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    Super Moderator GeorgiaPeach's Avatar
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    Gov. Bill Lee Offers Incoherent Defense of His Refugee Decision in Interview with Bri

    Gov. Bill Lee Offers Incoherent Defense of His Refugee Decision in Interview with Brian Wilson


    December 21, 2019 Chris Butler






    Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee hemmed, hawed, and waffled Friday as he tried to defend his controversial decision to allow more refugees to resettle in Tennessee.

    This happened when he appeared on Nashville’s Morning News with BrianWilson, broadcast weekday mornings on 99.7 FM WWTN.



    Lee was incoherent while answering Wilson’s straightforward questions, including the one Wilson, a former FOX News broadcaster, started off with:

    You made a decision, one of the few Republican governors who made the decision to continue taking refugees into the state of Tennesse. This was not something that pleased the speaker of the House or the lieutenant governor or many listeners to this show. Many conservatives were not happy with that decision. What led you to make that decision?


    “Yeah you know, what led me to that decision was my conviction, my beliefs, my principles, and my values,” Lee responded, before he added several vague platitudes and tried to appeal to the people who voted for him in 2018 — by invoking the name of U.S. Republican President Donald Trump, who is still wildly popular with the conservative base:

    I think leadership requires that you act on your strong beliefs and principles and convictions and values. Mine are very conservative. Mine are very faith-oriented. I think about leaders that actually are getting things done and moving things in the right direction. And I see that happening. Consider President Trump.

    Lee seemed to channel the spirit of a professional politician, despite bragging during last year’s campaign that he had never held elected office and was only a cattle farmer and a businessman:

    I don’t think he makes his decisions based on what the latest polling or what the political wind is or what his party believes. I think he acts on his convictions. I had a strong belief. And I looked at this issue from a conservative Christian perspective. To protect our 10th Amendment rights first and foremost, yes.

    First of all, I respect President Trump’s process. The vetting process that he’s put in place for this refugee program. It preserves our 10th Amendment rights. It gave me the option to choose to be in this. It also gives us the option to get out of this if we don’t like it. It allows us to continue. By the way, a federal government mandate should never be allowed.

    Which this is why this was acceptable by previous administrations or not. And that’s why we have a lawsuit in this state. That should continue. And I think we should continue with a vigor that will protect that 10th amendment right regarding refugee resettlement. And finally, you know what? I have a real personal experience with this.
    I’ve worked with Christian ministry groups in refugee camps in Kurdistan. I’ve been in refugee camps in northern Uganda that helped political and religiously persecuted refugees from the Joseph Kony regime up in Sudan. I’ve seen what happens. I know what the repressed look like.

    I also know that the United States has a long history for generations of being a beacon of refuge for those that are religiously and politically oppressed. I think it’s part of what’s made our country great.
    We should make this country great again and one of the ways we do that is by returning to policies. And if you consider refugee resettlement. Return to refugee policy that’s balanced and right and vetted and safe. President Trump put in a new vetting process for refugees.

    He limited the number in this country from 90,000 to 18,000 so that this would only be a few hundred people coming into individual states. That’s the kind of policy that existed when Ronald Reagan was president. That’s the kind of policy for refugees that exists under President Trump now. And all of those things came into my processing.

    Wilson tried to press the governor for specifics.

    “OK, let me jump in here for a minute. Because you’ve given us a lot of information to chew on. What I’m hearing from you is that this was more of a decision from your heart than from your head,” Wilson said.

    “No. It was a decision based on a number of factors. Including my heart. Including my faith belief that we have a Biblical mandate to provide refuge for those who are persecuted and oppressed,” Lee responded, adding:

    I’ve heard a lot of people talking to me about this subject. And I remind people. This is not about illegal immigration.
    This is a very different subject. I feel very differently and very strongly and have been very clear about how we should have our borders secure and how we should have a whole different view about illegal immigration. This is about persecuted and repressed political refugees. So yes. It was made with my heart. It required the 10th Amendment preservation.

    It required a security vetting process that President Trump has put in place to make sure we know who’s coming in. You know this particular plan allows us to exactly know who’s coming into this state and where they are coming from. So we can attach the folks that come in here to a process that we know what’s happening with them.
    It was my heart, but it was also a whole lot of other facts that made this decision one that I could go with.

    “Are you surprised by the reaction from the speaker of the House, the lieutenant governor and, well, many people that listen to the program?” Wilson asked.

    “Yeah. I’ve realized. First of all, I came into this not being a politician,” Lee answered, adding:

    I don’t try to anticipate what a party is going to say. Or leaders what leaders of a party is going to say. I don’t act based on that. I act on my own conservative principles and values. And, most of the time, 99 percent of the time those line up with the vast majority of Republicans and conservatives. There are 132 legislators.

    And there’s a lot of folks that work together to get things done in this state. We’re a very conservative state. We have very conservative legislation and a very conservative governor. Most all of the time we’re going to agree on things and I think you’ve seen that in the last year. But…

    But, there’s going to be disagreement. I’m not surprised by that. Also, I’m also a person that believes disagreement is fine. You agree to disagree on things so long as you make decisions on strong principals. And then you move forward. I spoke with the speaker just, I seem him regularly. We talk regularly. I have a great relationship with the new speaker. I’m excited about working with him. Lieutenant Governor McNally and I.

    Wilson had to jump in — again.


    “Wait wait wait. I have to ask you a question then,” he interjected.


    “If you are excited and you have great respect for him, tell me why he felt like he got waylaid by this announcement? He said I didn’t have any idea that this was coming. I got no warning and no advance notice of it whatsoever. In fact, you and he had a conversation about that did you not?” he asked.


    The governor appeared not to understand the question, which was why he had not taken the initiative in advance to give McNally and Sexton a heads up, and he instead blindsided them with his announcement on refugees:

    Exactly. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. So he’s a new speaker. I’ve been the governor for 10 months. We’re developing this relationship. As soon as he says he was surprised by that, I got together with him. And I said, ‘Hey let’s communicate even better. Let’s figure out how you and I, I don’t want to surprise you and I don’t want you to surprise me. We’re not going to agree on everything.’

    But you know what, we’re in this together. He and I are building a strong relationship. I have a great deal of respect for that man. He’s a great leader and a very principled conservative himself. We didn’t agree on this issue. We’re learning how to work together. He’s new in this job, and I’m new in this job too. Just because we had a disagreement, doesn’t mean that we’re not being on the same page.

    It required a security vetting process that President Trump has put in place to make sure we know who’s coming in. You know this particular plan allows us to exactly know who’s coming into this state and where they are coming from. So we can attach the folks that come in here to a process that we know what’s happening with them.


    You can listen to the full audio of the interview here.
    As The Tennessee Star reported this week, Trump issued an executive order in September that asked states and cities to consent in writing if they want to continue refugee resettlements — and it was Lee’s decision to make.


    Also as reported, the two leading contenders for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate to replace retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) disagree with Lee’s decision.


    Readers of The Star said they weren’t having any of it.
    A large contingent of our readers said earlier this month on our website and our Facebook page that they would adamantly oppose Lee taking this action, so much so they would make him a one-term and done governor.



    Gov. Lee’s office did not address our readers’ concerns.



    – – –
    Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to chrisbutlerjournalist@gmail.com.
    Photo “Bill Lee” by Bill Lee.


    https://tennesseestar.com/2019/12/21...-brian-wilson/
    Last edited by GeorgiaPeach; 12-21-2019 at 09:38 PM.
    Matthew 19:26
    But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
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  2. #2
    Super Moderator GeorgiaPeach's Avatar
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    These are comments found at link following the news story from the Tennessee Star.

    Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee caved to open borders groups, including the George Soros funded, TIRRC, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. He turned his back on American citizens and voters in Tennessee who want illegal immigration and refugee resettlement in the state to cease. The costs are too high.



      • Mark king
        December 21, 2019 at 5:05 pm
        We need to get LEE out of office ,as soon as possible,before he wants a bunch of illegal immigrants as well. Give them money, free housing and whatever he can give them. He needs to let a bunch of them come live with him in his house. Get him OUT NOW!!
      • Carla
        December 21, 2019 at 4:35 pm
        So disappointed by this. We gave time and a chunk of money to support him, and I so regret it. This is something Elizabeth Warren and AOC would do, not a conservative governor.
      • Rick
        December 21, 2019 at 2:56 pm
        As Was said previously he is to represent Tennesseans not make decisions based on his personal beliefs. A bad decision he cannot defend. One term Lee!
      • Dean from Knoxville
        December 21, 2019 at 2:03 pm
        I agree, if TRUMP can be impeached for nothing, how about impeaching Lee for this???
      • Kurt Finley
        December 21, 2019 at 1:30 pm
        If he goes through with this knowing how the people of Tennessee feels about it, we’ll never vote for him again! Governor Lee I do not support bringing in more refugees to Tennessee
      • Frank
        December 21, 2019 at 11:38 am
        Governor, we gave you the job to represent us (protect our state (financialy/safety) – not just you. This is not about you and we do not make decisions only based on your beliefs. Bad move. Change that decision or our support for you will end.
      • Ralph
        December 21, 2019 at 11:16 am
        To the extent that this is an accurate report, I will have to say Gov. Lee appears to be disingenuous on his two major points, i.e., supporting President Trump and adhering to his Christian faith.
        In his remarks to the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2018, President Trump had this to say in reference to refugees from Syria (and refugees in general):
        “As we see in Jordan, the most compassionate policy is to place refugees as close to their homes as possible to ease their eventual return to be part of the rebuilding process. This approach also stretches finite resources to help far more people, increasing the impact of every dollar spent.”
        So in his newly found “Welcome refugees!” policy, Gov. Lee has not only been directly contrary to the President’s objectives, he has ignored his Christian faith by not adopting a policy that would do the most good for the most people.
        In other words, he has condemned countless thousands, if not millions, of innocent victims of war, corruption, and natural disaster to continuing persecution, misery, exploitation, and even death by adopting a policy that provides refuge to a privileged few here in Tennessee rather than the 5, 10, or even 100’s of others that would otherwise be provided desperately needed refuge.
        And it’s not just the quantity, but the quality of refuge provided. Yes, on the surface, an apartment in Nashville appears infinitely preferable to a tent camp in Jordan. But remember, too, that that family has just now been completely dissociated from its lifestyle, its culture, its social and cultural values and beliefs, and its familial and community support. Instead, it has now been thrust into an alien environment where the food is unpalatable, the language unknown, it is removed from its extended family and community and, instead, now faces the enmity of the general native populace and whose children now must struggle with a foreign language, suffer grave, irreversible damage to their self-esteem, and simultaneously teachers have to slew to the lowest common denominator and thereby neglect the education of its native children.
        The list is long.
        So cui bono, who benefits? One of the finest and most forthright organizations exposing the refugee fraudsters is Refugee Resettlement Watch (RRW), based in western Maryland:
        (https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org/)
        And for an in-depth expose of how TIRRC and other such agencies were explicitly delighted with Governor Lee’s decision, here’s the following:
        https://refugeeresettlementwatch.org...more-refugees/
        No, Governor, your defense is transparently weak and even disingenuous. Not all of us out here sit around on our butts eating Cheetos and toss out half-assed opinions in the finest tradition of the Dunning-Kruger effect; some of us do the research and, in this instance, you’ve been had. You betrayed not only the trust of your supporters, but your very Christian faith.
        Absent your full and immediate recant of this misguided decision, I have to give serious consideration to supporting a recall initiative. I supported your campaign on the basis of the three key points of your platform: a good job, a good education for your kids, and a safe neighborhood to live in, for all Tennesseans. So if everything else here doesn’t register, remember that your decision here represents a direct slap in the face on all three points.
      • David Langford
        December 21, 2019 at 10:35 am
        This is a bunch of crap from Lee. I know FOR A FACT these aren’t political refugees. Some maybe, but majority, NO. This is a global push to exterminate any voting power of American citizens. We’re not stupid Lee. We don’t appreciate you treating us like we are.
      • Ron Welch
        December 21, 2019 at 10:32 am
        As Govenor, Bill Lee’s first duty is to the State of Tennessee, its People and State Constitution.
        If he chooses to allow refugees, then he cannot impose their accommodation and cost on the People, but should first enlist persons who choose and will be individually responsible for them.
        I share and appreciate his Christian Faith perspective, but that is most definitively stated in the Word of God:
        But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.
        —I Timothy 5:8

        Gov. Lee is to govern not by feelings or personal preferences, but according to his oath of office. And in his position, the People of Tennessee come first!
        If a man vow a vow u to the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do all that proceeds th out of his mouth. –Numbers 30:2

      • John Williams
        December 21, 2019 at 9:16 am
        Bill Lee may be Tennessee’s first half-term governor.
      • Mary
        December 21, 2019 at 4:45 am
        RECALL!
    Matthew 19:26
    But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
    ____________________

    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)


  3. #3
    Super Moderator GeorgiaPeach's Avatar
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    Related:


    Gov. Bill Lee Caves to the Left, Says Tennessee Will Take More Refugees

    https://www.alipac.us/f12/gov-bill-l...2/#post1669197
    Matthew 19:26
    But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
    ____________________

    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)


  4. #4
    Super Moderator GeorgiaPeach's Avatar
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    Related:

    Center for Immigration Studies’s Mark Krikorian Explains Legalities of Trump’s Refuge


    https://www.alipac.us/f12/center-imm...refuge-376357/
    Matthew 19:26
    But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
    ____________________

    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)


  5. #5
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    Tell Your Governor not to consent to refugee resettlement
    https://www.alipac.us/f8/tell-your-g...lement-376362/
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

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