Fox....and he runs American immigration........nobody else wants to.
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Amen. |
Wholeheartedly agree.
However, [Horror of Horrors] this goes against the President's speech and some here want to squelch alternative thoughts.
You know those on the right are going off the deep end when they have to start using old DEM's/MSM attacks on this fine President.
M. Reagan is pathetic. Has never accomplished a thing in his life outside of riding his old man's coattails to his position as a political commentator (just like his other foolish brother.....both living off daddy still and both speaking in his name a bit too often).
I agree!We need those borders closed right now not next week or not when the guys in Washington decide it needs to be done right now..
I don't know whether to laugh, or cry. SO, I guess I will give laughter a try:
Scott Ott's Scrappleface winners:
Seeking Middle Ground, Bush Moves Border
Lyn Nofziger worked for Reagan and Nixon. That makes him a Dem how?
It is foolish not to address all issues now - There is no need to wait and do them separately to where nothing gets done on the whole in the long run -
The notion you are taking (to only look at the border now) is the same idiotic notions that DEMs make on taxes..."We can't talk about tax cuts until we solve the deficit issue"....When the reality is both go hand in hand. Cutting taxes will create growth (rising tide lifts all boats), from this growth one can deal with deficits....
The reality is there are issues with the border, the temporary workers permits and the 12 million illegals that are currently here that all need to be addressed now. These issues go hand in hand with border security. Lastly many seem under the false impression that the vast majority of illegals simply "sneak" across the border in the dead of night.....this is a portion of them without question...but a large portion also come here legally! through workers permits and then never leave!
Securing the border does nothing regarding this large segment of illegals. Nor does securing the border alone do anything with regard to those currently here illegally.
Those illegals, we must address them at the same time as we are addressing the border. Those that have criminal records (outside of simply being illegal) should be acted on and removed. Those who are illegal and have no additional criminal record should start the process of either becoming a supporting citizen of this nation, with policies that demand or influence assimilation, or they should leave! Plain and simple.
This is what the President is suggesting.
Um, where did I suggest he was one? I said it shows that those on the "right" are going off the deep end when they have to start using old (and tired) DEM/MSM attack / talking points against this fine President.
Secure the borders. Build a wall. Then we'll debate guest workers.
It really does call in to question the allegiance and loyalty of the President and the RINOS in the Senate to THIS COUNTRY.
Giving "maverick" a whole new meaning. Certainly isn't "moderate."
This President has earned cynicism on this issue, as have the RINOs in the Senate who are perpetrating this travesty.
With all due respect, he is not. The border will not be secured.
Dare I print my comments of this morning and get accused of 'spamming' or get in a tit-for-tat with deranged Bushbots?
The border should be sealed first. Period. A 'Wall' or other physical barrier is necessary first, then we discuss everything else.
What Base? He has lost my confidence.
How you gonna listen to someone you despise? Bush's contempt for his electoral base couldn't be clearer.
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