(AZ Republican Senator) Kyl Hits Immigration Head Wind

Wall Street Journal ^ | May 23, 2007 | SARAH LUECK

[bd476]

Senator's Support of Compromise Divides Republican Base

WASHINGTON -- Last year, in the midst of a heated re-election campaign, Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl hurled at his opponent a damaging accusation in the border state: He ran TV ads saying the Democrat supported "amnesty" for illegal immigrants.

Now, as Mr. Kyl backs a bipartisan Senate immigration bill, he is hearing the same charge leveled at him by other Republicans in his state and on conservative blogs and radio shows.

The debate between the conservative Mr. Kyl and his base is one of the most important battles determining the fate of the landmark immigration overhaul. Mr. Kyl hopes his endorsement will help win over other immigration hard-liners, a constituency where he has credibility, particularly after opposing last year's Senate-passed bill as too weak. That's the main reason the Bush administration pinpointed Mr. Kyl early on as a focal point of its legislative strategy.

Mr. Kyl yesterday won a victory in the Senate's first day considering amendments, as fellow lawmakers overwhelmingly defeated an attempt by some Democrats to strip out a temporary "guest worker" program that he backs.

But so far at least, Mr. Kyl appears to be having a hard time drawing the support of his fellow conservatives. And if he ultimately flees -- as he says he still may -- the entire effort is more likely to unravel.

On Monday, protesters outside his Phoenix office waved signs reading "Recall Kyl," reported local radio station KTAR. The state Republican Party chairman, Randy Pullen, held a news conference criticizing the legislation and said the Republican base is upset by Mr. Kyl's support of it.

[bd476]

Senator Kyl is completely out of touch with reality / his constituents.

[Jim Robinson]

"But so far at least, Mr. Kyl appears to be having a hard time drawing the support of his fellow conservatives. And if he ultimately flees -- as he says he still may -- the entire effort is more likely to unravel."

Hit him hard!! Make him flee!!

[teldon30]

That’s the main reason the Bush administration pinpointed Mr. Kyl early on as a focal point of its legislative strategy.

---

Is there anyone on FR supporting Bush on this?

[Jim Robinson]

Not many.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

WSJ, at least in this article, seems to begin to understand the strength of opposition to the attempt to sneak an amnesty bill past the American people.

[AmericanInTokyo]

President Bush will go down in history with a somewhat mixed record--it now begins to appear as we wind down his administration over the next 18 months.

For sure, massive, porous open borders and illegal alien mnesty will be one of the great black marks on his presidency and his legacy.

North Korea (policy drift now morphed into outright appeasement of Pyongyang) will also go recorded as another unfortunate failure.

[bd476]

LOL! The Senator's threat to flee sounds like a plan.

[Omega Man II]

I know people are upset right now, but I don’t see this bill going anywhere. The two week delay was a big clue that politicians are becoming scared. The Republicans’ desire to stay in office will ultimately be greater than their greed for more big business contributions. Liberal Moonbats will oppose it because it doesn’t go far enough in their view. Thus, nothing will happen.

If it was going to pass, it would have been done in the dead of night and been on Bush’s desk the next morning, like they do with the pay raises.

[David Isaac]

“Some Democrats dislike the guest-worker program. Yesterday, the Senate defeated a proposal from Sen. Byron Dorgan (D., N.D.) to strike it from the bill... his proposal failed on a vote of 64-31.”

Thats quite a wide margin for a Senate that is divided so narrowly. If there were Democrats voting to strike it, how many Republicans voted to keep it?

The nation would not be destroyed from within (which amnesty has a very good chance of doing) without the help of the GOP.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

Sessions is going to propose another amendment cutting the guest workers in half. I think it will do better.

[harwood]

I believe that’s Binghaman’s amendment.

[tiger-one]

Do better? Need to know if this means half of the illegals would be given amnesty?

[freeangel]

Didn’t he call his anti (illegal) immigration constituents bigots yesterday?

[beaware]

Sessions is going to propose another amendment cutting the guest workers in half.

I’m not sure how that would be percieved in the court of world opinion. Me thinks its a little drastic. However, if we could get the illegals to THINK it MAY happen, then we may be on to something.... Ha!

[angkor]

Is there anyone on FR supporting Bush on this?

There were several folks preaching the party line on Sunday - "You don't get everything you want all of the time, so stop whining".

As well as the mind-bending "It's 'our fault' that 'we' didn't give President Bush a 2006 Republican Congress that would temper his enthusiasm for immigration."

Yes, you read that corrrectly.

[Big E]

I’m not so sure. They’re going to debate and wrangle and talk over all these details, and eventually convince themselves they’ve done something good. The details, as to whether it’s 100,000, 500,000 guest workers, whether illegals have to touchback or not, whether it’s one day or one week to conduct the background checks are all IRRELEVANT. They will try to convince us it a great bill, but will all know they are not going to enforce ANY of it. Other than to issue the probationary visas, which in absence of any enforcement, are de facto citizenship.

[Vaquero]

Kyl out of touch.

[browardchad]

If it was going to pass, it would have been done in the dead of night and been on Bush’s desk the next morning, like they do with the pay raises.

Don't underestimate Bush and the Democrats. The administration has pulled out all the stops, labeling the conservative base as bigots, or worse, if you listen to Chertoff's vitriol.

The Dems see it as the perfect storm; do nothing, say nothing, and let Bush, the Rinos and those he can browbeat into submission destroy the Republican party. The Dems will gladly turn America into a balkanized welfare state in return for the prospect of remaining in power for decades, and Bush obviously cares not a whit about the damage.

[angkor]

The two week delay was a big clue that politicians are becoming scared.

All reports are that the spontaneous calls, emails, faxes and letters were overwhelming in number, and also overwhelming in opposition.

On C-SPAN yesterday, Rep. Royce of California said "1000 to 1 against". When I called the RNC on Friday, the lady taking my call said "3,000 calls an hour", and she did not sound very cheery.

Conversely, my own Sen. John Warner's (RINO, VA) office said they'd received "some calls in support". When I asked why anyone from Virginia would call a Republican senator to support it, and what they were saying, I got a vague "Oh, just that they are in favor," which was clearly a falsehood. I felt like I was talking to a Democratic senator's staff.

So I think we (citizens) have gotten them to back off for a while, but the pressure should be kept on until the bill's demise is certain.

Sorry as I am to say it, I'm quite certain that GWB will try this again, some way and somehow, before Jan 2009.

[spectre]

"He ran TV ads saying the Democrat supported "amnesty" for illegal immigrants."

Has Kyle convinced himself he is not voting for amnesty? Or is he just a Liar.

We have to clean house, and vote out the people we can't trust to represent us.

Color him gone.

sw