Posted on 05/18/2007 9:51:16 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Comprehensive or Incomprehensible?
By Fred Thompson
Editor's note: Click here to listen to the original radio commentary this transcript is based on.
Most Americans know that we have an illegal immigration problem in this country, with perhaps as many as 20 million people residing here unlawfully. And I think most Americans have a pretty good idea about how to at least start solving the problem – secure our nation’s borders.
But there’s an old saying in Washington that, in dealing with any tough issue, half the politicians hope that citizens don’t understand it while the other half fear that people actually do. This kind of thinking was apparent with the “comprehensive” immigration reform bill that the U.S. Senate and the White House negotiated yesterday.
I’d tell you what was in the legislation, but 24 hours after the politicians agreed the bill looked good, the Senate lawyers were still writing what may turn out to be a one thousand page document. In fact, a final version of the bill most likely will not be made available to the public until after the legislation is passed. That may come five days from now. That’s like trying to digest an eight-course meal on a 15-minute lunch break.
We’ve tried the “comprehensive” route before to solve the illegal immigration problem with a bit more care and deliberation, and the results haven’t been good. Back in May 1985, Congress promised us that it would come up with a comprehensive plan to solve the problem of illegal immigration and our porous borders. Eighteen months later, in November 1986, that comprehensive plan was signed into law.
Twenty-two years and millions of illegal immigrants later, that comprehensive plan hasn’t done what most Americans wanted it to do — secure America’s borders.
(Excerpt) Read more at article.nationalreview.com ...
Comprehensive = convoluted
I like Fred’s take on this. When is he going to stop being coy and come out and announce his intentions?
Read Peggy Noonan’s piece in the WSJ today. Fred isn’t being coy, he’s being canny.
bttt
Brilliant strategy as far as I am concerned...
Thank God, someone stopped using that idiot number of 12 million.
Even Tom Tancredo cites 12 million. I think the mumber is 30 million, but finally, someone stopped using the bs number of 12.
REMINDER: We're playing for keeps...
Good God YES!!! Secure the freakin’ borders FIRST!!!
I liked Peggy’s take on Fred - and I agree with it.
Someone should name this, instead of “comprehensive”, “compazine immigration plan”...especially since the purpose of both seems to be the same.
June or July, he has to finish his other obligations first and he is well aware of the equal airtime law though he is making a mockery of them.
Very soon. He’s loading the chamber now, and will pull the trigger soon.
Congressman Billybob
Latest article: "Jeffrey Has Escaped, and Other Tales of Divorce"
I want to hear him and the other candidates get specific:
“When I am president, I will do X, Y and Z to secure the borders!”
That would give the voters content to evaluate.
We’ve heard ‘secure the borders’ for 40 years covering the last two Kennedy amnesty bills. It is politospeak.
Even Kerry had a plan for every contingency in 04. We never knew what the contents of the plans. But he had plans. Every speech, we’d hear “I have a plan...”
Frederalist pings.
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