Posted on 04/09/2014 8:04:40 AM PDT by jimbo123
Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour defended Jeb Bush’s recent comments that some illegal immigration is an “act of love,” saying it’s very similar to what former President Ronald Reagan thought.
“What people want you to do: Tell the truth,” Barbour said Tuesday at the LBJ Presidential Library’s Civil Rights Summit. “And if Jeb feels that way about it — it sort of reminds me of my boss, Ronald Reagan.”
Barbour, who was an aide in Reagan’s administration described what the president used to call the “gates test” during a panel Tuesday with Democratic San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro.
“Ronald Reagan used to say, ‘When the ‘Blame America first’ crowd gets out of hand, then you need to apply the gates test,’” Barbour said.
The former governor recalled asking what Reagan meant by the gates test and said his reply was: “’The gates test: Drop all the gates everywhere in the world and see which way people run. They run to America.’”
“And that’s what Jeb is saying to me, that this is the place, for good reason,” Barbour said. “And we ought to be proud of it, that when you apply the gates test, that people want to come here.”
“That message has the benefit of being true,” Barbour added. “Whether everybody will take that same tact, that’s neither here nor there. But it’s very similar to what Ronald Reagan thought.”
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
I think they have reached a point where they are desperate enough or confident enough to go for broke. I think they are confident.
That they were able to get most conservatives to vote for Willard, and able to crush most threatening conservatives sonce 2010 has emboldened them.
The only thing he left out in his GOP-e statemenmt was:
“And all the polls show that only Jeb Bush could win against Hillary...”
They are confident - they know the big money is coming their way, so they have little to fear from upstarts.
Sell any pardons lately, Haily?
I really cannot stand these people ;/
IIRC, Reagan said he later regretted signing the 1986 amnesty.
He did it out of love.
Defend all you want, but I’ll not vote for another RINO.
Ever.
Why vote for someone who’ll only slow our descent into serfdom? May as well go for the full vertical crash and perhaps we can rectify things with the full civil war that’ll follow.
The Roman Empire later regretted giving amnesty and citizenship to all of the Barbarians in 212 AD.
Traitors
Reagan who? Not THE President Reagan. Haley needs to put down the Cracker Jack box. The prize isn’t worth the lie.
Haley Barbour is the archetype of a political whore. The guy is in a leadership position in Zuckerberg’s fake conservative astro-turf group pushing for amnesty and opening the gates.
Stuff it Haily.
Jeb Bush isn’t Reagan and this was one of Reagan’s few mistakes. And even with Reagan, had his one time “amnesty” been followed by active imposition of the restrictions he approved along with it, we wouldn’t be facing this problem today.
My guess is even more illegal crossed our borders under Bush I and Bush II than under the current idiot, and we can expect to see a lot more if Bush III ever gets in office. The Bushes had a policy of doing NOTHING to stop the invasion of illegals across the Mexican Border. In fact, under Bush II, there was a de facto CONTINUAL amensty.
He should read “The Camp of the Saints”
I am filled with compassion, but there has to be law enforcement on the border and in the interior. Multiple laws are being violated.
When Obama refers to our “broken system” of immigration, he is using euphemisms to cover up the fact that his Justice Department is not enforcing the laws. There is nothing wrong with the current laws, the laws on the book are being ignored by the illegal aliens and by the government agencies charged with upholding the laws.
Upon arrival, the illegal aliens continue to break other laws frequently. Housing laws relating to occupancy limits. Drunk driving laws (why am I always find discarded bottles and cans of Mexican imported beer when I clean the street?), etc.
No vote for “Open Borders” Jeb.
There is more than a feint whiff of B.S. to this claim.
In fact, it is insulting to every free thinking conservative to assume that we would actually consider taking it seriously.
Then Reagan was wrong. Reagan may have been a good President but he didn't walk on water.
it’s an apples/oranges comparison. I have no problem accepting the truth of the “gates test”. I also have no problem accepting Bush’s statement that people come to the US illegally as an act of love.
But put the two together and it’s very much an argument for strict and high standards on immigration. Not a “throw the doors open and let everyone in” one.
We’re a nation of immigrants, one where each successive wave of i (legal) immigrants has, by and large, brought something unique that has enhanced and expanded our common and dynamic national character.
THAT is the standard we should look at. Immigration should be tailored to improve Americas greatness ... Nothing less.
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