Posted on 11/30/2005 3:00:33 AM PST by dennisw
The late Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan called it "boob bait for bubba" — tough-sounding rhetoric designed to placate conservative voters. Moynihan applied the phrase to Bill Clinton's 1992 pledge to "end welfare as we know it," which it later became clear that he had no intention of following through on when he became president (eventually, Republicans pressured him into it). President Bush is offering his own "boob bait" in the form of speechifying at the border about a crackdown on illegal immigration.
It's not that Bush doesn't intend to use better technology to police the border and end the "catch and release" policy that waves illegals into the country, as he is now saying. But these steps are primarily meant to diminish opposition to a new guest-worker program and what would effectively be an amnesty for illegal aliens. It's a crackdown as prelude to a letup; in other words, Rove bait for red-staters.
A Republican close to the White House has told Time how Bush wants to lull his conservative supporters into swallowing some sort of amnesty and a guest-worker program, i.e., a "comprehensive" approach: "Bush decided to give these guys their rhetorical pound of flesh. In return, he wants a comprehensive bill, which is what he has always wanted. He's just going to lead with a lot of noise about border security."
The idea is that the House, where conservatives have the most sway, will pass a bill with new enforcement measures, only to see the Senate pass a different bill with an amnesty and guest-worker program, which will be shoved down the throats of the House on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. Supporters of tougher enforcement will have gotten their "noise," and Bush and the business lobby will have gotten their policy. Unfortunately for this strategy, conservatives aren't nearly as stupid as the White House political shop apparently thinks they are.
If the policy debate plays out the way the White House wants, we will have another iteration of a bizarre dynamic of American politics. Every time there is agitation about out-of-control levels of immigration, Washington acts — to preserve or increase current levels of immigration. As Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies notes, this is what happened in 1986, 1990, and 1996. The White House and the Senate want 2006 to be Act IV in the farce. Senator Arlen Specter's version of "reform" doubles legal immigration.
The enforcement measures Bush is advocating are welcome and he finally seems to get the public's dismay about the lawlessness of our immigration system. But the border itself is in some ways beside the point. We can put as many agents as the Minutemen could possibly want on the border and still have an illegal-immigration problem. Forty percent of illegals overstay their visas, meaning the border isn't an issue for them. Bush and fellow supporters of a guest-worker program are right about one thing: As long as there are jobs here for illegals, they will come.
The only way to address that is through interior enforcement, which Bush made a nod toward yesterday. The natural place to start is enforcing laws already on the books. Rosemary Jenks of the group NumbersUSA has compiled a partial list of currently unenforced laws that runs to four pages. The Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service have it within their power to inform employers when they have hired illegal workers, but don't. In 2002, the Social Security Administration sent out roughly a million "no match" letters to employers telling them workers had bogus or duplicate Social Security numbers, but business groups complained and the practice stopped.
Supporters of amnesty always ask the rhetorical question: "What are you going to do with the 11 million illegal immigrants already here — deport them all?" That is obviously impractical, but requiring employers to verify that their workers are legal would prompt many illegals to leave voluntarily and staunch the flow of new arrivals. Only after our immigration system is under better control should we discuss Bush's proposed guest-worker program and any kind of amnesty for those illegals who are entrenched in our society. Until then, don't take Bush's bait.
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Israel has proven that border fences can be effective. The open borders lobby should stop lying about them
Israel's multiple fence, border fence system. This fence is designed to succeed!! Sensors, surveillance cameras, lots of barbed wire, ditches to stop vehicles from ramming through it, paved access roads for fast armed response etc etc.
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That is exactly what our Texacano-Washingtonio El Presidente Jorge Arbusto's proposal amounts to ~ bait!
For a long time I bought the "they do work others will not do" line. Then my kids became teenagers looking for work.
There is not much to be found. Mexicans do it cheaper, for cash, no benefits. Why hire a teenaged kid?
Construction? Yeah, right. Unless they are willing to stand on the main streets in what I call our barrios, forget it. No teenaged American need apply.
Landscaping? Not
Stockboy at the grocery store? Not
They drive down the wages in larger businesses.
We educate illegals.
We provide free medical care.
If needed, we feed them.
Unless we order in numbers, 9 times out of 10 "I'll have an Egg McMuffin" can mean anything from A Sausage Biscuit to a Quarter Pounder with Cheese.
And I am pissed to no end when faced with the reality that our government overlooks the fact that they are here because they broke the law. You know, I know, we all damned well know the government does not look the other way when applying the law to citizens.
Whatever happened to equal protection under the law?
Plus, it's done right.
Many of these illegals congregate every day all across the country to get work. And everyday local contractors come around to pick them up. Why not start taking names of contractors off their trucks or license plates. This would be followed up with a warning letter containing a copy of the law and informining them their hiring of potential illegals has been noted.?
Clinton and the DemocRats think we're stupid, too. Not a good place for the White House. We're all over this.
Hey, now - Hey now! I rely on those people to clear my yard and other valuable services. Don't be sending me any warning letters!
I know what you mean. It's circular reasoning, to say the least, to use illegals to depress wages and then justify it by saying no American will do the work (for such depressed wages).
In a sense, I don't blame the illegals for taking advantage of us like this - we (the government) do (does) pretty much everything we can to invite them and make things comfortable for them. they'd be stupid if they did not take us for the chumps we are.
The Republicans are largely tone-deaf on this and they, and we, will end up paying the price.
Looks like Lowry is the one taking the boob bait, hook, line, and sinker.
Any teenage kid can find a job, the problem these days is getting that teenager away from the X-Box.
Hmm, there is the anynomous source, like I said Lowry is taking the boob bait from Time.
It's so funny watching you guys take the boob bait from Time and get played like a violin by Time magazine, over and over and over and over again.
Unfortunately for this strategy, conservatives aren't nearly as stupid as the White House political shop apparently thinks they are.On this issue, the WH is the MSM and the conservatives are the bloggers.
As soon as a terrorist attack is carried out in this country by someone who snuck over the border, the Bush Administration will be finished.
In regards to the increasing lawlessness in northern Mexico that is spilling over into our country (think Pancho Villa), we need to let Mexico that either they put an end to it or the US Army will (think General "Blackjack" Pershing).
Do you have a source for that, and I don't believe your claim of no taxes for 7 years and also that you are being shut out because you are a citizen.
I guess that you missed the part where the President said that in some places fences and walls would work better?
LLS
Sounds like you are hoping for one. If anything people should be concerned of the northern border where there is a Canadian govt, 100 times more anti-American than the avg. Mexican, welcomes and appeases the islampfascists with open arms, gives them generous welfare benefits and they blend into the large muslim communites in cities close to the border such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
Sounds like the same all-or-none mentality that the "liberals" have made themselves so obnoxious with.
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