SEN. HAGEL: Our borders are the most critical, urgent issue facing our country.

CNN/The Lou Dobbs show ^ | Jan. 21, 2005 | Transcript

[Robert Lomax]

He11, the smuggling fee for many outside the Western Hemisphere is upwards to $60K. We would just be tacking on an extra fee for the smugglers that would eventually be paid off working in sweat shops.

[FITZ]

The illegal alien has been trucked, bused and flown back to their nation of origin for over half a century.

That's exactly what is so lame about the open-borders argument that we can't send them home in boxcars or semi-trailers --- even though that's often how Mexico sent them to us in the first place. Funny how the boxcars can come in stuffed with Mexicans being shipped north -- and the open borders crowd sees no problem at all --- yet we'd send them back in nice airconditioned Grayhound type INS buses --- with water, meals, and a bathroom ----- and it's wring out their hankies time.

[FastCoyote]

Well put, I'm going to steal your thesis because it's a good one.

[TFine80]

Hey, if his maverick ways are going to make him pressure the rest of the wussy Senate on this issue, I hate no complaints.

[FITZ]

It's easy to tell --- just call them one of those three-- they'll let you know very quickly --- and harshly which they are if it was one of the others. But the ones with the lisps are Cubans, the ones who leave off the "s"s and talk very fast are Puerto Ricans.

[DoughtyOne]

Good points about the trip north, and no complaints regarding the accommodations for that. You don't see a one of these folks complaining about coyotes either. Why is that?

The talk of boxcars is an attempt by those 'running on empty' to equate repatriation to Hitler's attempts at extermination. Door to door searches is another hot-button for those who haven't a clue what legitimate and illegitimate arguments are with regard to this problem.

I've sometimes used the word 'flailing' to describe this argumentative technique by the clueless. I suppose it fits as well as any other description.

When you're out of ammo, not much else can be offered in defense of the defenseless.

[Prost1]

"A lot of them have fake state IDs. If we aren't careful, our demands will lay the groundwork for National ID cards."

What is the issue with a National Card? If you have a credit card you're in a national data base. Driver's license, former military, security clearance, Insurance, on and on and on....

Rather than worry about a National Card, we should concern ourselves with steadfast adherence to the 10th Amendment! (IMO).

[dirtboy]

What is the issue with a National Card? If you have a credit card you're in a national data base.

However, police don't check your credit card as you are walking down the street or if they pull you over.

[FBD]

>"You guys are so transparent, if you were true to your usual rhetoric on FR, you would be demanding Hagel ship them all out in boxcars."<

- Comparing the deportation of illegal immigrants back to their home countries to Nazis shipping Jews to concentration camps in boxcars is pretty inflammatory "rhetoric", imo.

I've seen the gay activist groups make similar statements against people who are opposed to same sex marriage.

[Prost1]

Maybe you haven't seen the cameras on the signal lights like they have had in Europe for decades. Takes a picture of a vehicle running a red light and they send the ticket to the registered address of the owner.

And, I'm and others are in several national data bases already. I pay cash for most everything. Have for years. Credit cards are local use 99%. If the Feds want, they can get a copy of all your purchase records from your credit card and a copy of your phone records for the last few years. In short order, they will know where you've been, what you've bought, and with whom you spoke. A bit more effort and they can find out the why's and wherefore's.

You are ID'd and don't know it!

[dirtboy]

And, I'm and others are in several national data bases already. I pay cash for most everything. Have for years. Credit cards are local use 99%. If the Feds want, they can get a copy of all your purchase records from your credit card and a copy of your phone records for the last few years. In short order, they will know where you've been, what you've bought, and with whom you spoke. A bit more effort and they can find out the why's and wherefore's. You are ID'd and don't know it!

I work with large databases for a living. I have worked for large banks and used large credit databases. I am well aware of the data that is stored on everyone, much more so than the average person, and also know how that data can or can't be used, and how it is accessed by the feds.

However, that is a far cry from requiring a national ID card on demand and having a nationally-trackable ID card. A cop on the street can't pull up your Trans Union or Experian information. But if you have a national ID card, they could swipe that and pull up any associated data tied to it.

[FITZ]

And the open borders types never have a single issue with the corrupt Mexican government which is actively working to rid it's country of millions of it's citizens. Nor do they have a problem with the horrible conditions in Mexico -- the farmers losing their lands and livelihood in Mexico. It's fine with them that the Mayans who have lived in Mexico for centuries --- long before a European ever showed up -- are now living their homelands out of sheer desperation. That's great as far as the open borders crowd is concerned --- their desperation will make them glad to clean our toilets for dirt pay.

[Prost1]

"But if you have a national ID card, they could swipe that and pull up any associated data tied to it."

Not if the 10th Amendment is enforced!

[dirtboy]

Not if the 10th Amendment is enforced!

News flash - the 10th Amendment has been all but a dead letter for years now.

[Prost1]

"News flash - the 10th Amendment has been all but a dead letter for years now."

It is part of the Constitution. In fact, it is the most important amendment since all the others would have been for naught without the 10th. There would have been no ratification and thus no government.

It is time to resurrect this "dead" amendment!

[dennisw]

Hillary and Hagel will run for president in 08. Quite telling how both are seeking to position themselves as defenders of our borders and against the George Bush amnesty. GW's neglect on illegal immigration is a loser politically. His sham amnesty is for loser nations, not the USA.

[dirtboy]

It is part of the Constitution. In fact, it is the most important amendment since all the others would have been for naught without the 10th. There would have been no ratification and thus no government. It is time to resurrect this "dead" amendment!

And just how does having a national ID card help resurrect the 10th?

[JustAnotherSavage]

Beautiful,FBD. The arrogance of some of todays citizens, I include many "lawmakers", that assume to be so much more enlightened than our tried and true ancestor/founders is what disgusts me the most.

[JustAnotherSavage]

Hagel is pulling a bait and switch and we need to let him know he's not fooling everyone. His plan is endorsed by MALDEF and the "muslim" community and is a sham bill.

www.senate.gov

Congress switchboard, toll free: 1-877-762-8762

[Uncle Vlad]

Hagel has an absolutely shameful wide-open border policy. The last time he was in Omaha, he said he would be happy to meet with anyone who wanted to discuss it. Instead, he went on a couple of local radio talk shows, where they lobbed him one softball question after another and didn't even discuss illegal immigration. Then he went to a "town hall meeting" in a part of South Omaha that has been overrun with illegal immigrants and outlined policies that were friendly to illegals. (The meeting was closed to the rest of the public.) Then he skedaddled back to Washington.

Another infuriating thing about Hagel is when he turns up on all of the talking head shows and does his hand-wringing about Iraq. He moans about how we're not doing it right, how we don't have enough troops, how we shouldn't have been there in the first place, blah, blah, blah. Then he turns around during the Presidential campaign and says, "Senator Kerry would make a wonderful Commander In-Chief." (Hagel was the official campaign manager for the Reelect Bush campaign in Nebraska, by the way, and he's offering support for a guy who's not only running against Bush, but voted against the $87 Billion package for Iraq, which included body armor for our troops. Sorry, Senator, you can't have it bot ways.)

There's just too much not to like there, unfortunately.