Posted on 06/08/2007 12:18:29 PM PDT by jebeier
Perhaps this whole Amnesty business is a sublime and supremely cunning strategery.
Now, I know you all may want to dismiss the possibility out of hand, but bear with me for a moment...
By promoting this bill, in one fell swoop President Bush has managed to:
a) Get almost the entire Democrat caucus in the Senate to come out in favor of Amnesty, which is very unpopular,
b) Forever link his old arch-nemesis, John McCain, to this very unpopular bill,
c) Get somewhere close to 80% of Americans to oppose Ted Kennedy, and
d) Kill the possibility of comprehensive immigration reform for the forseeable future.
And all it has cost him is a few points in the public opinion polls, which is irrelevant because he will never run for office again.
Now the Republican field (except John McCain) can run against the President of their own party in 2008 by opposing him on this issue. The 800 pound Iraqi gorrilla has been replaced by a 1600 pound illegal immigration gorilla. And the vast majority of Republicans (besides John McCain) are in a much better position to debate on this issue.
Sarkozy just won in France by running against Chirac, who was the head of his own party. Perhaps the White House has taken that lesson to heart.
If it is strategery, it is exceptionally subtle and devious, and would be a masterpiece. But they really couldn't possibly be that clever, could they?
Or could they? One thing we know about President Bush is that he has a long memory and likes to get even with his enemies. Look at the seven Republican Senators who are going to come out on the down side of this deal:
Graham (R-SC)- Led efforts to extend habeus corpus rights to Guantanamo detainees. Member of Gang of 14
Hagel (R-NE) - Led charges against Iraq, Patriot Act, Rumsfeld, the Surge and Karl Rove
Lugar (R-IN) - Led efforts against intelligence operations against foreign agents in the US
Martinez (R-FL) - Leaked the Schiavo memo, but otherwise does not fit the pattern
McCain (R-AZ) - Back stabbings too numerous to count
Specter (R-PA) - Ditto. From “Scottish Law” onward
Voinovich (R-OH) - Led charge against John Bolton and the Surge
All of these Senators are going to be hurt by taking a position on the wrong side of this issue, and all of them, except Mel Martinez, have been thorns in President Bush’s side for a long, long time.
One has to ask oneself, cui bono? Who benefits? I submit to you that the biggest beneficiary of this debacle is none other than President George W. Bush himself.
I think all my ideas deserve greater exposure, of course.
Sorry, but Bush has wanted this for years. And he apparently doesn’t care if he ruptures the GOP to get it.
What is a Vanity without a little shameless self-bumping thrown in for good measure...
No.
You got stock in Alcoa Aluminum??? :)
Stupidity
That could be. I was merely offering an alternative explaination for what seems to be a very, very stupid move on the White House’s part.
But maybe you’re right. Maybe they are just that craven.
I was just telling my SIL this very morning the same thing.
Do not misunderestimate George Bush.
Remember, boys... It's shiny side out!!!
Bush made clear what he wanted a long time ago and quite frankly he and Rove aren’t that smart.
No doubt. How low will he go to get what he wants.
| We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture. Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende. For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America. As I speak, we are celebrating the success of democracy in Mexico. George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000. |
Here is an excerpt of a good critique of that speech:
In equating our intimate historic bonds to our mother country and to Canada with our ties to Mexico, W. shows a staggering ignorance of the civilizational facts of life. The reason we are so close to Britain and Canada is that we share with them a common historical culture, language, literature, and legal system, as well as similar standards of behavior, expectations of public officials, and so on. My Bush Epiphany By Lawrence Auster
Nice twisty thinking, but my take is that GW hasn’t been ahead of the curve on immigration from the start, plus after 7 tough years, I think (like most 2 term presidents) he’s lost a good bit of his mojo.
It’s gotta be the most thankless job going... I wouldn’t want it.
President Bush has been overestimated by many, me included, but no longer. I see clearly now.
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