Thread: OBAMA AND McCAIN REACH AGREEMENT ON AMNESTY

Amnesty a Done Deal?
By Mark Krikorian, November 26, 2008

From a Q&A with Sen. Harry Reid:

Q: With more Democrats in the Senate and the House and a Democrat in the White House, how do you see congressional efforts playing out on such issues as health care and immigration?

A: On immigration, there's been an agreement between (President-elect Barack) Obama and (Arizona Republican Sen. John) McCain to move forward on that. ... We'll do that. We have to get this economy stuff figured out first, so I think we'll have a shot at doing something on health care in the next Congress for sure.

Q: Will there be as much of a fight on immigration as last time?

A: We've got McCain and we've got a few others. I don't expect much of a fight at all. Now health care is going to be difficult. That's a very complicated issue. We debated at great length immigration. People understand the issues very well. We have not debated health care, so that's going to take a lot more time to do.

Some immigration hawks are more alarmed about this than I think is warranted. Mickey Kaus says "This is a stronger statement from Reid than I, for one, had expected" — but it doesn't seem all that strong to me. First, it sounds more like off-the-cuff bravado (remember Bush's "see you at the bill signing"?); second, note "We have to get this economy stuff figured out first" (good luck with that!); and third, he's comparing it to health care, where there probably really isn't the same elite PC consensus as there is on immigration.

Reid also says he's got McCain and "a few others" — sure, his "little jerk" and Mel Martinez, but McCain in the Senate just doesn't offer nervous Democrats the same political cover a president McCain could (or Bush did), so even some of last year's Democrat supporters will be leery. And despite the hilarious claims by Tamar Jacoby and others that the public supports amnesty, amnesty boosters know perfectly well how disliked it is — Brian Faughnan at the Weekly Standard writes "Proponents will argue that while the measure may be unpopular, it's better to swallow a bitter pill far in advance of the midterms." This is how New Jersey's junior senator put it:

But Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said if lawmakers don't consider the issue early, it could "slide into midterms" — the 2010 election — and again become a contentious campaign issue.

"This is one of those issues that needs to be done early on," said Menendez, noting that it has been difficult for Congress to approve even bipartisan measures such as the Dream Act.

So, unemployment is on its way up, and the Democrats and their Republican thralls are going to argue that it's better to legalize illegals (and increase future immigration to boot) rather than continue the proven policy of getting more and more of those illegals to leave. Sounds like a vote-getter to me!

» Mark Krikorian's blog
(Center for Immigration Studies)
http://www.cis.org/node/913

NumbersUSA has sent out an alert. I just got it this morning. If you are a member you an go to your corkboard to get particulars.

From: Roy Beck, President, NumbersUSA
Date: Wednesday 26NOV08 11 a.m. EST

Burst Reid's trial amnesty balloon today -- phone and then fax

DEAR OPPONENTS OF AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS,

We don't know if Senate Majority Leader Reid really meant it yesterday when he told a Detroit reporter that he expects an amnesty to go through the Senate in the spring without much of a fight.

But even if he was talking carelessly in an off-the-cuff comment, his declaration has spread throughout Washington and has become a TRIAL BALLOON.

If we don't prove Sen. Reid wrong immediately, Senators may start to believe that there won't be much of a fight if they bring up an amnesty early next year.

Tens of thousands of you MUST call your Senators TODAY if we are to burst that balloon and send the right message to Reid and Pres-Elect Obama, as well as the rest of the Senate.

# Phone notes are posted on your personalized Action Buffet corkboard and faxes will be posted there soon. As you know, the phone notes contain talking points, plus all of your Senators' phone numbers.

# Here are direct links to phone notes to:
Your Democratic Senator(s)
Your Republican Senator(s)
Sen. Reid if he is your Senator
Sen. McCain if he is your Senator

# As always, you can also reach all the Senators' Washington D.C. offices through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

(We are not putting up phone notes or faxes for Senators who are retiring or who were defeated in the elections.)

Seeing as how today is the day before Thanksgiving, I suggest that you try first calling the local offices of your Senators.

It is important that the entire staffing organization of each Senator knows that Sen. Reid has put this putrid turkey on the nation's table just before holiday and that plenty of constituents already have noticed the stench and are demanding that it be removed.

You are likely to hear that there is no such bill before the Senate and that they have heard nothing about it. But you MUST make it clear that the LEADER of the Senate has said there WILL be an amnesty bill in the spring and that it WILL pass with little opposition.

Demand to know if your Senator will oppose the Comprehensive Amnesty bill that Reid says Obama and McCain have agreed to push.

I'm sorry to ask you to do this during your holiday preparations. But think about some of the original meanings of this occasion. Isn't it about giving thanks for the ability to come through really tough struggles? I don't think anybody who has failed to struggle for their community can feel the true spirit of Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to make some phone calls. They don't have to be long. We just need thousands of them all day.

I also suggest any help you can give Saxby Chambliss on telephone calls or donations to his campaign for ads would be helpful. Saxby has a grade "A" on immigration for us.

Good suggestions Gogo. I hope everyone is helping out any way they can, even if it's only a few phone calls or small donations:

Reminder, while Sen. Chambliss has an A grade and opposes amnesty, his opponent Jim Martin supports "comprehensive immigration reform" (AKA amnesty). Please support Saxby Chambliss:

www.saxby.org

Originally Posted by Populist

Good suggestions Gogo. I hope everyone is helping out any way they can, even if it's only a few phone calls or small donations:

Reminder, while Sen. Chambliss has an A grade and opposes amnesty, his opponent Jim Martin supports "comprehensive immigration reform" (AKA amnesty). Please support Saxby Chambliss:

www.saxby.org

I'm very impressed with SKYPE. No computer problems for me and I've only spent $4.39 for 75 calls. Might be a tool our activists might want to look into.

Is anyone having trouble with NumbersUSA today. It is running soooooooo slow. I hope its traffic.

I can't into my corkboard.

All other sites are good.

Originally Posted by Gogo

Is anyone having trouble with NumbersUSA today. It is running soooooooo slow. I hope its traffic.

I can't into my corkboard.

All other sites are good.

Yes, I haven't been able to get through either. Maybe there is a heavy response to the fax request..let's hope so anyway

If someone can get in will you please use "contact us" and put in a report that the site is running very slowly.

Originally Posted by Gogo

If someone can get in will you please use "contact us" and put in a report that the site is running very slowly.

I just got in and reported it GoGo

Originally Posted by working4change

Originally Posted by Gogo

If someone can get in will you please use "contact us" and put in a report that the site is running very slowly.

I just got in and reported it GoGo

Thanks I finally called them on the phone and they said they have had several calls.