Posted on 08/23/2006 2:43:28 PM PDT by Shermy
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) -- A town hall meeting with Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, dissolved into angry shouts and walkouts when Craig began discussing the controversial issue of immigration.
"I am sick of listening to these lies," one woman said, interrupting Craig as she left the Tuesday meeting, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported.
Stan Hess, candidate for the North Idaho College Board of Trustees, screamed at Craig as others booed. Before leaving, Hess yelled at a woman, his face inches from hers, as several people tried to separate them.
Craig planned eight town hall meetings in three days during a swing through northern Idaho that ends Thursday.
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He's promoting a plan that would allow some of the 12 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S. to apply for citizenship if they meet certain requirements, including having been in the country at least two years and having paid taxes.
"The reality is that there are 2.5 million jobs here that Americans won't do," Craig told the 60 people at the Coeur d'Alene meeting. "For 20 years, immigration laws have failed. We know there's a problem and we're working on it. The first step is securing the border and we're doing that."
Craig asked people to listen to the proposal, but some said they wanted illegal immigrants deported immediately. Others said Craig wasn't doing his job.
The senator is accustomed to spirited town hall meetings, said his spokesman, Sid Smith.
"It's fair to say it was pretty confrontational and at some point looked like it was about to get kind of ugly," Smith told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "But we weren't really thinking about calling the police. I was there and talked to all our staff who were there, and they agreed it was ugly, but not that ugly.
"It certainly isn't the first time it's been a very spirited and emotional town hall meeting," Smith said. "I would say (Craig) wasn't surprised or disappointed in that."
Craig also held town hall meetings in Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry on Tuesday, which Smith said were more subdued.
Craig telling the little people what jobs they won't do.
Civility in public debate remains dead and buried.
The natives are restless....
At least Craig, and other Republicans, have heard first-hand how Americans REALLY feel about illegal immigrants. The fact that we don't want illegal immigrants here doesn't seem to penetrate the politicians' thick skulls.
Craig wants two things when it comes to jobs: Cheap Labor, and no released felon African-Americans on the premises.
Craig is a twit. I got a couple of emails from him telling me how people who call the immigration billin the senate "amnesty" are misleading others. He isn't listening to our concerns, he is trying to figure out how to spin things in his direction. He is very insulting, and I hope he loses the next primary on this issue.
He also supports in-state tuition for illegals, and driving privilages.
Surprise. People don't like it when their country is destroyed.
The reality is that Craig is out of touch, otherwise he would have know that saying that to a crowd of middle class Americans would have produced the exact result he got.
Craig was a rancher reportedly. Seems to be in the pocket of Big Agriculture.
From Wiki:
""Senator Larry Craig attempted to amend the Iraq War supplemental bill with AgJOBS bill (S. 359). The AgJOBS amendment would have granted legal status to roughly 500,000 to 1 million illegal immigrants in farm work. However, Sen. Craig was only able to garner 53 of the 60 votes needed for the amendment. 60 votes were needed instead of the usual 51 because the amendment was not relevant to the matter at hand. He is a supporter of President Bush's Guest-Worker Program. A version of the AgJOBS bill legislation is included in the Senate-passed immigration reform bill."
Let's assume that's true - that there are some jobs so low that only illegals will do them. Does anyone think that these people will stay in those jobs once they get legal residency? Or will they maybe head on down to Home Depot and apply to work in the warehouse?
And where were you on the night in question? ;-)
The answer that Senator Craig and his ilk need to understand is quite simple:
#1 - America is at war.
#2 - Our current border situation constitutes a threat to our national security.
#3 - Begin deporting illegals TODAY. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll be finished.
#4 - Militarize the borders.
As an attention getter, announce that any individual or group attempting to smuggle drugs across our borders will be shot. Why?
See #1.
Thank God, otherwise these morons would think we are happy and stupid.
Craig might have some mental deficiencies. He cites that 2.5 million figure like Gospel. No doubt comes from some business lobby talking points sheet, or info laundered through some ethnic-pressure group front for the lobbies.
"The reality is that there are 2.5 million jobs here that Americans won't do"
Mr. Craig surely mislaid the memo from National, stating that this phrase tested poorly, and is to be replaced with "jobs that Americans aren't doing."
ping
You are so correct. A sleeping giant is beginning to awaken.
Craig is an f'ing sellout. He's finished in this state.
This kind of guy is the problem.
I grew up in Idaho in the 50's, great place. Craig is a RINO.
So if we make them Americans, then the problem isn't solved is it?
The good Senator should revel in democracy at work.
Craig should talk to the Texas border sheriffs who see first-hand what kind of scum is entering the country from south of the border.
BS. We have plenty of able-bodied people on welfare, living off street-crime, and in taxpayer-funded worthless educational programs, to do all those jobs. End the hand-outs, and end the tolerance of career criminals. When people have no food to eat, and no shelter, and will be arrested and imprisoned if they commit crimes, nearly all of the will magically become willing to the jobs that they're currently refusing to do. Why does this guy think the Mexicans are willing to do these jobs? Special genes?
And the other part of the equation is ended all the disincentives to employers to hire legal workers. The minimum wages, workers' comp, unemployment, discrimination/harassment suits anytime they try to fire a lousy worker, the health insurance mandates -- all of it. When employers can hire legal workers for what the employer thinks they're worth, and fire them whenever they are no longer wanted or needed, many employers will eagerly do so. Government meddling has made it so expensive to hire legal workers, that some businesses simply can't afford to do it -- they have to use illegals or go out of business.
This clown is a LOSER. He is supposed to represent Veterans interests. WRONG, he has his own agenda. People of Idaho need to wake up!
"Mr. Craig surely mislaid the memo from National, stating that this phrase tested poorly, and is to be replaced with "jobs that Americans aren't doing.""
Craig is using Bush's first version of that meme. another alteration was "jobs Americans aren't willing to do."
My opinion of the businesses who hire illegals are just plain anti-American.
They claim that "Americans just won't pay X dollars for lettuce, their homes or their lawns to be mowed. Why not give it a try - maybe, just maybe, like the price of gas, we will, when it is necessary.
Big business just desires to make more of a profit to please their investors - NOT to please the American People!
My guess is it died with adherence to the Constitution.
"I am sick of listening to these lies," one woman said, interrupting Craig as she left the Tuesday meeting,
Me too, lady.
Term limits for everyone. Remember citizen government? Get off the stage Craig. Youve done enough to..er..for us.
Good.
Everyone that lies and tries to devalue our laws and soveriegnty deserves to hear what Americans think of them.
We aren't stupid Senator.
Got some buds that still live in rural ID. They are scared of the gangs and all that go with the gang "culture".
Up here in Alaska, the gangs now seem mostly pacific islanders - nasty bunch, that.
This underclass is already here, and we are already paying.
The question is... what to do about it.
Getting rid of people already here is a lot harder than keeping new illegals from entering. That's why I am far more interested in what plans there are to secure the borders going forward.
Joe Schwarz didn't want to hear about it either. Now he won't have to.
Amen Cindy
Term Limits has done nothing to help things in California. In fact, the legislators that have been coming into office since term limits are even more left-wing, goofy, and completely out of touch, than ever before.
For the same reason the press doesn't get it. The only people they talk to are themselves.
So Senator Craig what the hell are the other 9.5 million other illegals doing.
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