The "chicken-salad" approach to immigration
Let's get one thing straight concerning the immigration bill that recently stalled in the Senate. The bill co-sponsered by John McCain and Edward Kennedy did not offer blanket amnesty for the 11 million immigrants who would be the target for such legislation. Yes, the Senate bill offered the ability for immigrants to reach U.S. citizenship- after a number of hoops were jumped through. It would've required fines and back taxes to be paid by immigrants who have been here for a number of years, would allow the ability for those seeking a green card to remain as guest workers in our country, and would force newer immigrants who are currently undocumented workers to return to their home country and legally re-apply to the immigration process. This is a far cry from Reagan granting, with a stroke of the pen, immediate citizenship to 3 million immigrants in 1986.
That said, it is ridiculous for Dave to call the Senate bill in his latest column 'weak-kneed.' The bill was (unusal for a piece of legislation offered by the Senate) well thought-out, pragmatic, and cool-headed, a far cry from the draconian HR 4437 offered by the waste-of-space Congressman Jame's Sensenbrenner. Sensenbrenner's plan to deal with immigration? Round up the 11 million immigrants and force their return to their home countries, build a 700-mile fence along a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border, and make it a felony for anyone to 'help' a illegal immigrant. In short, Sensenbrenner's law is as ridiculous as it is mean-spirited.
But what else could you expect from the Congressman who threw a tantrum on live national television, cutting off the power to Democrats holding hearings on the Patriot Act last summer while they were being filmed by C-SPAN? Nice to know we have such level-headed individuals as Sensenbrenner introducing legislation to deal with such convoluted and emotional issues as immigration reform.
Dave's latest column is the latest in his public love letters to radio host Hugh Hewitt. (Why don't you go ahead and marry him all ready, Dave?) This column is in support of something that Hewitt calls the 'fences and carrots coalition.' Yes, I know it sounds pointless, and upon finishing the column you come to the realization that Dave isn't offering anything to the public debate regarding immigration reform except mealy-mouthed wishy-washiness. It's nice to know that Dave doesn't have the 'stomach to split up families' and that he cheers the fact that immigrants are coming here to provide a better life for their families. Upon reading this, one hopes that Dave doesn't cross paths with Lars Larson any time soon, as Lars is liable to chew Dave up and spit him out.
Dave says that, unless we have another solution, it's time to listen to Hewitt's "fences and carrots" coalition, though he doesn't do a good enough job describing what new-fangled approach this coalition provides. Something about how we need the immigrants to stay but we also need to strengthen our borders. It's as if Hewitt combined portions of both the House and Senate bills and dresses it up as if it's something altogether new. (It kind of reminds me of an old saying about chicken salad...) I've always maintained that until legislators, pundits, voters, and protestors start demanding that hefty fines are levied against companies that hire illegal, undocumented workers (and I'm talking about a million-dollars plus), as well as the billion dollars necessary to invest in Mexico's economy (including dramatic economic reform, as most of Mexico's economy is condensed into the possession of a minority) than rational discussion about how to deal with the immigration 'crisis' can be had.
Until then, the current dialogue is nothing but loud sqwaking voices, unwilling to tackle the issues at the heart of the matter, in exchange for sound-bite offerings to provide short-term 'solutions.' This includes Hugh Hewitt's "chicken-salad" coalition, and Dave Reinhard's parroting of such.
That said, it is ridiculous for Dave to call the Senate bill in his latest column 'weak-kneed.' The bill was (unusal for a piece of legislation offered by the Senate) well thought-out, pragmatic, and cool-headed, a far cry from the draconian HR 4437 offered by the waste-of-space Congressman Jame's Sensenbrenner. Sensenbrenner's plan to deal with immigration? Round up the 11 million immigrants and force their return to their home countries, build a 700-mile fence along a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border, and make it a felony for anyone to 'help' a illegal immigrant. In short, Sensenbrenner's law is as ridiculous as it is mean-spirited.
But what else could you expect from the Congressman who threw a tantrum on live national television, cutting off the power to Democrats holding hearings on the Patriot Act last summer while they were being filmed by C-SPAN? Nice to know we have such level-headed individuals as Sensenbrenner introducing legislation to deal with such convoluted and emotional issues as immigration reform.
Dave's latest column is the latest in his public love letters to radio host Hugh Hewitt. (Why don't you go ahead and marry him all ready, Dave?) This column is in support of something that Hewitt calls the 'fences and carrots coalition.' Yes, I know it sounds pointless, and upon finishing the column you come to the realization that Dave isn't offering anything to the public debate regarding immigration reform except mealy-mouthed wishy-washiness. It's nice to know that Dave doesn't have the 'stomach to split up families' and that he cheers the fact that immigrants are coming here to provide a better life for their families. Upon reading this, one hopes that Dave doesn't cross paths with Lars Larson any time soon, as Lars is liable to chew Dave up and spit him out.
Dave says that, unless we have another solution, it's time to listen to Hewitt's "fences and carrots" coalition, though he doesn't do a good enough job describing what new-fangled approach this coalition provides. Something about how we need the immigrants to stay but we also need to strengthen our borders. It's as if Hewitt combined portions of both the House and Senate bills and dresses it up as if it's something altogether new. (It kind of reminds me of an old saying about chicken salad...) I've always maintained that until legislators, pundits, voters, and protestors start demanding that hefty fines are levied against companies that hire illegal, undocumented workers (and I'm talking about a million-dollars plus), as well as the billion dollars necessary to invest in Mexico's economy (including dramatic economic reform, as most of Mexico's economy is condensed into the possession of a minority) than rational discussion about how to deal with the immigration 'crisis' can be had.
Until then, the current dialogue is nothing but loud sqwaking voices, unwilling to tackle the issues at the heart of the matter, in exchange for sound-bite offerings to provide short-term 'solutions.' This includes Hugh Hewitt's "chicken-salad" coalition, and Dave Reinhard's parroting of such.
posted by true_slicky at 5:05 PM
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