Things to Like in the Immigration Bill - What conservatives are missing.

The Weekly Standard ^ | June 1st, 2007 | Fred Barnes

[JohnLocke23]

Conservatives are sometimes blind to what's in their own best interest. This is especially true on immigration, all the more so on the narrower matter of the bipartisan immigration reform bill now before the Senate. The bill gives conservatives a large chunk of what they've wanted for years, plus some things they don't want. The balance is heavily in their favor, though, and they're crazy to oppose this once-in-a-lifetime chance to stop illegal immigration and enact sensible policies for legal immigration.

At the top of the list of what conservatives can get is significantly beefed-up security along America's southern border. And that's just what's in the initial bill negotiated by Republican senator Jon Kyl and Democratic senator Ted Kennedy. Without blowing up the Kyl-Kennedy compromise, border enforcement can be further strengthened through amendments. Indeed, it was strengthened, in the first week of debate in May, with an amendment by Republican senator Judd Gregg that requires "demonstrated" operational control of the entire border with Mexico.

Then there's the "trigger," a brainstorm of Republican senator Johnny Isakson. It delays further reform--including issuance of Z visas allowing the estimated 12 million illegals in the United States to stay indefinitely--until all the steps to tighten border security have been taken.

[EverOnward]

"Eliminating the southern border might be the only way to fix this problem, send in the army and take over, perhaps all the way to Panama."

Bush is busy eliminating the army in Iraq by making them into babysitters for the insane.

[Maeve]

Oh my... vomit in aisle three...

[EverOnward]

"Now what do we do?"

Begin to organize. Set out our core beliefs (keeping them simple) and go from there, one step at a time.

[beckysueb]

That sounds like a plan. Its going to be so hard but we just HAVE to do it! I guess we start at the grass roots. I am going to fight so hard. I guess we are in a kind of a war now. Too bad it is against our own party. I am just so disappointed in President Bush. I used to think he could do no wrong. Now its like we have become his enemies.

[Luke21]

How did I know it was Butt Boy Barnes without even clicking on the thing?

[Czar]

Barnes is a neocon fool...

[beckysueb]

I just had a thought. Could it be possible that President Bush is really not very smart like the libs say, and maybe he is niave enough to think the things in this bill will actually be enforced? Maybe he knows we’re all mad as hell and there isn’t going to be any explaining that we will listen to so he thinks he can just ram it through and then he thinks it will work and we will get over being mad. I guess what I am trying to say is it possible that Bush has been sold a bill of goods too, and just doesn’t see it. Over the years he has done some really stupid things, like CFR for instance. Maybe he really is just dumb like the libs say. I just think there has to be some explanation. He is usually such a caring person. Has it all been for show? Our troops trust him and love him. I just don’t understand it.

[betsyross1776]

i DON’T THINK ANYBODY IS GOING TO BE HAPPY WITH IMMIGRATION NO HOW! The only thing we are doing is insulting anybody who has any ideas. Nobody is going to be happy with any of it. Especially the white hoods who hate everybody and then fidnout there is a horse thief in their own family. This has gone to far . On the right the Coulterites hate the bill on the left the sorosites hate the bill. Nobody has come to a solution and when one is proposed we all hate it. So what is the answer? everybody go back to where we all came from and let the Indians travel back to China thru the Bering straights and we will all be happy. I never saw so much hate over an issue like this.We are all on all sides becoming a ship of fools. A ship going nowhere fast!

[beckysueb]

I can’t speak for the rest of FR but I am just plain scared. Scared for my children and grandchildren and what their future holds. I see our once great country going downhill fast and I don’t know what to do.

[Ohioan]

Fred Barnes is hardly someone who should be given much credibility on the immigration question. His reasoning in the past has been so flawed, that I actually named a logical error discussed in my book, The Conservative Debate Handbook, the "Barnes Error."

For the discussion, in the same Chapter in the online version of the Handbook, see Immigration & The America Future.

William Flax

[betsyross1776]

It will only go down hill if you let it. Don’t you think people said that when your ancestors came to America. no Irish need apply , aka dumb hunk how about the word wop for Italians. they all brought culture in that people made fun of and hated with a passion, The only ones who can ruin America is Americans themselves. Sooner or later they all adapted to American life. But I still make my grandmothers pierogies. Best in the country.

[roamer_1]

Come on just admit it. You all just want to vent your bile and hate about not getting ONLY 100% of ONLY what you want in politics. That the real issue here

Horse crap.

You all scream things like "Enforce the laws" (Which hasn't worked to date)

It hasn't been done to date.

"Deport them" (How?)

Build the wall. Shut off the border. For the next ten years anyone caught by any type of law enforcement (bad eggs)is summarily deported. anyone voluntarily wishing to leave due to drying up the social services and job markets gets a few bucks and a bus ticket home.

After ten years of stemming the flow, and honestly enforcing the law, then lets start talking about amnesty. "Punish business that hire illegals" (again how?)

A one year transitional period where the businesses are informed they must "get ready" for heavy enforcement. During this time businesses have a grace period to get themselves legal, with misdemeanor fines for all but the worst offenders.

Institute a simple method of checking citizenship: Employer must call a federal clearinghouse to initialize a new employee onto his FedID number. If the workers sosoc number is already in use in some fashion the eligibility will be denied until the worker proves identity.

Actually having to call in will remove any need for "smart card" BS, and SoSoc numbers being "live" will stop the use of duplicate sosocs, dead folks sosocs, or invalid sosocs. (gee that would help the voter roles too, come to think of it).

With those pieces in place, THEN enforcement lowers the hammer with serious fines and jail time for non-compliance, and backed up with auditing and inspection.

Any business that has a record of flagrant abuse will be subject to even steeper fines and jail time for the next offense, with enforcement and auditing sitting on their necks for years thereafter.

While this will not stop it all, it will tend to force illegals into day labor or self employment. If insurance companies must also validate by FedID or SoSoc, then the self-employed illegal could no longer get insurance, or bonding through the state, making them ineligible for work in most of the trades.

Your statement just don't hunt, MNJohnnie. There has been no effort to stifle this at all. NONE.

-Bruce

[SoCalPol]

necon? All the neocons I know have wanted the border fence and blocked long ago and against illegals.
Living in San Diego I have been speaking on this for years.
Also neocons believe the terrorists are a threat.

If it was up to the Ron Paul types, we wouldn’t have to worry about the border because the terrorists would have overrun the country long ago.

[betsyross1776]

Do you know how many times I have heard America will never last. they have said this since the revolution. the civil war they also said it was the end and too many times I can’t even remember. Believe me, once great, we have gone though issue after issue since this country began. We always manage to stand back on our feet. The only ones who will destroy America is ourselves and we will not let this happen pure and simple. there is an answer, but we have to all work together and find it. That is what makes America great!

[Rottweilerson]

Yup, anyone who is not in lockstep with this horrible amnesty bill has got to be a white hooded hater!

[Czar]

"All the neocons I know have wanted the border fence and blocked long ago and against illegals."

Perhaps we know a different species of neocon. The ones I'm talking about are the the loons at the Weekly Standard. There are others. Which ones are you talking about?

We aren't talking about terrorists.

Ron Paul has the typical libertarian view of open borders. Conservatives don't share it.

[maxwellp]

Let’s get down to some nitty gritty happenings if “amnesty” is passed. Recently I visited a friend who lives in Jackson Heights, Queens, NY. Nice neighborhood, clean and well kept homes. Then we passed a house with many Hispanics sitting outside and hanging out windows - a complete mess. I asked my friend what was going on and she said some Mexicans moved in - not known if they were illegal or legal. Loud music all night - in other words “not nice”. Then my friend told me that one night the house burned down. Very few Americans want to live next door to this type of crap, while our politicians live in splendor and have no close dealings with such people.

[TheLion]

Since you obviously aren’t conservative and are not one of us....why don’t you do us a favor and take it elsewhere.

[SoCalPol]

Bill Kristol opposes the immigration compromiseposted at 7:30 pm on May 27, 2007 by Bryan
Send to a Friend | printer-friendly Bill Kristol is generally on the open borders side of immigration arguments, but he came out on Fox News Sunday opposing the Bush-Kennedy immigration compromise, and for a very good reason:

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:stX7HZ7UKBUJ:hotair.com/archives/2007/05/27/video-bill-kristol-opposes-the-immigration-compromise/+%22Bill+Kristol%22%2B%22illegals%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>t's entirely understandable that conservatives are upset by this. And their skepticism about the bill's promise to deport illegal immigrants who don't qualify for Z visas and to force temporary foreign workers to go home is well-founded. Here once again, the bill can be improved by an amendment mandating expedited deportation of those without Z visas.<<

Barnes is not the sharpest tool in the shed. The bill says we deport certain illegals (if they can't find a loophole). So to guarantee that they will actually do what the law says, Barnes says we amend it so that it says "expedited deportation." And maybe another amendment that says they really, really have to deport, with extreme prejudice. Riiiight, that will make it work Fred.

Here is an amendment that might work though: