Thread: GOP harms self on immigration

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs. ... 40326/1285

May 4, 2006

GOP harms self on immigration

By Douglas MacKinnon
The Baltimore Sun


BALTIMORE, Md. — A number of Republicans, including me, lately have been asking ourselves: What has become of our party and why has it lost its moral and ideological compass?

A more telling question and statement may have been made by my South American wife with regard to certain Republican members of Congress who support guest-worker legislation for millions of illegal aliens.

As a newly minted and very proud U.S. citizen, she said, "What's wrong with those people? They are spitting in my face and the face of every immigrant who came into this country legally, paid our dues, did all of our paperwork and played by the rules. They can call it whatever they want, but it's amnesty for lawbreakers. I can tell you one thing, when I do get to vote for the first time in my new country, it won't be for the Republican Party."

Certain undeniable facts make it hard for me to talk her out of her position.

One such example is the blatant, greed-induced corruption practiced by certain Republican members of Congress and lobbyists, which has been purposely ignored by much of the Republican leadership until it reached critical mass and blew up in their complicit faces.

Another is the disgraceful, budget-busting spending by Republican members who laughingly call themselves "fiscal conservatives."

Lastly, and the most telling example of why my party has lost its way, are the Republicans in Congress who are waving the white flag on immigration and, in the process, endangering our national security.

Why would they do such a thing?

Two reasons.

First, regardless of what they say, they are intimidated by the hundreds of thousands of legal and illegal immigrants who have taken to the streets to protest proposed harsher laws to protect our borders.

Second, they are doing the bidding of big business and big business lobbyists who want, need and demand a cheap labor force that they can continue to exploit and pay slave wages.

Apparently, these Republicans who favor the guest-worker/amnesty plan for illegal aliens don't have a whole lot of interest in what the American people have to say on the subject.

If they did, they would acknowledge that, in the latest polls, the vast majority of the public wants the U.S. government to crack down on illegal immigration.

The American people would like to see "major penalties" imposed on those who employ illegal aliens. And well over 70 percent don't want illegals to have a driver's license. This common-sense thinking is not shared by at least 73 percent of Republicans in Congress.

There is an ill wind blowing for the GOP that is being fanned by rank-and-file Republicans who are disgusted with their party. I have heard from a number of them who have flatly stated, "I'm not going to vote for a Democrat in 2006 or 2008, but at the moment, I'm just not going to vote."

Other Republicans and commentators have stressed, "The Democrats can't beat something with nothing," or, "Conservatives and independents will vote once they realize that if the Democrats do take over, the leadership will be in the hands of liberals and Bush will never get another Supreme Court nominee through."

Time will tell. But in my home, my party has already lost the vote of a legal, highly disappointed, immigrant.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Douglas MacKinnon, former press secretary to Bob Dole, is also a former White House and Pentagon official.

Brian503a, please don't despair of the whole republican party! I believe this party is going to be baptised by fire so to speak, and from that fire will come a new and stronger party full of patriots having the same values and principals as we do! This has needed to happen for a long time right Brian? I know there are more republican leaders who are selling out our country, but there remains a remnant of them who are working hard to save our country and bring back our values to this party. Both of my republican Senators here in Okla are against this illegal movement, against amnesty and for secure borders now.There are many others Brian, working hard behind the scenes, disenchanted with our President and our spineless "leaders" in our Senate and Congress. There are very few Democrats, who are not selling out their party either. Both of these parties I think are going to get a huge shock when they go to the polls in the future.Perhaps, from our fight a new strong party of patriots will rise like the pheonix from the ashes, and start to bring our country back to what it once was and what it can be again! In a way these protest have been the best thing to happen to us. Sometimes people have to be hit between the eyes before they can see what is happening, and boy did they hit us between the eyes with these protest. The backlash is growing stronger now towns like this Herndon Virginia standing up to their leaders , and the AZ sheriff fighting with the law on his side, have started to revolt, I am not talking about a violent revolt but a revolt by removing those leaders who are against us and daring to do the right thing for this country in the legal way.We are the majority in this fight Brian not the illegals and they are going to find out what a day with mad gringo's ready to fight the legal way might be like.