Posted on 06/13/2007 9:34:09 PM PDT by gpapa
The collapse last week of a comprehensive immigration bill in Congress that called for a huge guest-worker program, fast-track visas and a sort of earned citizenship for illegal aliens has unleashed a backlash against those opponents of it who prefer to close the border first and legislate the details of illegal immigration later.
Washington pundits and Beltway politicians are furious at various critics of the bill, from radio talk show hosts and writers for conservative magazines to frontline congressional representatives and Republican presidential candidates like Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Most cynical of all, however, are the moralistic pundits, academics and journalists who deplore the "nativism" of Americans they consider to be less-educated yokels. Yet their own jobs of writing, commenting, reporting and teaching are rarely threatened by cheaper illegal workers.
Few of these well-paid and highly educated people live in communities altered by huge influxes of illegal aliens. Their professed liberality about illegal immigration usually derives from seeing hardworking waiters, maids, nannies and gardeners commute to their upscale cities and suburbs to serve them well - and cheaply.
In general, such elites don't use emergency rooms in the inner cities and rural counties overcrowded by illegal aliens. They don't drive on country roads frequented by those without licenses, registration and insurance. And their children don't struggle with school curricula altered to the needs of students who speak only Spanish.
For many professors, politicians and columnists, the gangs, increased crime and crowded jails that often result from massive illegal immigration and open borders are not daily concerns, but rather stereotypes hysterically evoked by paranoid and unenlightened others in places like Bakersfield and Laredo.
I’m with you. Duncan Hunter is clearly the best candidate out there. Tom Tancredo is good, but probably unelectable. I’m not ready to jump on to the Fred Thompson bandwagon just because of the way he talks. Mitt Romney talks good too and doesn’t have quite the baggage Fred Thompson has. Hunter talks the talk AND walks the walk.
Every decade or so it’s necessary for the grassroots to grab the broom and sweep out the Rockefeller socialists from the Republican barn. Wouldn’t hurt to hose them down once we get them into the manure pit.
They are very good friends.
This week, we will vote on cloture and final passage of a comprehensive bill that will strengthen border security, bring the 12 million undocumented Americans out of the shadows, and keep our economy strong. In the days ahead, we will work to improve the bill to protect and strengthen family ties while improving the structure of the temporary-worker program.
Reid and his democrat allies are attempting to remove in whole or water down the guest worker portion of the Senate bill to gain support of the AFL-CIO who are strongly opposed to those provisions in the current bill. That may be enough to invoke cloture on the bill and end the debate. If the 11 democrats who voted against cloture switched their votes that adds up to 56 votes in favor of cloture, based on the last vote that failed to get the 60 votes necessary to end debate on the bill, 45-50. If four Pubbies switch their votes to invoke cloture, and the Senate would proceed to final passage of the bill which only requires 51 votes to pass.
On the Pubbie side they will try to toughen the enforcement portions of the Senate bill to gain support of conservatives. In the end though none of these proposed changes will make any difference in the ultimate outcome if similar legislation passes the House. In my view it will still not be effective in reducing the number of illegal aliens from entering the Country nor solve the problem of those who are already here. Enforce the current and tougher laws first, including eliminating sanctuary cities, and then we will see if other measures can be enacted to take care of the aliens still in country. The issue of ‘anchor babies’ also needs to be addressed, but I am afraid it would take a Constitutional Amendment to address that issue, which would be extremely difficult to pass with a 2/3 vote majority in a closely divided Congress. Very few countries in the world have a citizenship clause like ours in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. None of the European Union members have such a law. Ireland was the last country in the EU to repeal such laws in 2002.
And we the US citizens and taxpayers will get stuck paying for their extended families welfare, food stamps and disability SS...along with the 6% of them that will end up in our state prisons.
Go Fred!
(Hunter for VP for 8 years, THEN he'll have the name recognition for his two terms in the White House!)
Victor Davis Hanson Ping ! 
Let me know if you want in or out.
Links: FR Index of his articles: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=victordavishanson
His website: http://victorhanson.com/
NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp
Pajamasmedia: http://victordavishanson.pajamasmedia.com/
I agree that Duncan Hunter is definitely stronger than Fred on National Defense issues, there is no disputing that fact, and I believe Fred would agree, but consider the following for what it is worth.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1845636/posts
“He is clearly passionate about national security issues in a world he says is becoming increasingly dangerous for the United States. He serves as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board, a high-level panel charged with evaluating long-term threats to the nation’s security. Thompson told me the board recently received an unclassified briefing that convinced him three or four countries in the Middle East are “on the cusp” of acquiring nuclear weapons should the Iranians carry through with their own weapons program.
He urges continued pressure on Iran, which he says has grave domestic problems. “Iran may fall of its own weight, and we can help that by offering vocal support to dissident groups and making effective use of the airwaves to reach its people.”
He is certainly skeptical about handling Iran the way the Bush administration wound up dealing with North Korea, another rogue nation with a nuclear program. “The North Koreans have welched on every agreement they have ever made with everyone,” he says shaking his head. “I know the Chinese are finally involved in this in an attempt to make the deal stick, but I’m still not sure it’s a good deal.”
Thompson has focused on nuclear proliferation for years. He was considered one of the Senate’s leading voices on the threat, and introduced legislation imposing sanctions on countries and companies caught proliferating to rogue nations. He also pushed for legislation that required companies raising funds in U.S. capital markets to disclose their activities in countries placed under American sanctions.”
Starting with Senate rinos Hagel and Graham who are up for re-election in 2008.
My Short list ping
This is the most important issue before the American people at this time. Why the bum's rush?
I’m in favor of LEGAL immigration. Yet, according to the Whitehouse, am a nativist, bigot, racist, xenophobe, sexist, elitest, vigilante....
Have I forgotten anything?
SS
Nothing wrong with any of these. Libs can't beat you over the head with things you proudly embrace.
They're constantly calling me a flag waving redneck, like its something to be ashamed of.
Bump!
Outsiders don’t usually do very well as president.
I have doubts about Ol’ Fred’s energy too.
No, I don’t know the last time a former senator was elected. But your point proves exactly nothing.
I do not follow your logic on this. Are you trying to imply that support for free trade is the same thing as support for illegal immigration and amnesty?
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