[mnehring]

I'll repeat what I've said- the immigration problem is a symptom of the culture of liberalism, not the cause of it.

You want to cure a cold, don't just blow your nose, go after the virus. Blowing your nose only is a temporary fix for your nose.

Neither Obama, nor McCain are going to improve the illegal immigration issue, but one of those two will be President. At least we have leverage with McCain, just as we had leverage with Bush over Meyers and Amnesty. The responsibility is back in our hands.

[Ulysse]

And immigration is not the only issue!
Even if it’s important...

McCAIN is a one-term candidate...

[CottonBall]

Neither Obama, nor McCain are going to improve the illegal immigration issue, but one of those two will be President. At least we have leverage with McCain, just as we had leverage with Bush over Meyers and Amnesty. The responsibility is back in our hands.

It wasn't leverage over Bush - it was over the Republican congressmen. McCain is so proud of being a maverick, he'll slap conservatism in the face (as he's always done) and be proud of it.

Republican congressmen will be more likely to oppose a Dem president than their own. No doubt.

[CottonBall]

I'll repeat what I've said- the immigration problem is a symptom of the culture of liberalism, not the cause of it. You want to cure a cold, don't just blow your nose, go after the virus. Blowing your nose only is a temporary fix for your nose.

But you have to also treat the symptom, especially if the cause cannot be fixed immediately. And with 2 liberals running at the top of the tickets, the cause will not be fixed in the next 4 years.

Republican congressmen will be much more likely to oppose a Dem president than their own. The Senate the last few years is a prime example. Our House Republicans stuck to their values (and were villified by the WH for it), but the Republican senators caved.

[kabar]

I'll repeat what I've said- the immigration problem is a symptom of the culture of liberalism, not the cause of it.

Empty generalizations won't solve the problem. The causes of the problem are failed legal immigration policies that hurt this nation and the lack of enforcement of our existing laws. How are you going to solve the problem specifically? We don't need "hope and change" solutions or empty platitudes. Do you even understand the problem?

You want to cure a cold, don't just blow your nose, go after the virus. Blowing your nose only is a temporary fix for your nose.

I provided you with plenty of data, which you obviously have failed to read. Until you wish to discuss this issue in a reasoned way without reflexive emotion and nonsensicial analogies, I am wasting my time.

Neither Obama, nor McCain are going to improve the illegal immigration issue, but one of those two will be President. At least we have leverage with McCain, just as we had leverage with Bush over Meyers and Amnesty. The responsibility is back in our hands.

As someone who actually fought this battle on the Hill lobbying against it, you are completely wrong on why McCain-Kennedy failed. Bush, Rove, Martinez, and others in the WH were supporting McCain-Kennedy. We had no leverage against the WH. It was just the opposite. The WH was using its leverage against us.

The reason that McCain-Kennedy failed was because of grassroots organizations like NumbersUSA [Roy Beck], FAIR, Grassfire, etc. mobilized public opinion against the bill. We bombarded Congress with faxes and telephone calls. The political and corporate elites lost this battle, but the war is still on.

In addtion to the White House, we had some very powerful forces arrayed against us, including the American Chamber of Commerce, the Dems, labor unions, the Catholic Church, the ACLU, La Raza, etc. They continue to push for amnesty and guest worker programs. Subsequent to the defeat of McCain-Kennedy, these forces tried to pass amnesty piecemeal including attaching the Dream Act to the DOD appropriation bill and a guest worker program to the Ag bill. Cong Price [D-NC] is trying to eviscerate the 287 [g] program in his committee and Senator Menendez [D-NJ] is trying to kill e-verify, which expires in November.

McCain took the defeat of McCain-Kennedy as a personal affront. He is determined to get CIR passed. He holds grudges, witness his reaction to his defeat in 2000. He was only one of two Rep senators to vote against the Bush tax cuts and he almost became Kerry's running mate. As someone who has been fighting McCain for several years on immigration starting with the 2006 Senate amnesty bill that passed, I have no doubt that he will do whatever is necessary to get amnesty passed whether he is in the Senate or the WH. We will have absolutely no leverage on him. The battle will be fought in the House. Amnesty will pass easily in the Senate.