"Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
- Napoléon Bonaparte
Posted on 06/13/2007 12:47:49 PM PDT by BrerRabbit
June 12, 2007 - Though I’ve never heard him use the term, my guess is that George W. Bush sees himself as a hacendado, an estate owner in Old Mexico.
That would give him a sense of Southwestern noblesse, duty-bound not just to work “his” people, but to protect them as well.
His advisor, Carlo Rove, has explained that a system called “democracy” now gives peasants something called “the vote.” It would be shrewd, Rove said, for hacendados to grant their workers’ citizenship.
That’s the best explanation I have for why Bush is in the midst of what may be a suicide mission on immigration policy—embarrassing for him and ruinous for his party.
An ungrateful base
Long ago, when he was running for governor, Bush told me that he was a “southwestern” Republican, not a “southern” one. As a son of the southwest, he wants employers to have access to all of that cheap labor, but wants to make the system more orderly, at least not cruel. He hopes (as he did as governor) to get credit for wisdom.
It infuriates Bush when people—in his own party, no less—are not grateful for what he sees as an act of heartfelt, enlightened generosity and foresighted management.
So he sounded like the Texas gunslinger he pretended to be as a kid when he squared off against GOP foes of his sweeping immigration proposal. His timing was perfect, as in wrong, just as he was preparing to attend the Senate Republicans’ weekly luncheon on the Hill. “I’ll see you at the bill signing,” he said, chestier than usual.
He might live to regret such playground bravado.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
My comment:
And they shouldn’t be dismissed as crazies. Bush’s own dark view of post 9/11 clashes with his relatively benign attitude toward illegal immigration. Here is the question that clash begs: Do borders mean anything?
Apparently not.
Well maybe the rabid Bush haters like Fineman and company might want to consider he is keeping the Democrat controlled Senate tied up for over a month fighting over a bill that has no chance of ever passing the US House rather then working on any of the Democrat Party’s political agenda.
True, it IS gumming up the works. Let's hope it continues in only that role!! :)
“Why is Bush Risking Nasty Battle Within His Own Party Over Immigration Reform?” Simple. The big money boys (DemocRATs and RepublicRATs alike) who own him want cheap illegal labor from Mexico, and don’t give a damn about what we the people want. Its all about the benjamins folks.
Sorry to be so cynical, but that’s how I see it.
That’s what bothers me about Bush’s immigration stance. It’s not a matter of just “disagreeing on one issue.” I just cannot for the life of me see how this “open borders” philosophy fits in with the entire program of keeping our country safe and protected. Protecting the borders is job one, no?
His strong support of the amnesty bill makes an absolute mockery of his other security measures. What good is it to lock and bolt the windows if the front door is left wide open?
If I’m wrong about this, I would love to hear it. I’d sleep better at night if I could somehow believe the President’s immigration policy is good for us. Because I most assuredly don’t.
That's about the only good thing about all of this.
1. Millions needing documentation.
2.Id cards for every one.
3.ID card failure becomes national crisis on an individual personal level for just about every citizen.
4.Chip implants to the rescue.
And that core is very pi$$ed. No more platitudes, no more spin, no more "this is not amnesty."
It's enforcement with NO PATH TO CITIZENSHIP or you guys are soooo outta here.
He'd blow his stack, and everyone would know that the answer had to be "yes." You don't live in Texas for decades as an aristocrat hobby-rancher without hiring illegals. Anyone living in the Southwest for the past thirty years who needed some heavy work done would be strongly tempted by illegal labor. Cheap, available and lovably servile.
Many fall into that temptation--and when you break rules you get defensive. You start thinking that breaking rules is OK because you're an OK kind of guy. It's the rules that must be bad--so ignore them, scoff at them, and try to change them to justiry your self image. And when you are opposed, insult the opposition.
This is a class issue. It is at it's heart patronizing--poor little downtrodden servant o' mine, let me hand you my nation's sovereignty. Just because you're so humble and lovable and clean up Scotty's dog poop so Laura won't have to.
Housework, yardwork...it's a lot more political than you think.
That article reads like a half-thought-out rant on an inferior blog. Newsweek should fire everyone but Pinkerton and start over. Yes, Bush has betrayed those that voted for him on the immigration issue. No, Fineman is not worth reading.
Council on Foreign Relations
In 2005, CFR task force co-chairman Pastor testified in Congress in front of the Foreign Relations Committee: "The best way to secure the United States today is not at our two borders with Mexico and Canada, but at the borders of North America as a whole."
The CFR task force he headed called for one border around North America, freer travel within it, and cooperation among Canadian, Mexican and American military forces and law enforcement for greater security.
It called for full mobility of labor among the three countries within five years, similar to the European Union.
Just beginning to wonder....with Boosh’s fetish for illegals and his desire for open borders...is he really committed to winning the War on Terrorism?
You may not like this - President Bush is on a schedule - a global schedule. A schedule that has the major component of the American Union in place before he leaves office.
If he gets this done, the republican party is done it it doesn't matter to him anyway. Also, and he can't be re-elected so he has nothing to lose.
Really? No chance of passing the House with a Democrat majority and Pelosi in charge?
CALL! CALL! CALL! CALL! AND KEEP CALLING TILL THE LINES FRY!
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! TILL YOU RUN OUT OF INK IN YOUR PEN!
Bombard the Democrats as well, especially the ones that ran on an anti illegal immigration plank and the ones in marginal districts who could be vulnerable. keep pounding on them. This is a bipartisan issue not a Conservative or Liberal issue BUT AN AMERICAN issue.
(Well.. ya know, it doesn't say anything about enforcement. But I'm going to finish what I started to say.)
The silliest "pinhead" pronouncement so far I heard O'Reilly say on his radio show. The opponents (of "reform") want to leave things as they are, the "reporter" said.
O'Really?
Has the definition of enforcement been removed from our dictionaries?
"We don't need no stinkin' enforcement, we just need new laws," say the mandarins.
Not a flame, just a minor correction.
Bush didn't buy his 'hobby-ranch' until just before running for President. Even then, he 'rented' the cattle for 'show'.
He is the very definition of 'all hat and no cattle'.
apparently what it will take is for a lawyer with a big enough set to threaten to sue for the pardon of every US citizen convicted of forgery and identity theft under the equal protection clause in the constitution before they’ll get it. Name every single one of the bastards pushing this idiocy as defendents. Maybe some one going after their own pockets will shake them up enough to kill the bill once and for all.
Magnanimity is easy when you're insulated from its consequences.
The really scary part is that they will do it regardless of what Congress does or does not pass. Congressional approval would be nice but for most of this stuff, no one is paying attention.
I am glad you posted that again. The reasons are quite clear. This is talked about in Canada and in Mexico. Most don’t like it from what I hear.
Now Bush could come out and just say it. Wonder why he does not? Communication seems to be a problem with his administration. I used to think they were just bad at it. I no longer believe that it is. I think it is intentional.
I think Fineman’s take on this is off-base:
“As always, conservatives, who thrive on alienation, are spoiling for a fight. Now they have found it. Among the branch of conservatism fixed on “Us v Them” thinking, the enemy for decades was Communism. After the fall of The Wall, the “neocons” found a replacement Them in jihadist Islam. The old America-Firsters—what we used to call “isolationists,” who distrust foreign commitments—now have a homeland Them, in the form of 12-20 million illegal immigrants, most from Mexico.”
??? He’s saying the GOP is using illegal immigrants as “something to hate”, to replace Cold War communists.
Jorge is shaping up as a disaster for the republican cause.
There's a great soundbite. Hang on to that one.
Why would so many Republican senators commit political suicide for a bill that very well might not make it through the House? I am truly puzzled by this.
Bar used to brag that she never cooked. There's a reason Bush speaks better Spanish than he does English. Nannies, maids, cooks, yardmen...
Look hard enough, somebody ask the question (it'd take some nerve to do so!! They'd get furious--the defensive thing going on. Once the question goes public--the jig is up on this "racist" garbage.)
Up until a few years ago--people looked askance at the class of American who employed house servants. It had a taint of anti-Democracy. Americans generally have a hard time hiring and managing house help--it just runs against what I believe is a vanishing equality ethos. It is also why Americans so love household appliances--
But once you get used to being waited on, once you get the idea that you shouldn't have to clean up after yourself or do any dirty work, you'll fight like crazy to keep the privilege...and even need to congratulate yourself for your outstanding charity and generosity! She's such a treasure...just like one of the family... After all, the poor downtrodden are so touchingly grateful for your patronage.
Ewww--
Did you know that the Bush twins had a nanny when they were in their teens?
If illegal immigrants are “undocumented Americans”, why don’t we follow this to its logical conclusion, and grant everyone in Mexico U.S. citizenship? Don’t they qualify as “undocumented Americans” as well?
“Now Bush could come out and just say it.”
Incrementalism.( a method of working by adding to a project using many small (often
unplanned) changes instead of a few (extensively planned) large jumps.)
Bush severely misinterpreted the latest rash of reality programming; he thinks people actually identify with this patent nonsense.
You give Arbusto waaaaay too much credit.
Yeah, I fear you are right. Gawd, how I hate that stuff. Now I call it dishonest.
Yes: “His see you at the signing” may go down as another
“Bring it on”.
This story tries to give an explanation to his blind attempts at giving illegal immigration a pass
My own explanation is that he has slipped his moorings.
To me this seems a crock. Mexico has over 24 states controlled by the criminal elements in the drug cartels. There’s nothing the Mexican government can do. These elements want total control of their entry points into the US. I think a coup is on the horizon. Why President Bush believes in this bill proves to me that he’s not interested in us down home folks, who work for a living. He seems totally owned by the elite “intelligentsia” of this hemisphere.
“Well maybe the rabid Bush haters like Fineman and company might want to consider he is keeping the Democrat controlled Senate tied up for over a month fighting over a bill that has no chance of ever passing the US House rather then working on any of the Democrat Party’s political agenda.”
Well, ya pulled my leg clean off with that one, MNJohnnie. I am debating whether to put on my tinfoil hat to keep the moonbeams out - but I guess I’m just suffering the effects of Bush Derangement Syndrome.
That incredible Jorge Bush is just tempting the Democrats to destroy America with an amnesty plan, so he can tie them in knots. It all makes sense now.
It's all about the money - for himself, his relatives and the people who own him.
Uh, dude.... this bill is the Democratic party's political "agenda". This mass amnesty is the single greatest gift they could ever receive.
“Anyone living in the Southwest for the past thirty years who needed some heavy work done would be strongly tempted by illegal labor. Cheap, available and lovably servile.”
Yup, I hired some to move my office equipment to storage when I closed down a business. They came back three weeks later and cleaned out my storage unit. A big lesson learned, fortunately they didn’t get much of value.
I really think all bets are off. It's time to ask the Bush family some disrespectful questions.
Yah, but this could be about 2008 too. This bill has given the 2008 Republican candidates a red-meat issue to disagree with Bush on, thus distancing themselves from an unpopular President. And it's not Iraq, because to dissent from Bush on Iraq would be suicide with the party base but to agree with him too much presents challenges in a general election. The beauty is the issue resonates strongly with the party base; we'll get fired up to support a non-Amnesty candidate in '08, but so will a lot of independents and even Democrats. And it changes the debate in the general election away from Iraq.
That darned strategery! And dang that Rove!
Someone suggested today we should quit worrying about the little battles and start an all-out war to defeat the entire NWO/NAU process. I tend to agree because the battles we don’t win will eventually come back to bite us in the ass. As our President said, “one step forward....two steps back” ring true.
“keeping the Democrat controlled Senate tied up for over a month fighting over a bill”
Thanks for attempting to put a good light on this issue but, the Congress, led by either party, hasn’t done squat for the last 7 yrs.
Hacendado: Why is Bush Risking Nasty Battle Within His Own Party Over Immigration Reform?
Risking ? No he isn’t he is urging it.
Bush wants what he wants and does not care one iota what the American public wants. He is an arrogant snake eyed lo life scum.
"Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
- Napoléon Bonaparte
Did not know that, but it doesn't surprise me.
Now their nannies look and act like 'Agent Smith'.
The short answer is; they don't think they are committing political suicide at all.
They are playing the game as it was taught to them. "Play along to get along."
Also, see post #12, above.
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