Lott backs use of troops to protect U.S. borders

I was looking at some back posts, and found this gem. What a coincidence...Senator Lott supports using the military on the border, and soon after he lacks support as Senate Majority Leader. Hmmmm........

Ring-a-ping-ping!

So, what do you think? Did coming out for military might on the border seal Senator Lott's fate, particularly after making that dumb arsed statement at Senator Thurmond's birthday bash?

I don't know anything about Senator Lott's leadership, and until the fuss about what he said at Strom Thurmond's party, I had no opinion about his leadership. It just seemed that what he said was taken out of context and that Senator Lott did not get the support that he should have from Republicans.

This article seems to add a dimension to the whole thing. The administration does not support the views of a large part of its constituency on this issue. Having a Senate Majority leader supporting border security would have been huge.

We have a border policy. It is called "status quo". Nobody has the guts to enforce our borders and nobody is going to open them up to all comers. So, we suffer this current onslaught which has detrimental consequences.

Ping for Monday discussion.

"Most politicians run around worried about civil libertarians and being sued by the ACLU," Lott said on the Thursday night broadcast, according to a transcript of the interview posted on the Fox News website. "This is not only a porous border in terms of illegal aliens, it's also a porous border with regard to crime and drugs."

Lott will say anything depending on the situation or the questioner. He is a spineless politician.

"..a conservative talk show on Fox.."

Are there any shows the media label as liberal?

Fascinating!

Yes I thing GWB & Karl Rove had it in for Lott after this for sure! The whole "blow up" I'm sure was leaked from Rove's office as he finds that people that are against immigration to "never darken the White House doorstep" again (his words to Tancredo).

I always knew it was the Repubs who played dirty politics on Trent. This is more proof.

Migrating to US? Wait for Frist
The Economic Times of India ^ | December 24, 2002 | URMI A GOSWAMI

Posted on 12/24/2002 12:31 PM PST by sarcasm

NEW DELHI: There might be some good news for the Indian wanting to go to the United States. It seems that US Senator Bill Frist from Tennessee is most likely to take over as US Senate majority leader now that Senator Trent Lott has resigned. Senator Frist has a long history of supporting immigration. This is like manna from heaven, especially since key issues like the reduction in H1-B quota will be up for review in the coming year.

On the H1-B issue, Mr Frist has supported increasing the cap for H1-B immigrants. The slowdown in the US economy has meant a decline in the demand for H1-B skilled workers. This has given anti-immigration law makers, administrators and policy makers in the US to propose that after the AC21 law of 2000 runs its course in September 2003, the number of H1B visas should be limited to the originally stipulated 65,000 visas per year. Given Senator Frist’s history of being supportive of immigration issues, it is hoped that the cap on H1-B, economy permitting, will not be reduced. Indians would stand to gain given the fact that nearly 50% of H1-Bs, even during lean times, are snapped up by Indians. In 2001, Mr Frist co-sponsored a legislation to create new agricultural guestworker programme. While the legislation does not affect Indians at large, it provides a fair indication of the senator’s stand on issues of immigration. Besides immigration, Mr Frist is known for his work on healthcare initiatives. This too could prove a positive signal for Indian doctors aspiring to move to the US. As is known, the US has been experiencing a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals. The US administration’s taken several steps to make it possible for foreign medical students to stay and practice in the US. With someone with a history of being supportive of immigration and commitment to healthcare as the US Senate majority leader, chances are that legislations benefiting immigrants will face less opposition.

TOPICS

So, we suffer this current onslaught which has detrimental consequences.

The politicians won't get serious until a US city gets nuked. Maybe then they will decide the Hispanic vote too costly.

The USSR managed to close their borders pretty well. (If you could keep people in so well, I suspect you could keep them out.) We have the technology. I say put in a call to Putin.

Frist weak on immigration, groups say
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Saturday, December 21, 2002

Posted on 12/20/2002 10:16 PM PST by JohnHuang2

Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Frist, who has declared his intention to run for Senate majority leader, has a weak record on immigration – a core conservative issue – according to groups and organizations that rate lawmakers on their positions.

Such groups have given Frist low marks on the issue of curbing illegal immigration, voting to limit legal immigration, immigrant amnesty and the implementation of a so-called "guest worker" program – where residents south of the border are given special permission to come into the U.S. to work.

Many who do come into the U.S. under such programs never leave, critics say.

Last month, Americans for Better Immigration gave Frist an overall grade of "D" over the span of his career.

"Sen. Frist voted to continue a chain migration system that has been the primary reason for annual immigration levels snowballing from less than 300,000 in 1965 to around a million today," said a profile summary analysis in November by Numbers USA, a group seeking immigration curbs.

Issues2000.org, meanwhile, said Frist had "no opinion" to this statement: "Immigration helps our economy – encourage it."

Frist has announced his intention to seek the Senate majority leader position. Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., announced earlier today that he would not retain the leadership post when the 108th Congress convenes next month.

The Mississippi Republican stepped down as Senate leader earlier today after taking fire from Republicans and Democrats for two weeks following his endorsement of Sen. Strom Thurmond's 1948 segregationist presidential campaign at the South Carolina senator's 100th birthday party.

But Frist, an ally of President Bush, may not be the first choice of most conservatives. Besides his weakness on immigration issues, WorldNetDaily reported Friday that the junior Tennessee senator championed the nomination by President Clinton of former Surgeon General David Satcher, a fervent supporter of unrestricted abortion and someone who actually performed abortions.

And, Frist once told National Public Radio that there are no absolute right, absolute wrong answers in medicine. During last year's stem-cell debate, the Tennessee Republican proposed using leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization clinics for scientific research. The Weekly Standard also noted that Frist believes there is a moral imperative to use one unsalvageable life to save another.

Frist, who has also voted in support of bills designed to allow foreign workers from Mexico into the U.S. temporarily, to assist farmers, "has not introduced, co-sponsored or spoken in favor of legislation in the 107th Congress that would reduce chain migration," said the NumbersUSA analysis.

And, "on the heels of the release of a GAO report finding no proof of a high-tech worker shortage and evidence of abuse in the H-1B program, Sen. Frist voted for this foreign-worker bill that contained no worker protections or anti-fraud measures," said the analysis.

The Tennessee Republican did, however, vote against extending an amnesty program to illegal immigrations in 2000 and for a border-security measure in 2002 requiring an entry-exit system in which every visa holder is checked with a biometric identifier upon entering or exiting the U.S.

In stepping aside, Lott thanked his supporters.

"In the interest of pursuing the best possible agenda for the future of our country, I will not seek to remain as majority leader of the United States Senate for the 108th Congress effective Jan. 6, 2003," he said.

"To all those who offered me their friendship, support and prayers, I will be eternally grateful. I will continue to serve the people of Mississippi in the United States Senate," he added.

Bush praised Lott for his decision.

"It was a very difficult decision Trent made on behalf of the American people," said the president in a statement. "Trent is a valued friend and a man I respect. I am pleased he will continue to serve our nation in the Senate and look forward to working with him on our agenda to make America safer, stronger and better."

Sen. Pete Dominici, R-N.M., threw his support to Frist and told Fox News he wanted to move up a Jan. 6 Republican conference meeting to debate the party's fate and affirm Frist as the party leader.

"I think in order to get on with things ? we ought to seriously consider by acclamation electing [Frist] as the new leader and that we do it sooner rather than later so we can get on with our work and complete our holidays in good spirits, knowing we have done the country and the Republican Party's business," he said.

Sens. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have also expressed an interest in becoming majority leader.

Virginia's two Republican senators, John Warner and George Allen, have also backed Frist.

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Lott backs use of troops to protect U.S. borders ^

Posted by OneBunnyLover
On 11/14/2002 11:29 PM EST with 5 comments

Denver Post ^ | November 13, 2002 | By Michael Riley
Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - The incoming majority leader of the Senate said that he now supports sending troops to protect U.S. borders, an indication the Republican Party may harden its stance on immigration after last week's sweep in midterm elections. Speaking last week on the "O'Reilly Factor," a conservative talk show on the Fox News Network, Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said the troops could not only shut down traffic of illegal immigrants but also help stop drug trafficking and cross-border crime. "Most politicians run around worried about civil libertarians and being sued by the ACLU," Lott said on the...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/789318/posts

Lott backs use of troops to protect U.S. borders ^

Posted by dirtboy
On 11/13/2002 9:08 PM EST with 17 comments

Denver Post ^ | 11/13/2002 | Michael Riley
Wednesday, November 13, 2002 - The incoming majority leader of the Senate said that he now supports sending troops to protect U.S. borders, an indication the Republican Party may harden its stance on immigration after last week's sweep in midterm elections. Speaking last week on the "O'Reilly Factor," a conservative talk show on the Fox News Network, Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said the troops could not only shut down traffic of illegal immigrants but also help stop drug trafficking and cross-border crime. "Most politicians run around worried about civil libertarians and being sued by the ACLU," Lott said on the...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/788505/posts

Lott Bombshell: Put Troops on U.S. Borders ^

Posted by kattracks
On 11/08/2002 1:38 AM EST with 128 comments

NewsMax.com ^ | 11/08/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
Soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., shook up the homeland security debate Thursday afternoon by saying his supported deploying the U.S. military to guard America's borders. Lott dropped the border bombshell during an interview with Fox News Channel host Bill O'Reilly on O'Reilly's nationally syndicated "Radio Factor" program. O'REILLY: Why not back up the Border Patrol with military, whether it's National Guard or straight troops - why not do it? LOTT: Well, I think we should do it. And I would be for.... O'REILLY: Do you really? LOTT: Oh, absolutely. O'REILLY: You're the first politician I've heard.... LOTT:...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/784912/posts

Sen. Trent Lott on O'Reilly's radio show says he supports US Troops on our borders. ^

Posted by Babsig
On 11/07/2002 6:36 PM EST with 170 comments

O'Reilly Radio Factor | 11/7/02 | Bill O'Reilly
Did anyone else hear this? Trent Lott said he would support bring home US troops from Germany to guard our borders. But also said it would not be widely supported in congress.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/784706/posts

Troops on the border is only part of the equation. The other part is repeal of the 1965 Immigration Act. It lets everyone who comes into this conuntry, illegally or not, AUTOMAGICALLY bring in their families. And everyone of those people can bring in THEIR families etc. It's NUTS!

Godspeed

Congressman Charlie Rangel (D) NY is wanting to reinstitute the draft for military service. Maybe that would help increase the manpower to do such a thing.

Thanks for bringing up all of those articles. What I don't think happened (in time, perhaps) was that the possible connection was made. I thought it was about the PBA ban that Senator Lott promised to bring up.

I'm beginning to think that Senator Lott is a Conservative with a mind of his own. I hope he becomes the Tancredo of the Senate!

Lott, along with just about everyone else inside the Beltway, who opened their mouths, reacted in a ridiculous way to the recent flap. (See Trent Lott Affair--Anatomy & Context Of A Smear.)

That said, I think that we can expect some further fall out, now that the Left has successfully flexed their muscle. Although that success reflected more the lack of moral fibre among politicians in general, rather than anything persuasive in their argument, it has encouraged them. And, as a practical matter, the need to get our borders closed to third world immigration, will encounter a lot of nasty rhetoric by those who will suggest that it is "racist" to want to maintain the traditional character of the population. They will continue to play that card until we stand up and demonstrate that it will not work for them.

Our position is not hopeless. But we need to rediscover the basic values, which have always included family ties, common culture, kith and kin and shared history--that a nation is not a game of musical chairs.

William Flax

So, what do you think? Did coming out for military might on the border seal Senator Lott's fate, particularly after making that dumb arsed statement at Senator Thurmond's birthday bash?

I think Lott's statements supporting the use of the military on the borders was THE defining event that put him on the outs with Bush's Open Borders Cabal. Whether or not Lott would have pushed hard for this as SML is doubtful at best. It didn't matter though. The fact that Lott brought up an issue that underscores Bush's dereliction of duty as commander and chief was enough for Bush to put him in his Black Book.

IMO, Bush's vanity is nearing Bill Clinton levels. The Photo-Op Presidency is alive and well. A quick glance at the daily Dose threads on FR is ample evidence of this.

"What the military is trained to do and what the border patrol is trained to do are very different missions," Kelly said. "You risk some terrible mistakes if you don't have people properly trained to enforce our immigration laws."

They why in the hell does our military perform "peacekeeping" duties in other countries?

Give me a break! They are trained to DEFEND this country. Bring them home to do THEIR JOBS. I bet the great American servicemen and women would much happier guarding the United States than they would guarding a bunch of Moslem Kosovars who use the shield of the NATO forces to destroy churches and murder Serbian Christians.

But will we keep the republic? As George Washington said.