Jun 04 2007
Fred Barnes Supports Immigration Bill
More and more the far right is losing its support in the conservative coalition. Now Fred Barnes makes a good case as to why this is a good immigration bill, better than anything before and anything we will see again.
t the top of the list of what conservatives can get is significantly beefed-up security along America’s southern border. And that’s just what’s in the initial bill negotiated by Republican Sen. Jon Kyl and Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy. Without blowing up the Kyl-Kennedy compromise, border enforcement can be further strengthened through amendments. Indeed, it was strengthened, in the first week of debate in May, with an amendment by Republican senator Judd Gregg that requires “demonstrated” operational control of the entire border with Mexico.
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Next is a temporary worker program. We desperately need one. There’s a labor shortage in America and not only in agriculture. That’s why businesses employ so many illegal immigrants in the first place. The Senate bill limits the program to 200,000 foreign workers a year, but that can and should be enlarged. And in a bow to conservatives, guest workers must return to their native country. There’s no special path to citizenship for them, as there was in last year’s Senate immigration bill.
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Perhaps best of all, there’s a reform that’s been drastically undervalued by conservatives and everyone else: the end of chain migration.
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Also terminated in the Kyl-Kennedy legislation, thank heavens, is the “visa lottery” that lets 50,000 immigrants in annually, their names selected at random. Among those who have benefited was Hesham Mohamed Ali Hedayet, an Egyptian with a Muslim Brotherhood background whose wife won a green card in the lottery. In a 2002 terrorist attack, he opened fire on the line of passengers at the El Al ticket counter at Los Angeles International Airport, killing two people.
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Fine, some conservatives think, let’s cool our heels. Attitudes on immigration will change. Then we can take action. But this means waiting until Washington is ruled by Senate majority leader Jim DeMint, House speaker Tom Tancredo, and President Pat Buchanan. It means waiting forever.
At no time in the recent past could conservatives get what they crave on immigration and nothing more. And at no time in the foreseeable political future will they get only what they want, with no serious concessions or compromises, weakening amendments or offsetting liberal modifications.
And besides that, all the naysayers have are unsubstantiated fears which really have very little chance of coming true. This Bill will pass if the liberal poison pills can be defeated in the Senate this week. Reality is starting to sink in and the zero sum folks are losing support quickly.
But surfing around today I have seen right of center blogs starting to ask what is going on here at AJ’s place.
That should give all a bit of pause
Really? I’d sure like to know where!
Hey, I think I’ve posted pretty centrist today! Even Moderates care about the Environment, right?
Stevevvs
http://tinyurl.com/2htzjd
Ted’s game is plain for all to see.
If he wanted this bill he would have been wall to wall face time on all the weekend talk shows.
Right now he is playing put a bill out and if it passes or fails it doesn’t matter. If it does , I get some of what I want and all the other trigger stuff wont likely hit until GW is gone.
Until then I just kick the hornets nest of the other side to stir them up and wait to see if I get an upfront bill along with extra seats in the next election as bonus points.
Then I can put the sequel to this bill through or just gut the provisions I don’t like by not funding them or funding them at a level that just gives them lip service like a slow bleed.
You are missing the point with not just Ted Kennedy but with most of the senators. Deals are made in congress: “you back my bill and I won’t make a complete ass of you on Iraq since the American people want to WIN in Iraq and your guys want to lose….”
MerlinOS2,
Thanks for the link. All kidding aside, I hate to see that. I think AJ is a good guy, and I agree with him on a lot of issues.
Jefferson, Plame, Global Warming, the war, I’m with AJ. But on this issue, I do believe he is under informed. But what bugs me, is any contrary info. that people provide to help him out, he poo poos. I have to leave here a lot, just out of shear frustration.
I don’t understand the love of people who broke into your Country. I don’t. I understand that they want to better their lives, I get that. But I think we have Immigration for a reason. And border hopping isn’t immigration.
Also, I don’t understand folks believing that this amnesty, the 8th or 9th sense 1986, yes this one will be different. Why, border Security, it’s in there. Yes it is, and has been in all the others. So, I’m sorry, I’ve heard it all before. It would help if we actually had a President who has done all he can about this. But anyone who is honest with themselve knows, and the stats back it up, he has been the worst at any kind of Immigration Related Enforcement sense 1986. That’s sad on many fronts. But particularly when our Country has been at war for over 4 years, and still, none of this is taken seriously.
It makes me sad, as I voted for Bush twice. I can’t wait for him to be gone! All my excitement over him betting Kerry has been lost.
And I honestly believe that this bill will destroy any Conservative Movement going Forward. Already what was a solid Republican South, has been lost by this influx of Illegals voting in our elections, and it will only get worse, as they are instantly legalized. And with Bush going against the base of the party…
You know, I use to think how stupid the Dems were to keep Clinton in power. But I gotta say, George Bush, the Guy I voted for twice, in his second term, has done more damage to his party than Clinton did to the Dems. That is truely sad. Republicans are suppose to be the Law and Order Party, look what George ignored! They say a minimum of 25% of the Illegals came on his watch, while we are AT WAR! Think about that! WHO ELSE GOT THRU?
Well, I guess I’m done for the day. I hope you folks see things better than I do, but honestly, I think the Country, in every way going forward, will be worse off if this bill passes. I hate to think of the future tax rate supporting these un educated guests we seem in capable of doing anything about, and the ones coming behind them. Enjoy your night folks!
“Already what was a solid Republican South, has been lost by this influx of Illegals voting in our elections, and it will only get worse, as they are instantly legalized”
stevevvs what in the heck are you talking about.Where in the South are illegals voting in any significant numbers in the SOuth lol. Also do you think a Alien that is on really probation is going to mess up pathway to vote? If they get caught they are out.
“Yes it is, and has been in all the others. So, I’m sorry, I’ve heard it all before. It would help if we actually had a President who has done all he can about this”
You accuse AJ of leaving stuff out then act like Bush has done nothing. THat is silly
“But anyone who is honest with themselve knows, and the stats back it up, he has been the worst at any kind of Immigration Related Enforcement sense 1986. ”
I think that has been discussed on another thread. We also are having a doubling of the border patrol on his watch.
The Republican Party cannot survive as the anti-immigrant party. Note not immigration but immigrant. In politics appearence and emotion count for more than reality and logic. Another observation is that conservatives are not united in opposition to this bill. The WSJ and the Weekly Standard are supportive. So if anything the Republicans can define the right as pro-immigrant but not anit-american open borders/free citizenship like the far left. GWB in one stroke can purify the party of the cranky cons of the far right and leave the optimistic cons along with the traditional value cultural right as the core of the party. It is another Rovian plot. One last thing is that political majorities produce compromises that become monstrosities. And this bill is a monster. The sad commentary is that the Republicans had a chance the last two years to pass such a bill and prove they are a mature majority. Alas, they failed. Let us see if the Dems can act like a majority. If not, then politics as we know it will change.
Terrye
It seems that I hear a few things from the other side on this. First just incredible disbelief that one isnt opposed to this bill.
They “charitably” say we are uninformed or have to be”. Again concerns of the GOP Coalition that got them here are ignored.
Finally, the old fall back of well the Govt will not enforce it. Well if that is there belief I need to know who they are backing for president if they have no faith their guy or gal will enforce the laws.
What is sort of amusing is hearing that line from people I suspect that are not on the receiving end of the Govt enforcement of laws. ME thinks they need to go down to a Federal Courthouse sometimes. Many people that got hhoked up on drugs know so clearly that they enforce the laws. Ever got a call from the IRS?
In the end it is silly. THis actually gets the law into an enforceable mode. I am former attorney and I can see that quite clearly. Heck I used to be a former asst DA. SO I know a few things about burden of proof.
One comment to all that are getting on aj here.
Were yall urging restraint when many of were being called RINOS an far worse. IF you were great. But many of us because of what we supported or who we supported were treated horribly.
I am hit the blogs the forums etc. We got banned from a lot of them because of our view on this issue or some of the other hot button ones AJ mentions. Very rarely did I see people try to reign people in when they were attacking us.
I am sort of shocked that people don’t see why we feel this way. Now we are called to restraint. Maybe we should. But I rarely saw in comment section the last 2 years similar calls to the other side
there is only one hot issue here. secure the border. everything else is people with private agendas. this bill does not secure the border. it does a lot of wonderful things except the most important–closing the border to all walk in illegal immigration. as i have said too many times to mention since august 06 all things are possible with the american public as long as closing the border, once and for all, is the first bill.
it is quite entertaining to watch people twist themselves in knots trying to make themselves believe that “this time” politicians will finally enforce the laws they actually wrote. personally i think that calls for couseling. if you read this far into the comments you have now heard that even the CBO says this bill will at best stop 25% of illegal immigration across the border. these right wing cabals are getting out of control!
lsufan
I think that has been discussed on another thread. We also are having a doubling of the border patrol on his watch.
Give us a break, you’ve said that before. Give us page number song and verse. and don’t cite the white house webb site. They’re tooting their own horn.
big lsu guy
ME thinks they need to go down to a Federal Courthouse sometimes. Many people that got hhoked up on drugs know so clearly that they enforce the laws. Ever got a call from the IRS?
please,,,, you’ve got me all choked up…
So, you’re saying these illegal aliens are getting called by the IRS? how did the IRS get their disposable phone numbers? And are they calling them by the current name or the name they were using last week?
I think you are confusing enforcing laws against law abiding American citizens vs illegal aliens. Yes, the IRS can get a hold of American citizens.
Do a little research and give me the details of any case involving the IRS prosecuting an illegal alien, for anything.