Jun 06 2006
Big Day In CA
As Brendan Miniter notes in today’s WSJ (hat tip RCP) today is an important day to take note of republican (not conservative) electorial futures. Over the last 204 years the Republicans built a majority of confidence in this country by tapping into the compassion and down-home common sense of the American people. By opposing the do-anything-you-want, what-rules? mentality of the NY, DC and LA elites, and by going back to our roots where quality of life always trumped quantities in life, Republicans connected with Mr and Mrs America as they worked to raise the next generation. And now it is all at risk:
Two years ago Francine Busby, a Democrat and school board member in suburban San Diego, ran for Congress and was trounced by Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham. Today Cunningham is behind bars, and Ms. Busby has a very good shot at winning a special election to serve out the remainder of his term.
Sort of says it all, doesn’t it? The only thing that could save the seat is Ms Busby is fairly incompetent, which is obvious from her recent statement about illegal aliens in a region of the country which is completely overwhelmed by the problem:
Immigration looms large in the runoff election Tuesday in the San Diego-area district some 30 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Busby’s remarks, and her subsequent explanation that she misspoke, has drawn much of the attention in the race’s last days.
Speaking to a largely Hispanic audience last Thursday, Busby faced a Spanish-speaking questioner who said he wanted to help her campaign but lacked voting papers. The question was translated into English and she responded, “Everybody can help. You can all help. You don’t need papers for voting, you don’t need to be a registered voter to help.”
…
Busby said repeatedly throughout the weekend that she misspoke. She said she had been trying to encourage underage high school students or people who weren’t registered – but are in the country legally – to participate in the political process.
“I had a slip of the tongue and I corrected it immediately,” Busby said. “I want to make it unequivocal that I do not support anyone who is here illegally voting or working on campaigns.”
We shall see today if Republican incompetence will outshine Democratic incompetence. We are in a race to the bottom. There is something wrong in Congress when bribery charges come to a Republican without question, but similar charges (and a search warrant) go to a Democrat and the Republican leadership jumps up in outrage – to protect the bribed Congressman.
But the other big mistake has been over-heated rhetoric. Nearly a third of the conservative majority in this country is not Republican (count me in that category). Without the middle and left leaning conservatives (who are not ‘moderate’ or ‘spinelss’ – we are simply of differing opinions on some issues) the Reps cannot retain control of Congress (or the Presidency). We supported Reps because the differences were never a barrier. We found common ground and achieved common goals – numerous ones under Bush.
But something took over the far right and it has grown stronger with time. When Congress ran behind the Dubai Port emotions that wiped all logic from the debate they lost a lot of ground with people who have cooler heads and longer visions of what needs to be done to win a peaceful future. Same goes for the immigration issue regarding ‘amnesty’ and paying fines for lack of paperwork. Here there was no common ground, so said the far right. And their insults and holier-than-thou attitudes destroyed the trust that had been built up. It was not ‘work with us to build a future’, it was ‘shut up and do as we tell you’.
I for one cannot stomach the hot headed anger drummed up by the left and it, not any specific issue it was wrapped around, is what made me leave the Democrat party during Reagan. And now I see the same arrogance building up on the right. Who are we to question? We The People?
So it surprises me to see anyone believe we conservatives would rather have Buchanan over Reagan? Or Begala-Carville rudeness over Reagan’s or Bush’s quiet class. Or emotion over reason. The marketeers and money people think this is what we want. But they are dead wrong.
Since 9-11 we have lived through tough times and years of anger and rot from the left. Who can forget the image of Texas Democrats running across state borders from a vote they could not face – during war no less! Or Joe Wilson’s lies about the administration knowingly using forged documents to take us to war. Or the insanities involved in conspiracy theories where Bush knew about 9-11 and let it happen. The lunatic fringe is not a pretty fringe.
But for some reason the Republicans and some of the more visible conservative talking/writing heads have decided this time they will not ‘bow down’ to the broader view in America. They become the ‘all or nothing’ crowd. They too will be swallowed up in anger and lash out at those who disagree.
And in their drive to punish simple people looking to make a living, ‘nothing’ is looking better all the time. And it will be a complete nothing. We The People will not support anger and distrust and emotional outbursts as a foundation to our society. We are done racing to the bottom. My family is too important to indulge hot headed irrationality.
There are conservative democrats out there to go to. For example, if you are a right-to-life person it is hard to get upset with what is happening in PA with Santorum (who I would like to win, but I doubt can). Casey is also right-to-life, and he may be able to finally crack open the pro-abortion hold on the Democrats. To those who put the lives of the unborn as priority over party, Casey actually represents a huge opportunity for progress. He could be a turning point. That is a clear and logical assessment of the options in PA. And that is what the Reps risk establishing – opportunities to connect with the broader America for Democrats.
Like I said, so far the Republicans have been lucky that the far left is far worse and is electing beatable candidates. But if more Casey’s and Leiberman’s and Brueax’s show up on the ballots, the Reps could find themselves back where they started – a minority party with a decade’s fight in front of them. The ‘nothing’ that so many are offering us. Funny thing is it is not ‘nothing’ for those of us who are not party stalwarts – is it?
Addendum: Polls show a tie going in, so that should indicate a Rep win by 3-4% points (the usual bias in all polls). So I am not expecting a loss.
Addendum: I did not realize Busby (D) supported the comprehensive Senate immigration Bill. This could be an interesting race. If Bilbray (R) is smart he did not overplay his hand and come off to harsh on immigrants. If he was too strong, then he will lose votes.
Begala-Carville and I would add the third musketeer of Bill Press are cookies in the same batch.
Having observed them for such a long time, I have developed the opinion, that they don’t even really believe the positions they take. I have mostly observed Begala and Press and watched when they hesitated before answering a question or point of argument rather than answer it in short order due to their conviction. Begala is the most blatant example of someone who trys to pick his words to be the most devisive and message oriented spin that he can come up with his mind at the moment of reaction. I detect no true heartfelt reaction from him. He looks like a total facade that says whatever it takes to keep the checks coming in and laugh all the way to the bank. If the most high profile representatives of the left sound so shallow and lacking conviction it is no wonder they are in the position they are in.
Forget their names, if they were to spout the same logic on any balanced forum, they would be less than respected.
Just my opinion…but it is that.
The immigration situation has been a dance of the 7 veils for years. It has been a system designed to fail. A system that would do anything to avoid actually controlling the borders and immigration. The Senate bill seems designed to continue that hypocritical system. Write in the usual fake and ineffective inforcement and then sprinkle goodies everywhere there might be some votes. Promise anything just get the angry voters back to sleep. The first priority apparently was to give away social security money that we don’t have in order to lure even more illegals to leave poverty sticken parts of Mexico and come and vote Democratic.
In it’s way this hypocrasy has been far worse than simply packing your freezer with cash or your living room with antique rugs. The issue is control of the border and security, start there. The comprehensive solution is a political Christmas tree. If you want a solution that works focus on the border, not pay offs. There will be plenty of time for political pandering later, build the fence, control the border.
Rob,
To oppose the Senate Bill because it has more than you want is ridiculous. The senate Bill includes a stronger boarder, more patrols, high tech monitoring, stronger penalties for employers. Everything you want – except it will not make working for a living a felony.
The Senate Bill requires every immigrant to sign up, get a background check (to stay), learn English and pay back taxes. It doesn’t allow anyone to cheat ahead of the line and get considered for citizenship before those who have been following the process.
Give up your stubborness before you lose it all an Democrats grant full amnesty and citizenship when they take control. Those are your choices – nothing else.
Nothing.
AJ,
The Senate Bill does nothing of the kind.
You cannot force people who have broken the law and not been punished, to agree to accept a new agreement and abide by it.
Especially when there were no consequences to the prior act.
You are fooling youself and doing a disservice to America if you think they will.
Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.
I wish it were not so but it is.
I wish you and the others like this would stop being so lazy and offering everyone the easy way out.
Sorry Get out first and then apply legally and we will fit you in on an as needed basis.
Your way and others like you is a trap for the sake of expediency and guilt.
Be Well
Bloodyspartan,
If the problem were as simple as you claim, we would all agree. Yes, expediency is involved but not guilt. The way you get people to accept a “new agreement” is by making it in their best interests to do so. If the right bill comes out of the joint conference committee, it will be in everybody’s best interest and, thus, a win-win deal for America and the immigrants.
ForEnforcement, earlier,pointed to some language in the Senate Bill that could be interpreted various ways and should be clarified, regarding documentation.
The only laziness I detect is the Congress that has neglected the issue for so long that if the violations were by an American citizen, the statute of limitations would apply.
As sound conservatives we can argue amongst ourselves, but must come together against our common opponent in the general elections.
I tend to agree. I know there are things about both Senate and House bill I do not like, but the important thing is a workable deal out of conference that is supported by the majority of Americans. Hopefully that is not impossible.
I have begun to wonder if some of the hard right want to resolve this, in fact I wonder if they even really care about illegal immigration at all. If they are willing to risk having no bill at all then maybe all they want is an insoluble issue they can use to beat the rest of us over the head with.
But as far as this election in Ca. today I think Busby’s silly comment about “not needing papers” will hurt her. I support comprehenseive immigration reform myself but this woman does not strike me as being too bright.
AJ, what is the number of the Senate bill you are referring to? S.2611 sure doesn’t do anything like what you said.
“To oppose the Senate Bill because it has more than you want is ridiculous. ”
More than you want? It has nothing but Amnesty and I sure don’t want that.
“The senate Bill includes a stronger boarder, more patrols, high tech monitoring, stronger penalties for employers. ”
It only talks about doing these things, it doesn’t require any of them. For example more Border Patrols, it refers to allocating more money to hire more. It doesn’t require more money, in fact, Senate bills can’t do that. As we know, previous legislation has required the same thing over the last few years, But, it simply hasn’t been done. Let me naively point out too, this doesn’t require any better security or enforcement. You’ll notice in reading the Senate bill that EVERY single if, and or but that it talks about, may not be done at the discretion of the DHS.
“Everything you want – except it will not make working for a living a felony.”
Correct, thereby rewarding lawbreakers.
“The Senate Bill requires every immigrant to sign up, ”
But it doesn’t require that their true identity be proven
“get a background check (to stay), ”
Absolutely DOES NOT require this Only requires a signed statement from the illegal, which Can Not be investigated. I quoted the source for this to MACKER a couple days back, as you probably recall.
“learn English ”
Absolutely DOES NOT require this, only that they enroll in an English proficiency course, Attendance is NOT required, completion is NOT required and proficiency is NOT required. And the taxpayers pay for this Non-education.
” and pay back taxes.”
NOT required, only file for 3 of last 5 years, pay any due, no auditing or proof of any kind is required, NONE. As has been pointed out, but they will be eligible for the EITC (or whatever they call it) so the government will, in almost every case, OWE them money
“It doesn’t allow anyone to cheat ahead of the line”
WELL, actually it does, they get ahead of everyone that is still not in this country that have already applied, and they get to wait in this country while those that did it all legally stay back in their country and wait.
“and get considered for citizenship before those who have been following the process.”
WELL, there again, the ones I mentioned above will only be considered after these that did it “illegally”
“Give up your stubborness before you lose it all”
HMMM, not quite sure where the stubborness is here, but it is obvious where a lot of dis and mis information is coming from and I don’t understand what is in it for you. Maybe you truly believe what you say is in this bill, if so, I would like to ask you to read it.
” Democrats grant full amnesty and citizenship when they take control. ”
and why do you want the Republicans to beat them to the punch?
“Those are your choices – nothing else.”
So let me get this straight, the choices are 1. The Republicans grant full amnesty and citizenship first or
2. The Democrats grant full amnesty and citizenship first.
One hell of a choice
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