LONG KNIVES OUT AFTER BORDER BILL ("It wasn't the people's will. And they were heard.")

NY POST ^ | July 2, 2007 | ROBERT D. NOVAK

[Liz]

I asked one of the few conservative Republican senators who stuck with President Bush on immigration to assess how Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell handled the issue. Asking not to be quoted by name, he replied: "If this were a war, Sen. McConnell should be relieved of command for dereliction of duty." Not only did the minority leader end up voting against an immigration bill that he said was better than the 2006 version that he supported, but he also abandoned his post, keeping off the floor during final stages of Senate debate.

[doberville]

Most excellent! Thanks.

[TomGuy]

Winnable Hispanic vote?

Trying to figure out GW's motives is mindboggling during his 2nd term. Dubia, Miers, Amnesty round 1, round 2, round 3.

With the amnesty deal, it strucke me when I saw an article a week or so previous that mentioned nephew George P's popularity.

Perhaps, GW's motives were more personal/family than for the good of the nation. Perhaps he desire to bring 11-30 million Hispanics into the fold was to set the groundwork for Jeb (who has an Hispanic wife) to run in 2012 or George P (who is Hispanic) to run in 20 years or so. Legalizing now would make for a sizeable Hispanic voting block that might show their appreciation by voting Jeb or GP in in the future. The question is: How many no-more-Bushs conservatives would 11-30 million Hispanic voting block cancel out in a general election?

[doberville]

Most excellent! Thanks.

[kabar]

Whether by design or dumb luck, the amnesty bill, its initial defeat, the President reviving it, the Republicans pushing it, makes the Dems look better than the Pubbies

Disagree. It was the Republicans [conservatives] that defeated this bill that was supported in the Senate primarily by Dems. Sessions, Vitter, DeMint, and Cornyn became the face of the opposition in the Senate who defied the political leadership of Lott and McConnell and the WH. Although 15 Dems eventually voted no to cloture, there is no doubt in the public's mind that it was the Rep party that stood tall and defeated a bill only 26% of the public supported. On this issue, the Reps looked better than the Dems, the WH aside.

[Little Ray]

Unfortunately, the ‘Pubbies are going to the blame for the bill; it was pushed by a Republican President and championed by the Republican Senate Minority Leader, and by serveral high-profile Republican Senators. The bill would never have stood a chance if the ‘Pubbies had opposed it in a united fashion.
It may be a Democrat bill, but the ‘Pubbies are going to get the blame.

[Hostage]

You make a good point. The reason the backlash was so successful is precisely because it included democrats along with republicans.

In 2006 alot of voters voted for conservative democrats. DNC Rahm Emanuel admitted that for the democrats to have a chance at taking Congress they would have to recruit and allow in conservatives.

The key to stopping Hillary in 2008 is to unite conservatives from all corners including Reagan democrats.

[Condor51]

"xenophobia"

This is getting tiresome.

'Un-American', 'Bigots', 'Racists', 'Nativists', 'Troglodytes' (my personal fav), NAZIS (yesterday's NY Slimes) and now 'Xenophobes'.

Well, sorry oh Masters of The Universe but name calling won't work. As my mama used to tell me, 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me'. Plus, I've been called worse by better.

Now enforce the dam laws, deport the ILLEGALS aaaaaand build the freaking FENCE!

[Andy'smom]

“BTW, I hear some Americans have beem forced to witness these hyphenates slaughtering goats in their front yards (a disgusting mehican ritual).”

A couple of years ago, the police were called to an apartment complex in a small suburban town outside of Boston because yes, the residents were roasting a goat in the front yard on a Sunday afternoon.

[iopscusa]

Beltway Bob Novak, another useless propagandist...yeah he is a useful idiot and should be in a cell along with the rest of the Plamegate Liars, Russert, Fitzgerald, Tenant, Wilson, Plame, Powell, Gonzales ... a veritable wall of shame!

[TomGuy]

I'd bet that Hillary would be the first to begin extolling the evils of the "amnesty" bill, blaming the Republicans as being "soft on illegals."

I used to listen to talkshow host Rusty Humphries. In 2002, he talked about an internal memo by the GOP leadership he had obtained. That memo warned nationwide GOP candidates to avoid the illegals/immigration issue.

Recall that few Republicans during that time would even mention and certain not run on a platform regarding immigration.

The immigration/illegals issue was sidestepped until Hillary Clinton brought it to the forefront around 2004 or 2005.

Like it or not, most stuff related to immigration/illegals was ignored, done quitely, kept very low key -- until hClinton addressed the issue. Then, and only then, did politicians from both parties start trying to jump out ahead of the issue.

[Of course, since she addressed the issue, she has flipflopped all over the place, being for, then against, then sidestepping, etc. But she did cause it to become one of the top 3 or 4 issues of concern by the public.]

[kabar]

.Unfortunately, the ‘Pubbies are going to the blame for the bill;

And who is going to get the credit for stopping it? If you were to ask the public, which party represents more closely your position on immigration and securing the border, the majority would say the GOP. It was the Rep House last year that passed an enforcement only bill with most of the Dems voting against it. Last year's senate bill was voted 32-23 AGAINST by the Reps.

I strongly believe that this can be a winning issue for the Reps. Hillary, Oabama, Dodd, and Biden voted for cloture and are supporters of this amnesty bill as they were in 2006. Only McCain among the GOP candidates has supported this bill and it has effectively killed his candidacy. There is a clear difference between the two parties on this issue despite the WH's efforts going against its own party.

[Biblebelter]

On this issue, the Reps looked better than the Dems, the WH aside.

I tend to agree with your analysis, but I would make the following comments. Amnesty is a populist issue which cuts into both parties. The Republicans were responsible for putting the deciding votes with the people's will. The problem is neither party is populist and particularly the Republicans. If the Republicans would start representing the small donors in the party and publicly and seriously put forth stronger enforcement against ILLEGAL employers then they might be able to broaden the party's currently dismal appeal. I know of NO Republicans in my small circle of acquaintances, who do not want to see more border fence and more illegal employers taken to account. And oddly I know quite a few Democrats that probably the ONLY political things we agree upon are securing the borders and stopping illegal employers.

[PhiKapMom]

FYI! In 1992 Karl Rove was fired from the Bush #41 campaign for leaking to ROBERT NOVAK about Bob Mosbacher, Jr., and his handling of the TX part of the campaign.

Who do you supposed got Robert Novak to write this article? Not to mention Rove leaked to Novak in 1992 and Novak was the author of the column on Wilson’s wife that has now sent Libby to prison. What are the probabilities that Rove was the leaker to Novak in the Wilson deal as well?

I had posted an article on numerous threads I found on 18 June 2007 on KFI radio out of LA from 2004 about Rove withholding money from candidates that were against illegal immigration and amnesty and last night when a Freeper followed a link, the article was GONE!

Connect the dots!

[kabar]

Hillary voted for the 2006 Senate bill and this year's bill. Hillary gets a D minus on immigration

[Suzy Quzy]

If ANY Republican signs up with Ted Kennedy, they will be destroyed by him.

[tennmountainman]

Reagan Democrats coming back.

EXACTLY!

[Suzy Quzy]

Bob Novak is a DEMOCRAT!...a MEAN nasty DEMOCRAT.

[TomGuy]

Disagree. It was the Republicans [conservatives] that defeated this bill

That is true. You know it. I know it. BUT...

The average voter saw the 30-minute evening news between getting the kids to soccer practice, and dinner, and feeding the dog.

The faces associated with this bill by MSM were: George Bush (Republican), Specter (Republican), Lott (Republican), Graham (Republican), McConnell (Republican).

Notice that even John McCain avoided any connection with this resurrected bill. He didn't even vote on many of the amendments. And I didn't see him in one photo op during the resurrected round.

What the casual citizen knows is this:

The Republicans pushed this bill to legalize millions, and the Democratic Senate defeated it -- twice. George W (Republican) put his face on it with that evening nationwide comprehensive immigration speech early last year, and his "I now have a Congress I can work with" comment the morning after the 2006 election defeats, and his "I'll see you at the bill signing."

[Little Ray]

As far as I can tell nobody is identified with stopping the bill. Weaklings in the Senate “caved in” to pressure from noisy racists inspired by eviiiiiil Talk Show Hosts.
DeMint, Sessions and the others are not getting much credit.

I’d sure LOVE it to be an issue for the ‘Pubbies, along
with the Fair Tax. But they won’t take it up, ‘cuz someone migh call ‘em racist.
Never mind that, last time I checked, “Hispanics” were counted as whites.

[TexasKate]

I disagree. I think Trent Lott is the one who basically wrote this for old Bob. It reeks of his nastiness!