Thread: Secure the border first -Michael Steele Republican Chairman

Thursday, June 14, 2007
Secure the border first
by Michael Steele
When House Republicans passed legislation last December that secured our borders and put a premium on strict enforcement of our immigration laws, the American people had hope that their elected leaders had heard their demands.

Sadly, the legislation that is currently leading the debate in Washington shows our Senators have turned a deaf ear to the public. Despite last week’s action stopping it from coming to the Senate floor for a final vote, efforts are being made to tinker around the edges with this legislation and pass it later this year.

The better course of action is for our elected leaders to follow the no-nonsense direction being called for by hard-working, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens: Secure Our Borders Now!

The current Senate legislation is a mirror image of the approach passed by Congress in 1986 when it forced on us amnesty for illegal immigrants in exchange for border security.

The result of that misguided approach then is an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States now.

The American people are fed up and won’t be misled again. This Congress will be judged on their actions, not their words.

Congress must stop the flow of illegal immigrants across our border. Once we know who is in our country then we can take the next step in immigration reform.

The supporters of the current Senate legislation have stated that “triggersâ€

I missed the RNC vote on new chair, is it Michael Steele?

If yes, I must be dreaming. The last two posts I've read were both positive!!

It appears he said these things about immigration 1 & 1/2 years ago, though, so hopefully he hasn't changed his mind, even if the Chamber of Commerce has tried to change his mind. I'm really sorry to be such a cynic, but after 15-20 years of this craziness, and watching it grow worse by the year, one can get kind of cynical.

Who knows anything about this guy and his values?

Steele Wins RNC Chairmanship

The Republican National Committee has picked Michael Steele, a black man from a traditionally Democratic state, to be the new face of the party as the GOP forges a revival following a second consecutive electoral drubbing.

Steele, the former Maryland lieutenant governor, won the chairmanship Friday after six rounds of voting in which five candidates were competing. He becomes the first black chairman of the Republican Party just days after President Obama became the nation's first black president.

Steele delivered a rousing speech after winning the hard-fought race, pledging to re-establish the Republican presence in the northeast and win elections in regions across the country.

"It's time for something completely different, and we're gonna bring it to them," he said. "Get ready baby. It's time to turn it on."

Steele said he would work to build the party to an unprecedented level and warned: "For those of you who wish to obstruct, get ready to get knocked down."

Outgoing Chairman Mike Duncan dropped his bid for a second term after the third round of voting. South Carolina GOP Chairman Katon Dawson had emerged as Steele's top challenger, but Steele won with 91 votes to Dawson's 77.

Voting lasted for hours because no candidate was able to rack up the majority of votes necessary. A candidate needs 85 of 168 votes to win, which Steele eventually attained.

Ken Blackwell, Ohio's former secretary of state, and Saul Anuzis, Michigan GOP chairman, dropped their bids before the final round of voting.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01 ... rty-chief/

Excerpt from Q&A with Michael Steele:

CNSNews.com: Did you support the comprehensive immigration reform proposed during the Bush administration?

Steele: Don’t even get me started on that one. This is a classic case of looking around to find that no one’s standing with you. The short answer is, no, I did not. The right answer, I think, the administration should have come up with was border security first. And let me give you an example. If you and I are in a boat in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, and the boat springs a leak, what’s the first thing we need to do? Stop the leak. Plug the hole. Now if we start trying to bail water out of the boat, or push it to one side of the boat, or effectively deal with the water in the boat, the boat’s still going to sink, because you haven’t addressed the core problem, which is you’ve got a hole in your boat. The same is true with immigration. The core problem is that you’ve got a hole in the fence. Plug the hole. Use technology, use manpower, use all the strategies that you need to secure the national borders of this country. And then we can talk about the 12 million people who are here illegally, what we’re going to do. I think America will be much more receptive to that conversation knowing that no more are coming in and that the hole has been closed. And then we can deal effectively with the water in the boat.

CNSNewsom: How do we deal with the 12 million who are here illegally?

Steele: Well, that’s something for the national debate. There are any number of ways that you have to deal with that. Do you want to create a pathway to citizenship? Are you talking amnesty? Ronald Reagan did amnesty. He did the first amnesty bill. A lot of people tend to forget that. In 1986, what was the problem? There was no effective strategy to deal with what? The hole in the fence. They kept coming. And 20 years later, what are we looking at? 12 million additional people, the hole has gotten bigger, and the problem hasn’t gone away. America’s response to amnesty was, ‘Not again, if you don’t fix the hole. If you don’t close down that border and make sure that no one else is getting over the fence, or under the fence, or through the fence.’ That’s what everyone sees as the problem. It’s not the individuals who are here, necessarily. It’s the ones who are still coming in, because our border is porous. Every other country protects its sovereignty, and no one cracks a peep. The United States rises up and says, ‘We too shall protect the sovereignty of this nation by protecting our borders,’ and everyone looks at us like we’re enemies of the state. Well, we’ll keep looking that way because we’re going to deal with this issue, and we’re going to effectively do what we need to do as Americans to make sure the integrity of this country, its internal integrity, is secure. And then we can talk about everything else. Everything else -- jobs, programs, employers -- all that stuff you can deal with much more effectively, because now you’re dealing with a smaller pool of folks because there are no more coming in.

http://www.cnsnews.com/Public/content/a ... rcID=40855

..Now if we start trying to bail water out of the boat, or push it to one side of the boat, or effectively deal with the water in the boat, the boat’s still going to sink, because you haven’t addressed the core problem,

The goal of those who would like to merge Mexico, CA and US. Traitors through and through. The hole in the boat is a result of the skirting and the ignoring of our existing immigration laws. NOTHING should trump our laws, yes, even the economy.

So far, everything this guy has to say I like. Gee, is it possible that the CFR or the Trilateral Commission doesn't have a hold on him..or are we still getting lip service?

Although I'm no longer a republican I hope Mr. Steele strengthens the GOP's stand against illegal immigration.What scares me in his column is when he says,Secure the border FIRST.It's what comes after that is worrisome.Usually someone that states that,means,secure the border then we'll see about amnesty.I think there should be only three things a sincere immigration policy should have:

#1 Secure the borders
#2 State that there will be no amnesty for illegal aliens of any nationality
#3 State that if you are here illegally,either leave on your own or be deported.

Now that's an comprenhensive immigration plan I could support.

This guys sound just like McCain. Secure our borders first and then deal with immigration "reform". He's a moderate Republican and we all know what moderate means...

EagleEye88 wrote:

This guys sound just like McCain.

After doing some research on the guy, I think it's safe to say he is no John McCain.

ChromeDome wrote:

What scares me in his column is when he says,Secure the border FIRST.It's what comes after that is worrisome.Usually someone that states that,means,secure the border then we'll see about amnesty.

Securing our border has to be the top priority. Every law enforcement action taken against illegal aliens within our interior is worthless while the border remains open. The leaky boat analogy was a good one. Bailing water out of a sinking boat is a futile excercise. The only way to get permanent results is to plug the hole. From what I can tell, Steele has never supported an amnesty for illegals. Trust me, we could have done much worse. IMO, his selection should be considered victory for our side.

As for his comment concerning the securing of the border first - I wouldn't worry too much about it. What politician in his right mind wouldn't place top priority on security our border?

Secure our borders first and then deal with immigration "reform".

Heck, at least he didn't say 'comprehensive immigration reform.' The key word I look for from illegal alien advocates is "comprehensive."

The border must be secured period, not just "first." And does he support attrition as the primary way to deal with IAs who are here? This is the key question to ask and keep asking him.

Populist wrote:

The border must be secured period, not just "first."

Period or first, what's the difference? A play on words isn't going to change the fact that interior enforcement is never going to get us ahead while the border remains wide open. What good does it do to deport 100 when 135 crossed the border while the 100 were being processed for deportation? Furthermore, we all know that there is an excellent possibility that many of those deported eventually return. We need a one way path for illegals - deportation! The revolving door policy needs to end now.

And does he support attrition as the primary way to deal with IAs who are here?

Based on his position of no amnesty, I would suspect he does.


Michael Steele quote:

"Immigration Amnesty in Any Form is Wrong:"

Let's be clear: the safety and security of Americans should not be subject to the whims of a "PC" mindset or feel good legislation. Americans are expecting thoughtful and responsible leadership that will not only clearly define the threats we face, but understand what they are in the first place.

Governor Spitzer's [drivers' license] plan is not a cause for celebration by the left or by the right; it is just plain bad public policy. When grappling with the important issues, Americans want elected leadership to put aside partisan politics and just make the right decision. The non-partisan public outcry that has accompanied attempts by politicians to grant some form of amnesty to illegal immigrants supports this fact.

As published in the Frederick News-Post Aug 8, 2006

Like I said earlier, we could have done much worse than Steele. It remains to be seen if Steele's selection is a large or small victory but one things is for sure, it is a victory for our side. My personal research indicates that man has never spoken in support of a path to legalization for illegal aliens (amnesty).