I like Kristol and I am a subscriber to his magazine but on this issue he couldn't be more wrong.
Y is for Yahoo
Turning the GOP into an anti-immigration party could dash Republican hopes of becoming a long-term governing party.
by William Kristol
04/10/2006, Volume 011, Issue 28
THE HOUSE CAUCUS TO RETURN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO MINORITY STATUS--also known as the House Immigration Reform Caucus--held a press conference Thursday. The GOP solons were upset. The Senate Judiciary Committee had not followed the lead of the House in adopting an "enforcement only" immigration bill. The committee had reported out a sensible and comprehensive immigration bill that includes border security measures, a guest worker program, and, for illegal immigrants already here, a path towards earned legalization and citizenship. There is NOTHING sensible or comprehensive about the Senate Bill. It's Amnesty with NO workable security for the Border
California representative Dana Rohrabacher decried the Senate's guest worker proposal as "the foul odor that's coming out of the United States Senate." After all, he explained, if illegal aliens who do many farm jobs were deported, "the millions of young men who are prisoners around our country can pick the fruits and vegetables. I say, let the prisoners pick the fruits." (I am not making this up.) Though the House bill has no flag-related provision to my knowledge, Virginia representative Virgil Goode nonetheless weighed in, "I say if you are here illegally and want to fly the Mexican flag, go to Mexico and wave the American flag." The first half of Rohrabachers statement is Correct. There is a STINK coming out of the Senate. As for the prisoners keep them locked up.
But the press conference was not heavy on substantive policy argument. Much of it had to do with the political ramifications of the immigration issue. Colorado representative Tom Tancredo explained that President Bush didn't understand the electoral dynamics, and lamented, "Although he's not running for reelection, I wish he would think about his party." Rep. Rohrabacher predicted that Senator McCain and other immigration supporters will find their
careers cut short. One could only hope. The one thing that's for sure is McCain the Traitorous Scum will NEVER be President.
Iowa representative Steve King provided the rhetorical climax of the press gathering when he claimed that the current Senate Judiciary bill is really an amnesty bill (it isn't), and thundered, "Anybody that votes for an amnesty bill deserves to be branded with a scarlet letter, 'A' for amnesty, and they need to pay for it at the ballot box in November." It is an Amnesty Bill, Bill no matter how you read it. If you are not deporting people who broke into this Country it's AMNESTY. It will be the WHOLE Republican Party that pays in November because the base will NOT turn out.
Okay. Let's not talk about substance--since the pro-immigration forces have in fact been winning that debate easily. Let's talk about ballot boxes. BULLSHIT the Pro-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION forces are ignoring the majority of Americans on both sides of the aisle.
Dana Rohrabacher has represented a safe GOP seat in Orange County for almost two decades. He's chosen never to run statewide. In California, Republican governor Pete Wilson exploited the immigration issue to help get reelected in 1994, and the voters passed a Republican-backed anti-immigration measure, proposition 187. No Republican candidate except the idiosyncratic Arnold Schwarzenegger has won statewide since. And that has NOTHING to do with the ILLEGAL immigration issue. It is directly due to the fact that California is the leftwing looney Capital of the Country. Even in the Leftist capital of the country Prof 187 won hands down. A Liberal court threw out the will of the People.
Virgil Goode has a safe GOP seat in Southside Virginia. He's never run statewide. Last fall, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Jerry Kilgore, tried to exploit illegal immigration by denouncing a local community that wanted to build a shelter that might accommodate some illegals. He lost, in a red state, a race he had been favored to win.
Anti-immigration yahoo Tom Tancredo carried the sixth district of Colorado comfortably in 2004 (though running slightly behind pro-immigration George W. Bush). But in Tancredo's state, the GOP did miserably in 2004, with Democrat Ken Salazar winning the Senate seat and Democrats gaining control of both houses of the legislature. Meanwhile, in the safe fifth district of Iowa, Steve King did run two points ahead of George W. Bush in 2004. King was able to outspend his challenger 10-1, while Bush faced a huge Kerry effort in that swing state. I can't speak for Iowa but as for Colorado in the last 10-15 years it has had a population growth of unprecedented size, 90% of which are refugees from California fleeing from the taxes and the outrageous cost of housing in California. All of which are registered Democrats. My mother-in-law lives in Tancredo's district, and if he is a Yahoo so are the 80% of Americans Nationwide that agree with him.
Four GOP senators voted in the Senate Judiciary Committee for the comprehensive immigration bill these blustering House members believe is electoral suicide: Arlen Specter, elected and reelected in blue state Pennsylvania; Mike DeWine, elected and reelected in swing state Ohio; and Lindsey Graham from South Carolina, and Sam Brownback from Kansas--both very popular in their red states. John McCain, lead sponsor of a bill that resembles the Senate Judiciary Committee bill, has a pretty impressive electoral record in Arizona, a competitive state. George W. Bush, a pro-immigration Republican, has won two presidential elections--as did another pro-immigration Republican, Ronald Reagan. Arlen Specter is a Republican in NAME only. I am a committeeman outside Philly and he lost his home area of Philly last Election and barely won the other half of the state. I know I was a vote Counter. The only reason he has won for so long in a Democrat state is because he VOTES like a Democrat. And GW won because of the WAR ON TERROR and NO other reason.
The American people are worried about immigration. In a Pew Survey released last week, 52 percent of Americans saw immigration as a burden, while 41 percent said it strengthened the country; 53 percent support sending illegals home, while 40 percent endorsed a path to citizenship. Given the hoopla about illegal immigration, this division is in fact surprisingly close. In any case, it means GOP senators and congressmen--and presidents--have plenty of room to show leadership and to resist demagoguery. Most Republican officeholders know that the political--and moral--cost of turning the GOP into an anti-immigration, Know Nothing party would be very great. It could easily dash Republican hopes of becoming a long-term governing party. How many Republicans will have the courage to stand up and prevent the yahoos from driving the party off a cliff? That is only one Poll others show up to 80% of the people want ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS deported or locked up.
- William Kristol
You're right Bill this issue will cost the Republican Party dearly. NOT because of an ANTI-IMMIGRATION stance as you describe it, but because of Beltway insiders like yourself and the MSM spinning this as an anti-immigration stance. It is NOT, the majority of the Republican Base is pro immigration pro LEGAL IMMIGRATION and Pro LAW, NO REWARD for those that have flaunted our laws and are now DEMANDING legal status. The question is how many ELECTED YAHOOS will listen to the people that elected them or act like the YAHOOS that they are and do the WRONG THING by giving CRIMINALS citizenship. The next two elections are crucial that the base comes out to vote. We will NOT vote for YAHOO politicians that reward CRIMALIENS with citizenship.
BUILD THE DAMN WALL AND WORRY ABOUT THOSE THAT ARE HERE ALREADY LATER
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