Posted on 05/19/2007 11:40:04 AM PDT by Pokey78
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Delegates to the state Republican convention unleashed a rare chorus of boos and hisses at U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss on Saturday, as he spoke up for a bipartisan immigration reform package unveiled in Washington this week.
Hear it for yourself by clicking here.
Chambliss had just finished emphasizing his devotion to border security provisions contained in the measure, and brought up agriculture’s need for temporary, foreign workers.
“We’ve got to face the fact that we’ve got to create a new, truly temporary worker program” — the boos started here, but Chambliss plowed on — “for that segment of our economy that need temporary workers.
“If we don’t have a meaningful, workable program, we’ll simply be dependent on foreign imports for food products, the way we’re dependent on foreign imports for oil products,” Chambliss said, finishing his thought.
After the speech, Chambliss said he took the crowd’s reaction as a lack of popular understanding of the shape of the current immigration system.
Both Chambliss and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson spoke at a breakfast meeting, then before 1,200 or so delegates who gathered in the Gwinnett County Civic Center.
Isakson was first. He laid out the enforcement and border security aspects of the immigration bill, due to come up before the Senate this week.
His speech was short, and received polite applause. “We have the opportunity and a narrow window to change what has plagued our society for 21 years,” Isakson said.
The current bill does just that, he said, endorsing “citizenship the right way, the naturalized way, the speaking-English way.”
Chambliss, the state’s senior senator who is up for re-election next year, did most of the talking.
He explained that he and Isakson engaged with Democrats — after their attempts to change immigration last year were blocked, in a Republican-controlled Congress.
“Today is a different day in Washington. Republicans are not in control. The Democrats have decided that an immigration bill is coming to the floor.
“We could either sit on the sidelines and we could throw rocks, or we could become engaged and make what we knew was a bad bill, better,” Chambliss said.
But he promised that both he and Isakson were not inalterably committed. “You need to know, you did not elect two potted plants to the Senate,” Chambliss said.
But he also had a word for critics.
“We either come up with a comprehensive immigration package or we have the status quo,” he said.
“Please don’t believe what you hear or see on radio and TV,” Chambliss said. “We’re not asking you to trust us. But give us an opportunity to explain it to you.”
The issue of illegal immigration has the potential to create a serious split in the party, on a state and national level.
“If this gets categorized as amnesty, it could cause the party to split next year, particularly if the top of the ticket is viewed as too liberal,” said Mark Rountree, a political strategist who works with Republican candidates.
By liberal, he meant former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani. Rountree wants former Tennessee senator and actor Fred Thompson in the ’08 presidential race.
Immigration is yet another of those issues that where the fault line separates the business community from the ideological base of the party.
Supporters of the immigration bill backed by Chambliss and Isakson include Gary Black, a former candidate for state agriculture commissioner.
“We just can’t turn our heads anymore. We’ve got to find some resolution,” Black said.
He’s a member of a group formed only in the last few weeks, called Georgia Employers for Immigration Reform.
No, you do what you are suppose to do, protect our borders!
I am so tired of hearing Americans don’t understand. What a crock. They are blaming us; when they have no intention of explaining anything. But one thing is for certain, we are being sold down the river. That we do understand.
Go back to the sideline and throw rocks. Preferably at the president—metaphorically of course—until you persuade him to veto the damned thing.
NO immigration reform. NO amnesty. Enforce the laws.
“We either come up with a comprehensive immigration package or we have the status quo”
What kind of bad faith statement is that? Typical false choice defeatism. Do your damn job and enforce the laws that are on the books.
To bad no one had some rotten eggs or tomatos.
I’m guessing they wasted enough tax dollars to have funded a few dozen or more BP positions.
Exactly!
It is the national governments responsibility to handle the border.
They act they are doing us a favor!
I understand. The current crop of workers isn't enough. Wages are too high. They need to legalize the current bunch to make way for a whole new batch of illegals, thereby taking wages down even further.
I just sent this letter to Boxer and Feinstein.
An open letter to Congress
For too many years, Americans have sat back and let the people they have elected to office run this country. We have said “well, they seem to know what they are doing”. After all, we have to go to work, raise a family, pay bills, make dinner, and god forbid, we cannot miss our favorite television program. Then we look up from our busy lives and find that this great country we have entrusted to those “elected officials” has completely gone to hell in a hand basket.
This letter is being sent to inform those of you in Congress that those days are gone. And they are gone forever.
For the last two decades, you have allowed our laws not to be enforced, our borders not to be controlled, and the result is people who have no legal right to be in this country are marching in the streets by the tens of thousands making demands. Now you want to give into those demands - not this time. In the 1980’s, amnesty was given to millions of illegal people and this only opened the flood gates because our borders were not properly controlled.
The primary function of the Federal Government is to protect the sovereignty of these united states. You have failed to perform the primary task for which you were elected. You have forgotten that you are employees of the American people. This letter is your notice that if you do not do the job you were sent to perform, you will be replaced with someone who will complete this task.
Task number one - Close and control our borders. If it takes a fence, wall, airplanes, electronics, satellites, or National Guard members every fifty feet along our border, then DO IT.
Task number two - Enforce our employment laws. Set up a secure website tried into the social security database. Employers can log into this website using their employer tax ID and a password, input a name, social security number, and a date of birth to check current and future hires. If the information does not match, the person being checked cannot be hired or continued to be employed. Every quarter the employer should be required to recheck employees. If employers do not comply, enforce the current laws and prosecute them.
Task number Three - If those who are in this country illegally are not able to work, they will leave. Set up a temporary guest worker program that can only be applied for in other countries at our embassies or other approved places. Every person who applies will be thoroughly checked for good health, a criminal record in all countries, and any other standard which would apply.
Once a person is approved, they are given proper ID and paperwork which is then input into the social security database, which will expire after the temporary limit has been reached.
So members of Congress, these are your tasks. Remember we, your employer - the American people, are watching you and there is an election coming up soon. Will you do your job and continue being employed or will you be replaced - the choice is yours. Isn’t America great, we all still have choices.
For example:
"We’ve got to face the fact that we’ve got to create a new, truly temporary worker program"
What does a temporary worker program have to do with permanent residency and a "path to citizenship"? Why do "temporary workers" need to bring their wives and children to America, with 6-year Z visas?
"Chambliss said he took the crowd’s reaction as a lack of popular understanding."
He will take the reaction a bit differently after the 2008 elections. We understand "amnesty". Chambliss doesn't.
Isakkson said .... endorsing "citizenship the right way, the naturalized way, the speaking-English way."
I thought this was a temporary worker program. So what's this about citizenship and naturaliization? Does this fool not know that one element of the naturalization process is tests on American history, American government, and functional competence in written and spoken English?
Painful. Such shameless liars they are.
No, you do what you are suppose to do, protect our borders!
Exactly. Also, the status quo is better than this bill. At least states and localities can make life unpleasant on these foreigners while they are illegal.
This guy just doesn’t get it. We don’t want to depend on foreign imports, and we don’t want illegal criminals here. WE’LL DO THE WORK OURSELVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The boos were because people DID understand the effects of the bill.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
CALL! CALL! CALL! CALL! AND KEEP CALLING TILL THE LINES FRY!
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! TILL YOU RUN OUT OF INK IN YOUR PEN!
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