Thread: The Betrayal Perpetrated on Rep. Mike Pence

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,211587,00.html

The Betrayal Perpetrated on Rep. Mike Pence

Thursday , August 31, 2006

By Lawrence Kudlow



The New York Times front page profile on my friend, Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., "Star of the Right Loses His Base at the Border," is really all about the anti-immigration, far-right group led by Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado to oppose any broad-based immigration reform whatsoever --and to label any proposals for temporary workers, or even Pence's 17 year citizenship path, as "amnesty."

This word "amnesty" is being used to attack absolutely any conceivable immigration compromise. I could go on forever on this subject. I have written several columns on it.

But at the end of the day, the Tancredo crowd, which includes Pat Buchanan, just wants border security to keep out immigrants. They also want to deport all illegal or undocumented immigrants.

"Border security" and "deportation" are their watchwords. They manage to completely ignore the economics of the problem, whereby Mexicans seeking higher paying jobs in the United States rather than the faltering Mexican economy can produce are coming here to work. After all, living conditions in the United States are a lot better for all but the richest people than they are in Mexico.

If we ever deported the 10 million to 15 million undocumented workers, then the U.S. economy would be severely damaged. New studies show the Mexicans actually help the U.S. economy and wages actually rise overall, though there are small losses in border town wages.

Even unskilled American workers benefit from lower priced goods and services generated by these new Mexican worker-immigrants. Pat Buchanan attacks me as "worshipping at the church of GDP." But in a CNBC Kudlow and Company interview, I reminded him that I also worship at the church of Catholic Mass as does the vast majority of the Mexican immigrants.

These faith-based folks would create a new blue-collar middle class that is sorely needed in this country if we let them. They would also finance Social Security over the next fifty years. Though it should be noted that academic research shows that two-thirds of them pay Social Security with phony ID cards and will never receive the benefit as matters now stand.

And, of course, they pay the sales tax on whatever purchases they make in stores. The problem will never be solved unless we legally permit roughly 400,000 per year to fill the demand for U.S. jobs that are currently available. This resembles the Bracero Program and it must be part of any solution.

It's just plain common sense that at any given productivity rate, a larger labor force generates more GDP growth to the benefit of the U.S. economy. During the high tide of immigration, over the past 20 years, the United States has enjoyed unrivaled prosperity at low unemployment.

So, again, I ask, if immigration is so bad, then why are things so good? Yes, there should be tough border security. Yes, there should be foolproof ID cards, with biometrics, for Social Security and employment purposes. Former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming, the co-author of the 1986 Simpson-Mazzoli immigration reform bill, has said the failure of that bill was a function of the lack of an ID card system.

But the intransigence of the Tancredo-Buchanan crowd is a remarkable political event which is all out of kilter with poll after poll that shows a substantial majority of respondents favor broad based immigration reform.

If these guys win, the Republican Party loses, and the nation loses. Unlike the big countries of Western Europe and Japan, the U.S. benefits from immigration that keeps our population rising. In fact, harking back to the Catholic Mass, roughly 45 million unborn children have been killed since the abortion wave was launched by Roe v. Wade in the early 1970s. We have an opportunity to replace this extraordinary loss of human life with hard-headed but compassionate and economically sound immigration reform.

Incidentally, I wrote the article for Human Events when that newspaper awarded Congressman Pence its "2005 Man of the Year" award. I know Mike. The man is a wonderful, Reagan-thinking conservative.

His life is governed by religious values, a belief in a strong national defense, and a pro-growth approach to low taxes and less government spending. This Tancredo-Buchanan backstabbing does this rising GOP star a great disservice. If allowed to go unanswered, it would represent another devastating blow to the Republican Party.

While the Pence-Hutchinson immigration reform idea is not perfect, it does represent a useful discussion point for future action. As diplomatically and kindly as possible, with all the greatest respect for differing points of view, let me just say that the Tancredo-Buchanan attack on Mike Pence is nuttier than a fruitcake.

umm no we want border security to keep out ILLEGAL immigrants. I can see now why you and Rep. Pence are bed buddies... i mean friends.

Even unskilled American workers benefit from lower priced goods and services generated by these new Mexican worker-immigrants

Why don't you go tell the unemployed black man or white man or any other "unskilled" worker just how MUCH the illegal aliens are helping him. I am sure we are so thankful for the LOW LOW Wal-Mart prices. Those goods would be a head of lettuce which would cost 15-25 cents more and those services are mowing your lawn, which I need neither.

But the intransigence of the Tancredo-Buchanan crowd is a remarkable political event which is all out of kilter with poll after poll that shows a substantial majority of respondents favor broad based immigration reform.

Another OUTRIGHT lie!!

These faith-based folks would create a new blue-collar middle class that is sorely needed in this country if we let them

I guess to replace the one we have now. And we know these "faith based" folks would never stab their neighbor to death or run over someone while blind drunk or deal in dangerous drugs, or steal someone's identity, or lie to get social services, or rape and molest a child.......

I would ask this idiot why we "sorely need" a new blue-collar middle class made up of illiterate high school dropouts that will never get beyond the where they are now, while sucking us dry, financially. That is a slam to the American working. What a typical left-wing wacko moron and typical NY Times journalist!

Quote:
These faith-based folks would create a new blue-collar middle class that is sorely needed in this country if we let them.

If we let them..they would re-establish our wage structure to nothing. The author doesn't even talk about the already unemployed in this country..because we demand higher wages, rather than working for peanuts like their 'new blue collar' work force would.

RINO Whine.
Pence is supposed to be a conservative.
1. Is there anything fiscally conservative about Pence amnesty?
2. Is it socially conservative to replace our culture with morally relativistic socialists?

Now I might be willing to see that Pence's religious feelings got in the way. However, looking at the bill again with amnesty for corporations, all manner of pork for business, unlimited numbers of low cost workers, etc., it just doesn't fit. Pence wanted to be super hero to the rescue of Jorge Bush and turned himself into whatever he is now that can no longer be trusted. Anybody have evidence where Tancredo jumped ship? Go Team America!

New studies show the Mexicans actually help the U.S. economy and wages actually rise overall, though there are small losses in border town wages.

The devils in the details. It stands to reason that the border towns are going to give us a more adequate representation of the actual truth regarding lower wages. How can this idiot reporter not realize that the border towns have the higher percentage of illegals per population? Also, it's interesting that he reports "new studies show....". Could someone please direct me to the new studies he is using for his argument? Why didn't he inform his readers of the studies he is referring to? This article is nothing but a bunch of empty rhetoric with no actual facts used to back the authors claims. Every study I've seen to date clearly shows that illegal immigrants are negatively impacting the wages of our low-wage earners. The rich keep getting richer off illegal immigrant "cheap labor" and the poor keep getting poorer because they can't support themselves and their families in the low-wage market created by illegal immigrant labor. All that is left is the middle class, which is what most of us on here probably are. Unfortunately, we're stuck in the middle with stagnate wages that can't keep up with inflation, our health care costs are sky rocketing, college tuition for our children is going through the roof, we're forced to cut-back on what few pleasures we enjoy because our vehicles need gas, our kids are being deprived of the quality of education we pay for as tax payers because we must also support anchor baby and illegal immigrant children educational needs, etc., etc., etc. Please excuse me, I've got to puke!

Anyone got an email address for this joker? I'd like to enlighten him on a few points he failed to mention in his article.

If we let them..they would re-establish our wage structure to nothing. The author doesn't even talk about the already unemployed in this country..because we demand higher wages, rather than working for peanuts like their 'new blue collar' work force would.

Rockfish ROCKS! Please listen.........

Thanks, grey, common sense does rock!

Mr Kudlow is nothing but a Wall Street Journal mouthpiece type. Big business, globalist, "World View" type of guy.