Border crisis: Should Obama send in the National Guard?

Christian Science Monitor ^ | July 11, 2014 | Francine Kiefer

[lilyramone]

Republicans say the National Guard could free up border patrol agents to do their job. The White House says the problem is not apprehensions because child migrants actually want to be caught. WASHINGTON — Lawmakers in Texas, including Gov. Rick Perry (R), as well as Republicans in Congress are urging President Obama to send America’s prime military reserve to the southern border to help handle the child-migrant surge. The president has been resisting, but this week, he opened the door – a crack. No action from the commander in chief yet, but Mr. Obama did tell Governor Perry during his recent visit to Texas that he would “be happy to consider” deploying the guard, if that’s what it takes to get the Texas delegation in Congress to sign off on his $3.7 billion request in emergency spending on the border crisis. On Friday, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R) – not a Texan but a powerful Kentuckian when it comes to spending – said the president's plan is too big and the House won't approve it. He did say, however, that his committee is now considering pieces of it.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Saudi or Yemeni?

[knarf]

If our guys can’t shoot the enemy in a war zone without a hall pass ... what makes you think a military force on the border would be effective ?

[Gen.Blather]

“what makes you think a military force on the border would be effective ?”

In before the “it-will-work-and-you’re-a-troll-for-suggesting-it-won’t” guy.

If the guard reported to the governor it would work. But I believe they now report to the Commander in Chief.

[mazda77]

Giving Obama $3.8 billion to “fix” the border problem would be analogous as giving Hitler the same to fix his concentration camp problem.

The Guard was there before but they were ordered unarmed and for every member of the Guard, one Border Patrol agent had to be at his side to protect him.

[Nitehawk0325]

Should he, yes. Will he, hell no. Obama and his girlfriend Valerie devised this plan a year ago. Why would they want to correct it?

[blueplum]

No. I don’t want Zero sending the National Guard to the border. Zero will just tell the NG to stand down in place and do nothing and I’d rather he not have the chance to demoralize them further.

I want the Texas Rangers on the border along with the Texas Guard and whatever Texas standing Militia the governor has at his disposal. Perry can tell Zero to ‘sue me’ and Zero can go pound sand for the next two years.

This is the Alabama Mersk waiting for Zero to authorize a response all over again. This is the OBL “take” waiting for Zero to authorize a response all over again. This is Bengazi waiting for Zero to authorize a response all over again.

Time for Perry to stop waiting and start doing.

[Covenantor]

If the guard reported to the governor it would work. But I believe they now report to the Commander in Chief.

I recall an occasion when a Governor called out a guard unit which was then Federalized by a Republican President.

Things didn't quite work out the way Dem. Gov. Orville Faubus had planned.

Tomorrow that headline could read:

President Obama Sends Troops to Texas Border, Federalizes Texas National Guard; Tell Nation He Acted to Avoid Anarchy

And just as Eisenhower used the Federal Troops to protect the Little Rock Nine so will Obama use the same argument to protect the illegal aliens he recruited to invade our country. Folks have to remember Obama's cohort includes people that remember the civil rights struggle and are prepared to use historical precedents to achieve their twisted goals. Might explain Oh man's laughing in Perry's face the other day.

The SOB is still the Commander in Chief and for the moment retains full command of US forces and has the full support of the media to colorize the presentation.

[albie]

This is a stupid question. He set this up. They assume he gives a sh&& about America. Really stupid question.

[SIDENET]

Border crisis: Should Obama send in the National Guard?

Wait, this whole "crisis" has been manufactured by Obama.

Why does anyone think he's going to take steps to stop it?

This is Cloward-Piven on steroids.

[Ben Ficklin]

All governors, including the border governors, have the authority to call out the guard in their state, but, the state has to pay for it.

If the prez calls out the guard, the cost is split between the feds and the state from which the guardsmen come. So Guvs Perry and Brewer are always agitating for Obama to call out the guard.

When Bush called the guard, numerous governors complained about having to pay the guardsmen from their state that were called up.

Also, some of the called up guardsmen complained. They were willing to serve militarily to defend the nation but weren't willing to leave their family, job, career, to chase illegals around the AZ desert.

Separate from this, Texas has an established plan to deal with the potential threat of drug cartel violence spilling over into Texas. This began as Operation Linebacker but became more elaborate as Operation Border Star. This is mostly paid for by Justice Dept grants but TX spends about 120 million per year on it.

Under Border Star, the local county sheriff and police chiefs are first responders but if it becomes serious, the Texas Rangers take control and they have the authority shift the state police(DPS) to the border, and if needed, call up 1000 members of the guard. Perry is always agitating for the feds to pay more for Border Star.

[Gen.Blather]

Very good post! I was unaware of all of that. Thank you.

It’s unlikely that Justice will pay to help enforce border security as it was the Administration who generated this problem. Never let a crisis go to waste.

[bonehead4freedom]

A La Raza casework along with an ACLU lawyer and an ACORN benefits navigator will be placed in strategic locations along the border to explain and assist the new Americans with securing their rights and entitlements. That is what the 3.7 billion is for .

[Ben Ficklin]

There is something else that needs to be mentioned.

Historically, the negative impact of illegal immigration has always fallen disproportionally on the border states. There are HEW costs, criminal justice costs, environmental costs, societal costs, etc.

Clearly, these are national problems and the feds/Congress should be paying all these costs. But they don't. Because, members of congress from other states don't want to pay.

[csmusaret]

The way people talk about “The” National Guard you would think one existed. There is no “National” National Guard. If Obama wanted to send NG troops to the border he would first have to federalize some State’s guard units and call them to active duty.

[blueplum]

Hasn't 'Who's going to pay for it' become irrelevant at this point? Did Biloxi, Mississippi sit around and ask who's going to pay for it when Camille hit, or did they roll up their shirtsleeves and get the cleanup done?

I understand that some don't want the Texas border closed because the traffic will shift back to Arizona and California - but that's a risk we can prepare for. An incoming republican president will see to Texas being reimbursed. Or we all can sit here as 2016 comes and goes, waiting for Zero to agree to pay half.

[tacticalogic]

I think he should just go walk the border himself, without his SS escorts. Let him find out for himself how MS-13 treats the nice black man, and how long he can hang on to his phone and his pen.

[Travis McGee]

[bmwcyle]

Should people who write these stupid question items realize Obama created the problem. Obama will not stop or fix the problem.