Posted on 10/18/2011 12:04:10 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Minnesota Congresswomen and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has become the latest politician to call for an impenetrable fence along the entire length of the border with Mexico. "President Obama has failed the American people by failing to secure the southern border," said Bachmann. "I will secure that border and that will be Job One."
Statements like that may get some attention, but they are not practical. Don't take our word for it; take Rick Perry's.
The Texas governor has been called a lot of things, but he's hardly a mushy liberal. Yet even this tough Texan sneers at calls for a Berlin Wall-style border fence spanning hundreds of miles from Brownsville to El Paso.
Two reasons: We can't afford it, and we don't need it.
The cost of a barrier like that would be staggering, certainly in the billions. Bachmann and others are silent about how they would pay for it.
Moreover, it is unnecessary. The Texas-Mexico border includes many miles of desert that are either lightly populated or devoid of any human presence. Illegal immigrants don't cross there. They make their moves along urban corridors.
Perry knows this because he is the governor of Texas. He knows the issue is more nuanced - like his support for in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.
Secure the border? Absolutely - but in an intelligent way that puts our resources where they will have the most impact.
Voters should be wary of sound bites from candidates that fire up special-interest groups but lack logic. The next president will need real ideas, not gimmicks, to solve the challenges facing this nation.
I have long been a proponent of strategic bombing of the Mexican side of the border. Establish a mile wide no mans zone and kill anything that tries to cross it.
Why don’t you give me some LINKS to support all your supposing?
The 80,000 illegal Mexicans in my city didn’t wash up on the coasts. They came across an unwalled border, and you’re just fine with that. Maybe Texans want to the filth I see with those people, but we don’t. Perry is a pandering illegal-loving wuss.
Wrong Paul is Dennis Kucinich with 25% added crazy.
If Perry was against illegal immigration he would be requiring employers to use e-verify like Arizona has done.
If Perry was against illegal immigration he would be pushing for a law like the Alabama law in Texas.
If Perry was against illegal immigration sanctuary cities would have been ended in Texas a long time ago.
If Perry was against illegal immigration he would not be in favor of giving a tuition break to illegals who are not even allowed to work in the country.
And Perry does indeed want amnesty, at least in the sense of the ordinary meaning of the word, which is to say letting people get away with their violation of the law: “That’s why I support a guest worker program that takes undocumented workers off the black market and legitimizes their economic contributions without providing them citizenship status.”
No amnesty, you say?
But just to be clear: if border security is accomplished, you can envision some sort of path to citizenship for people who are here illegally.
La Raza Rick Perry: Sure.
La Raza Rick Perry on the record
A "Path to citizenship" is amnesty regardless how many times you deny it.
Cincinatus’ Wife said:
“Perry wants the border sealed, the cartels killed off and no amnesty. He wants fencing in urban areas where it works, drones for intel and boots on the ground.
If we can’t do that, but instead start the construction of
a 25 foot wall for 2000 miles on our southern border, that makes us look weak.
Homeland Sec. Janet Napolatano is talking of boots on the ground and drone coverage for our border with Canada — what is that about 8,000 miles inc Alaska — why refuse the southern border govs the same things?
What next? How about our shores — rolled wire barriers?
What about the skies overhead?”
buccaneer81, I have come to the conclusion that Cincinatus’ Wife is not worth debating. The above comment is so full of illogical fallacies and hyperbole that it would make Einsteins head spin.
If my aunt had stones she’d be my uncle.
Apparently illegals are falling from the sky.
Ron Paul is this generation’s Lyndon LaRouche. He’ll be blaming the Queen of England for Gulf hurricanes next.
We have a supply of labor for menial jobs, they are sitting on their butts in public housing projects now.
Ron Paul makes Aunt Clara from bewitched look sane.
If you had questions about Perry the answers are all here posted by some very good loyal Freepers who have been around awhile. You and your Minn buddies hit every Perry thread with false information. Many people believe a fence won't work. It's an educated opinion. It is also not a Governor place to build it. Texas could save $400,000,000 by just doing what you accuse us of doing,,,,,nothing. Perry is a good man, a good Governor and one of the crappiest debaters on the planet.
If the Media succeeds in destroying Cain you had better pray that Rick is still in the hunt or get ready for President Romney.
If Perry fails I'm just fine with Cain. I wish the Cain people would have the same attitude.
Granted, it was built by the East Germans. However, East Germany was a shxxhole, and people crossed at much risk as often as possible. If you consider Mexico a shxxhole, then the analogy works.
She’s another one of those females (I count 12 or 15 regulars) I call “Perry’s Harpies.” They love him for his looks and his supposed Texas swagger. That’s about as far as it goes with their logic.
And washing up on the Atlantic beaches.
The last time I checked, there were any number of visitors traveling in and out of China. Is the Great Wall still standing?
If Mr. Cain falters, I would imagine that Gov. Palin will take a serious second look at running. She’s the only Republican who could raise the money and staff/volunteers to get the job done. Every time I hear the whisperings about Gov. Christie or some other squish I have to laugh!
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