Free Republic

As immigrants’ rights groups are pressing President Barack Obama to step up efforts at comprehensive reform this year, one prominent member of Obama’s cabinet is acknowledging that the economic downturn has made legalization of illegal immigrants tougher to sell to the American public. “When unemployment is up, anything that looks like you’re taking jobs away from …people who are lawfully here—citizens of the United States—is going to meet a lot of resistance,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said during an exchange with reporters Tuesday morning. The homeland security chief and former Arizona governor said the economic slump may also have...

The senator's partial term was marked by frustration and failure, experts say. BY WILLIAM MARCH TAMPA - Mel Martinez may go down in Florida history as the reluctant senator. During his short Senate career, from 2005 until this week, Martinez took stands on principle and stuck loyally by his friends, particularly President George W. Bush, even when it hurt him politically. But circumstances and his own mistakes conspired to mark his partial term with much frustration and little accomplishment, experts in Congress say. In an interview last week, Martinez acknowledged that frustration. "It is true," he said. "The Senate works...

Wes Hickman, a spokesman for Mr. Graham, said in a statement that "Senator Graham is ready and willing to play a key role in immigration reform. He intends to work with many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle."

Schumer: “Borders Now Secure” $1 Trillion in Extra Health Care Costs by Paul L. Williams, Ph.D. thelastcrusade.org Charles Schumer (D-NY), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says that the borders are now “secure enough to move forward on immigration reform.”Mr. Schumer’s statement comes on the heels of the murder of U.S. Border Patrol agent Robert Rosas, who was gunned down by members of a Mexican smuggling ring in July.Five suspects have been taken into custody by Mexican law enforcement officials.Immigration reform for Mr. Schumer, according to the Minuteman PAC, is the granting of full amnesty to all illegal aliens who...

(snip) McCain said the presence of the Guard will not only help prevent the violence in Mexico from spilling across the border, but will also take some pressure off of the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs. "When the bad guys see Americans in uniform, it has an effect on them, no doubt about it," McCain said. "But also there is work that Guard personnel could do to relieve the burden from Border Patrol and Customs." That being said, McCain added that cooperation with Mexico on border issues will continue to be important. As part of his trip to Yuma, McCain...

Obama stayed away from hot-button words in remarks Thursday on immigration reform, but hinted that his immigration push will include some kind of “amnesty” or “legal path” for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. Obama also said Thursday he is making U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano a key point person on the immigration reform push

WASHINGTON — President Obama told congressional lawmakers Thursday that he would push for an overhaul of the nation's immigration system by early next year. But during the White House meeting, a new political obstacle came into view: how to regulate the influx of foreign workers. The issue was raised by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a principal architect of past attempts to rewrite immigration laws. McCain challenged Obama and other Democrats to stand up to labor unions that are pushing a plan business groups fear could be overly restrictive in admitting future immigrant workers. "I would expect the president of the...

Just hours before President Obama hosts lawmakers for a discussion on immigration at the White House, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel conceded that Obama and his allies on Capitol Hill do not have the votes to pass a comprehensive reform bill. "If the votes were there, you wouldn't need to have the meeting. You could go to a roll call," Emanuel told reporters during an hour-long breakfast. About 20 senators and House members are due to arrive at the White House at 2 p.m. for the discussion in the State Dining Room. Aides to the president said the meeting was...

A national campaign fueled by a conservative Web site took in more than $100,000 in the past week for Gov. Sarah Palin's legal defense fund. The Alaska Fund Trust, was set up to help Palin with legal fees she has run up defending herself against ethics complaints. A formal "webathon" fundraiser wrapped up Sunday night but Conservatives4Palin says it will continue publicizing the effort with a goal of raising $500,000. Palin in March said her legal debts had climbed past $500,000. Palin supporters describe the complaints as frivolous attacks. The governor's office says 14 complaints have been dismissed so far...

Thursday, June 18, 2009 Why I Love the Guv By Seth Adam Smith Owing to the fact that we are in the midst of a webathon to benefit Governor Palin, I thought it would be fitting to take some time to reflect upon the woman---and the cause---that we are supporting. While it is important to battle the inaccurate reporting (and flat out lies) leveled against the Governor, it is equally important to promote and publish positive articles and stories about her. What I've included in this article are just a few of the reasons why I "love the Guv": •All-American-Woman...

Ok, I fixed the one spelling error, NOW she is ready to roll!! GO SARAH PALIN 2012

So, Republicans, you're looking for people who can serve as faces of a party on the upswing. What qualities would we want to see in such people? Maybe these: * They've served in public office and have actually governed effectively. * Rather than just talking about fiscal responsibility, they've made it happen under their watch. * When possible, they've made sure the private sector would take the lead in crucial initiatives. * They've taken on corrupt, entrenched interests to make government more responsive to the people it serves, even when those interests were fellow Republicans. * They pull no punches...

They have enough problems already, but a poll released Monday is sure to give anti-immigration extremists and Republican leaders plenty more to fret about.

Although President Obama has spent much of his time in office moving away from the policies of his predecessor, on immigration enforcement, he has embraced several Bush administration initiatives, and the changes he has promised to make are couched in nuance. In recent days, for example, the administration has announced it will expand a $1.1 billion program begun under President George W. Bush to check the immigration status of virtually all people booked into local jails over the next four years. Obama will continue a "zero-tolerance" program that charges and jails any illegal immigrant caught crossing parts of the U.S.-Mexico...

PHOENIX (AP) - Sen. John McCain says the United States needs to do more to crack down on gun smuggling into Mexico, but that such assistance in Mexico's war against drug cartels doesn't require restrictions on the gun rights of law-abiding Americans. McCain told several thousand people at the National Rifle Association's convention in Phoenix on Friday that limiting guns sales in the United States won't prevent the cartels from buying weapons from other countries. . . . . . McCain says the U.S. government has overstated the prevalence of guns being smuggled from the United States into Mexico for...

Many Arizona conservatives would like nothing more than to see Sen. John McCain knocked off in a Republican primary. But few of them think Chris Simcox, the controversial founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps who recently announced he would challenge McCain, is a serious threat to do it. Despite Simcox’s high-profile leadership on illegal immigration on the state’s southern border — a potent issue in the state’s Republican primary — party insiders say the 48-year-old former grade school teacher carries a heavy load of personal baggage and faces ample skepticism from rank-and-file Republican voters. “I’m very unhappy with Sen....

FRIENDS, THE SENATE NEEDS YOUR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE! Your Senators need phone calls today before the rancid thinking of yesterday's immigration hearing infects their views on what makes political sense this year. Did you think Senators might be too smart this year -- or too moral or at least too embarrassed -- to push for more foreign workers while millions of Americans are losing their jobs? Such modest faith in U.S. Senators was dashed yesterday by the Senate Judiciary Committee in a first hearing of its immigration panel. Senators made it clear that they are hopeful that the American people will...

Link only, per FR copyright and excerpt posting rules

The next question is on immigration reform and whether the president will reach out to Sen. John McCain, an advocate of immigration reform. President Obama says he would “love to partner” with McCain and others on what is going to be “a critical issue.”

Meet "Juan" McCain. You already know him as John McCain, however you can expect McCain to get much more in touch with his inner illegal alien. McCain will finally get a serious primary challenge for his Senate seat from Chris Simcox, a founder of the Minutemen organization. How better to draw attention to ineffectual RINOs like McCain, than to take one out, and deservedly so. McCain's has been pandering to illegal aliens for the sake of votes. Because the fact of the matter is that no country in the world sanctions illegal immigration. (Except now, apparently, the United States.) I...

Washington, D.C. – In advance to the Homeland Security field hearing on border security in Phoenix on Monday, April 20, 2009, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) made the following statement: “The unfortunate reality is our Southwest border remains unsafe due to the drug cartels, and now more than ever, we must focus first and foremost on securing our borders,” said Senator John McCain. “The current plan being developed by the Administration and organized labor calls for immigration reform that does not adequately address either securing the border or a legal temporary worker program and is a plan I cannot support,”...

Mexican drug cartels have displaced the mafia as the "number one organized crime threat" in the United States, Sen. Joe Lieberman said Monday as his Senate committee heard testimony in Phoenix on border violence. Lieberman, an independent Democrat from Connecticut, and Sen. John McCain, a Republican on Lieberman's panel, told FOX News that the United States needs to step up the fight against the drug cartels. The two senators were in Arizona, McCain's home state, to hear from local officials on their advice for dealing with the drug-fueled violence many fear is spilling across the border.

As part of a trip across the state this week, Arizona Sen. John McCain spent Thursday in Tucson. Here are highlights from an interview with the Star: Nationwide "tea parties": "I think there's a significant grass-roots element in America that's fed up with the taxation level and the complexities of the tax code as well," said McCain. "All of this dissatisfaction is obviously inflamed by the terrible economic times we're in." . . . . . "We must have a temporary- worker program, but we also have to secure our borders first," he said. "The level of the violence has...

Link only, per FR copyright and posting rules

Thursday morning the New York Times ran a front-page story announcing that the Obama administration would begin working on comprehensive immigration reform this year. By Thursday afternoon hundreds of Houston business leaders received e-mails urging them to join the effort — by bringing their checkbooks to a May 4 fundraiser here for Sen. John McCain. The pitch ought to work. The Houston business establishment, led by the Greater Houston Partnership, is firmly on record for comprehensive immigration reform. The Houston economy is heavily dependent on immigrant labor, legal and illegal.

SAN JOSE—In yet another sign of his pivoting toward the general election, Senator John McCain said at a roundtable with business leaders here today that comprehensive immigration reform should be a top priority for the next president. . . . . . He found a friendly audience, however, here today at a business roundtable held at a Silicon Valley technology firm that included Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Meg Whitman, the former chief executive officer of eBay who was a leading supporter of Mitt Romney’s but has since begun raising money for Mr. McCain, and a host of executives from...

THOSE OLD Republican hot buttons are growing cold. For proof, check out a recent interview with Mitt Romney, a former presidential candidate and ex-governor of Massachusetts. According to TheHill.com, a congressional newspaper that publishes when Congress is in session, "Romney believes that one way to attract more minorities to the GOP is to pass immigration reform before the next election, saying the issue becomes demagogued by both parties on the campaign trail." The article also quotes Romney as saying, "We have a natural affinity with Hispanic-American voters, Asian-American voters." This could be extreme political repositioning, even for Romney. . ....

When we remind people that elections have consequences, we’re usually talking about the outrage that comes from appointments to the executive and judicial branches. They have other consequences on policy and legislative priorities, as John McCain “forcefully” reminded Hispanic immigration activists at a meeting last month. National Journal reports on the fallout today.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) said Wednesday that his party needs to take a fresh approach to government regulations in the wake of the economic crisis that has rattled the U.S. and world economies. In an interview with The Hill, Romney said, “We as Republicans misspeak when we say we don’t like regulation. We like modern, up-to-date dynamic regulation that is regularly reviewed, streamlined, modernized and effective.” . . . . . Romney believes that one way to attract more minorities to the GOP is to pass immigration reform before the next election, saying the issue becomes demagogued by...

GREGORY: You just heard Secretary Geithner. What’s your level of confidence in him? MCCAIN: Well, I have some confidence in him. I think he’s very smart. And I hope that this new plan -- which, by the way, I thought was well-described... . . . . . GREGORY: Have Republicans heeded that call, and do you think President Obama has heeded that call? MCCAIN: I think neither side, perhaps, has done it as much as maybe we should. But you establish an environment. Really, bipartisanship is sitting down across a table from each other and negotiating, recognizing there’s got to...

WASHINGTON – When it comes to shoring up the U.S.-Mexico border, the Obama administration won't take yes for an answer. Key members of Congress want to spend more. The president is saying no thanks. Last week, the administration unveiled a plan to redeploy as many as 500 customs, immigration, border and firearms agents to the Southwest border – not by hiring, but by shifting them from other, mostly unspecified, duties. They won't come from the northern border, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured Congress. Beyond that, she would say only that they'll come from "less urgent activities" – a red...

Advocates of legalization have crafted a plan that could alienate businesses and key Republicans, including Sen. John McCain. But it is designed to lure a powerful new ally -- organized labor. BY PETER WALLSTEN With their prospects in Congress sinking along with the economy, liberal advocates of giving undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship are launching a risky strategy to push lawmakers and the White House to take up their cause. They are devising a proposal in which millions of undocumented workers would be legalized now, while the number of foreign workers allowed to enter the country would be examined...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Obama administration's initiative to deploy additional federal resources in the fight against rising drug-related violence along the Mexican border was criticized as insufficient in a Senate committee hearing Wednesday. Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Connecticut, said the administration's plan to send hundreds of extra federal agents and new crime-fighting equipment to the border "represents a significant step forward" but is not enough. Mexican drug cartels, believed to be operating in more than 230 American cities "from Appalachia to Alaska," represent a "clear and present" danger to the United States, Lieberman said at a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing...

I just saw YET ANOTHER news clip from..... I dunno, human events. The source doesn't matter. What's happening? Amnesty. Who's involved? Of course, McCain. I just cannot figure it out. I can't. Why? If he gets amnesty passed, that by far overshadows every heroic/patriotic action he's ever done in his life. Why would he do this?

Former Republican congressman Rob Portman will announce that he is running for the Senate soon after Ohio Sen. George Voinovich’s retirement announcement, according to multiple Republican sources. Portman's official announcement is expected to take place on Wednesday. Portman would give Senate Republicans an accomplished candidate who is likely to clear the primary field. “He’s great on both policy and politics, and you don’t often find that combination,” said Hamilton County Republican party chairman Alex Triantafilou. “His experience in government, his experience in Washington and his understanding of Ohio would make him a tremendous force in the Senate.” Portman would likely...

WASHINGTON – Down to single digits in his days left in office, President George W. Bush is warning the Republican Party not to become "anti-immigrant" as it regroups from defeat and retools its leadership. "It's very important for our party not to narrow its focus, not to become so inward looking that we drive people away from a philosophy that is compassionate and decent," . .

Guatemalan girl describes alleged enforced prostitution She testifies in federal court how a group of immigrants duped her into coming to the U.S., forced her to sell herself and kept her captive. By Scott Glover January 9, 2009 When Sandra agreed to make the perilous trek from her native Guatemala to the United States in 2006, she said, she was lured by the prospect of a job as a housekeeper that would enable her to send money to her impoverished family back home. Her father had a hernia that prevented him from working, and money was so tight that she...

Riverside and San Bernardino counties added more Latino residents between 2000 and 2007 than all but three other U.S. counties, a new analysis of U.S. Census data found. The report, by the nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based Pew Hispanic Center, also found that most Latino population growth is now from new births. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was mostly from immigration. That means no matter what happens to the immigration rate, the Latino population of Riverside and San Bernardino counties will continue to grow steadily, reaching a majority within several years, experts say. Riverside County's Hispanic population surged 60 percent between...

What part of illegal alien is so difficult to understand? Apparently, there are those who are either too confused, too unwilling or too incapable of understanding the meaning of those simple words. Instead, they'd rather emotionalize any debate on illegal immigration with cries of racism, discrimination and an alleged lack of compassion for our fellow human beings. They choose this course rather than honestly dealing with the established fact we are a nation of laws - laws intended and necessary to preserve civility and order for our common good. I, for one, refuse to be intimidated or influenced by such...

Harry Reid somehow missed the outcry of the American people when they stopped amnesty cold in the Senate twice. After the election, he told reporters that he didn't "expect much of a fight at all" over "comprehensive immmigration reform" if he introduced it again. Now there are reports that he has already floated around a "Stronger Economy Stronger Borders Act of 2009" which is the same amnesty pig dressed in enforcement lipstick that they've been trying to feed the American People for the last three years. Tell Reid and the rest of Congress know that the American people will not...

Harry Reid’s shamnesty stand: Senate Bill 9 will tear down the border “wall” By Michelle Malkin • January 8, 2009 11:08 PM Harry Reid has filed S. 9, the Democrats’ new shamnesty bill. Not much difference in principle between Reid’s bill and McCain-Kennedy-Bush. Disingenuous lip service to immigration enforcement? Check. Path to legalization? Check. There are a few new nuggets — most notably, open hostility to the Fence in Name Only on our southern border. Quoting from the bill: And I believe we would be wise to reconsider the effectiveness and cost of a wall along our southern border, which...

Comprehensive immigration reform - aka an amnesty for illegal aliens - is back. Yesterday, Harry Reid introduced S.9, the "Stronger Economy, Stronger Borders Act of 2009" ("SESBA"). What's there now is just a placeholder (link), however the remarks made by Patrick Leahy at introduction show exactly what it is. Those remarks and the list of co-sponsors are at the link. Note that this is a repeat of how it started in 2007, right down to the bill number. If you want to cut this bill off at the knees, write to your representatives and let them know your opinion. However,...

When it comes to immigration, it seems the chaos on the border is exceeded only by the chaos in Washington. That is especially curious since Members of Congress are usually famous for being able to read which way the political wind is blowing. In this case, however, it appears they would be well served to commit to reading the results of a recent, reputable bi-partisan national survey of voter attitudes on immigration. What its findings show is not at all startling, and is indeed testimony to the common sense of US Americans. With solutions to border, immigration, and guest worker...

We can't afford an amnesty - it would cost too much. Applying a conservative estimate of the per-person processing cost from the 1986 amnesty, unadjusted for inflation, it would cost about $2,500,000,000 (two billion, five-hundred million dollars) to process ten million illegal aliens. What else could we do with that money that would be worthwhile for the country? There is a huge push on the part of the current administration, the Senate, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, many industrial and growers' organizations, many unions, and the Mexican government (yes, they very much want us to have one) to grant amnesty...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A company accused of encouraging hundreds to illegally enter the United States and then hiring them using fake Social Security numbers has agreed to pay the largest settlement ever in a workplace immigration bust, the Department of Justice said Friday. IFCO Systems North America, a pallet and crate company, will pay a $20.7 million settlement, which includes $18.1 million in fines and $2.6 million for overtime violations, the Department of Justice said. In early 2006, immigration officials raided 45 IFCO sites, arresting almost 1,200 low-level workers. Federal officials also charged several managers, accusing them of using "as...

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Arizona Sen. John McCain, back in his home state, says he looks forward to working with President-elect Obama on the country's economic ills. McCain, talking Tuesday to the Tucson Citizen's editorial board, said the incoming president will be setting the nation's legislative agenda, and he's not sure where immigration reform falls among Obama's top priorities. But McCain said it's an issue that needs to be addressed.

I just got a press release from a liberal pressure group called America's Voice headlined "Anti-Immigration Ads Don't Add Up in 2008." The group tried to make the same point that I've heard over and over again from amnesty advocates: The voters won't go for candidates who support immigration restrictions. "A new analysis of immigration advertisements finds that the strategy of using immigration as a political wedge issue in the 2008 election cycle was an utter failure," the release stated. Nonsense. What the voters won't go for is candidates who try to work both sides of the issue, such John...

The undocumented Irish in the United States were discussed at Shannon airport last night when the Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea TD met former US Republican presidential candidate senator John McCain. After the meeting, Mr O'Dea said: "We met for about 40 minutes and it was very productive and cordial. Senator McCain has committed to raising the issue of the undocumented Irish with president-elect Obama on his return to the US." Mr McCain's aircraft made a refuelling stop at Shannon on his way back to the US after spending the past week on a regional tour with two other members...

Drunk driving checkpoints can save lives By Freeman Sawyer - Special to the Express-News My nephew was killed by a drunk driver on a Texas highway. My mother — his grandmother — was the obituary writer at the Express-News at the time. She wrote the obituary for her grandson and told me later it was the most agonizing obituary she had ever written. This tragedy devastated our family. Four other innocent people were killed in this same wreck. One drunk driver changed the lives of five families in one split second that late December night. In 2007, drunk drivers in...

Members of the cultural right have called Juan Hernandez a "border obliteration activist," an "American traitor," and an "agent of the Mexican government." John McCain's presidential campaign called him something different: director of Hispanic outreach. For 14 months leading up to the election, the Fort Worth, Texas, native was a high-level volunteer at McCain '08 headquarters, where he attended daily senior staff meetings and advised the Arizona senator and his top lieutenants about how to appeal to Hispanic voters. Part of that strategy was highlighting McCain's record of championing comprehensive immigration reform. Meanwhile, down the hall, another portion of the...