"How did it come to pass that an opposition's measure of a president's foreign policy was all or nothing, success or "failure"? The answer is that the political absolutism now normal in Washington arrived at the moment--Nov. 7, 2000--that our politics subordinated even a war against terror to seizing the office of the presidency." - Daniel Henninger - WSJ 11/18/05
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"the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts." - George Orwell
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Thursday, April 27, 2006

Those Who Have Ears To Hear, Let Them Listen ...

Cross posted from Red Hot Cuppa Politics

A story with a moral from the Seattle pi, StetsonTip ViolenceWorker at the CoalitionBlog:

IRVINE, Calif. -- Laurie Lisonbee worried about illegal immigration but figured it was somebody else's issue - until she saw hundreds of thousands of immigrants and their supporters marching across her TV screen...

Soon, Lisonbee had recruited several friends to attend a demonstration by the Minuteman Project, a volunteer group that patrols the border to keep out illegal immigrants. Now, the 51-year-old art professor checks the group's Web site daily and plans a summer trip to the Mexican border to help build a fence...

We're not trying to be more mainstream - mainstream has found us," said Stephen Eichler, the group's executive director. "They're saying, 'These guys actually have teeth, they don't all chew tobacco, they don't all have a gun rack in the back of their truck...

Here's the moral, for any politician with ears to hear:

"My vote will go to the candidate who's the toughest on immigration, whether they're Democrat or Republican," she said from her home in Orem, Utah. "Before, we were pretty much the types of people who would call our congressmen and not take to the streets. But that's all changed now."

So, who in Washington's listening?

Well, there's President Bush, who met with Senate leaders to work on an earned citizenship part of a potential immigration reform bill. He excluded Cornyn and Kyle, who had the temerity to propose that illegal immigrant felons be deported. Kay Bailey Hutchison wasn't invited, either.

From the WashingtonTimes, StetsonTip UnCooperativeBlogger:

Mr. Bush in brief remarks to the press said there was agreement to get "a bill that does not grant automatic amnesty to people, but a bill that says, somebody who is working here on a legal basis has the right to get in line to become a citizen." But senators, speaking afterward, said Mr. Bush was far more specific in the meeting. "There was a pretty good consensus that what we have put into the Hagel-Martinez proposal here is the right way to go," said Sen. Mel Martinez, Florida Republican.

The Hagel-Martinez bill would divide illegal aliens into three groups. Most of those who have been in the country for more than five years would be granted access to citizenship, those here more than two years but less than five years would have to go home first but would also be eligible for citizenship, while those here two years or less would not have a path

Hm. Every time I see Chuckie Hagel's name on something, I usually locate the mental barf-bag.

Okay, that's how well our President is listening. How about the illustrious Senate leaders?

Well, yesterday, they swiped 1.9 billion from a proposed emergency budget supplemental for Iraq to apply to border enforcement. Nutty, just nutty -- from Bloomberg:

April 26 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Senate voted to use $1.9 billion from an emergency spending measure to buy more patrol boats, aircraft and other equipment to secure the U.S. borders.

The money would come from cutting funds from defense programs in the $106 billion supplemental spending legislation that is being considered by the Senate.

The chamber's 59 to 39 vote approves an amendment to use $1.9 billion to replace surveillance aircraft, patrol boats, ``outdated'' vehicles, communications equipment and other improvements that lawmakers said were urgently needed to secure the nation's borders.

``The purpose of this amendment is to basically give the people who are defending us on our borders -- the border security agents, the Customs agents, the Coast Guard -- the tools they need to their job right,'' said Senator Judd Gregg, a New Hampshire Republican. ``We can bring the border under control and we're on a path to do that.''
(wow. New Hampshire's gotta have such a huge Illegal immigrant problem. How about letting border state law enforcement do its job? How about overhaul of the INS? -- FB)

The border security spending is part of an effort by Majority Leader Bill Frist to gain support for pending legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration laws that is now stalled in the Senate.

Democrats denounced the spending plan, saying it forced lawmakers to choose between supporting U.S. troops and protecting the country's borders.

Republicans, who said the cuts would only come at the expense of non-emergency defense programs, said their plan was fiscally responsible because it would not increase the size of the spending legislation.


Well, in terms of emergency spending, I guess fisheries are in greater crisis than Iraq:

Republicans fought over what, if anything, to strip from the bill, and some of the senators who said they would sustain the veto also rejected an effort by conservatives to restore the bill to Mr. Bush's original request. That vote, 72 to 26, retained provisions for farm subsidies, aid for the fisheries industry and a $700 million proposal to relocate a freight railroad in Mississippi.(can you spell oink? -- FB)

Guess who is listening, though? Why, Madame Hillary's calling it "a false, cheap choice to secure political points."

And, she should know.

**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.**





 

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