National Journal reported that McCain "buck[ed] his party on immigration," but ignored his reversal
SUMMARY: National Journal repeatedly referred to how Sen. John McCain "buck[ed] his party on immigration" prior to 2008, but did not address McCain's flip-flop on immigration reform during the 2008 presidential campaign.
In an April 4 article, National Journal reported that "[Sen.] John McCain sounds angry and frustrated that, despite the risks he took in pushing immigration reform, Hispanic voters flocked to Democrat Barack Obama in last year's presidential contest," and that "[a]fter bucking his party on immigration, [McCain] had no sympathy for Hispanics who are dissatisfied with President Obama's pace on the issue." The article described McCain as "[h]aving stuck his neck out in the past" for Hispanics, and also stated: "In 2006 and 2007, McCain was a leader on immigration, but his efforts ran aground largely because his legislation included what many Republicans derisively characterized as 'amnesty.' " Yet, despite repeatedly referring to how McCain "buck[ed] his party on immigration" prior to 2008, at no point did the article address McCain's flip-flop on immigration reform during the 2008 presidential campaign. As a candidate, McCain said he would vote against his own comprehensive immigration bill if it came to the Senate floor, arguing that border security must be addressed before any other reforms.
During CNN's January 30, 2008, Republican presidential debate, McCain asserted, "[W]e've got to secure the borders first" -- a position at odds with his prior assertion that border security could not be disaggregated from other aspects of comprehensive immigration reform without being rendered ineffective. During the same debate, McCain said he "would not" support his own comprehensive immigration proposal -- that included a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants -- if it came to a vote on the Senate floor.
As Media Matters for America has noted, during the campaign, news outlets repeatedly touted McCain as a leader on immigration reform without noting his reversal.
From the April 4 National Journal article:
John McCain sounds angry and frustrated that, despite the risks he took in pushing immigration reform, Hispanic voters flocked to Democrat Barack Obama in last year's presidential contest. McCain's raw emotions burst forth recently as he heatedly told Hispanic business leaders that they should now look to Obama, not him, to take the lead on immigration.
[...]
McCain's message was obvious, the source continued: After bucking his party on immigration, he had no sympathy for Hispanics who are dissatisfied with President Obama's pace on the issue. "He threw out [the words] 'You people -- you people made your choice. You made your choice during the election,' " the source said. "It was almost as if [he was saying] 'You're cut off!' We felt very uncomfortable when we walked away from the meeting because of that."
In 2006 and 2007, McCain was a leader on immigration, but his efforts ran aground largely because his legislation included what many Republicans derisively characterized as "amnesty," a pathway to citizenship for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants if they took a series of steps to earn legal status.
Having stuck his neck out in the past, McCain apparently is in no mood to do so again for an ethnic group he seems to view as ungrateful. On NBC's Meet the Press on March 29, McCain repeated his message that the ball is in the Democratic president's court. So far, the senator said, he has not seen much on immigration from the Obama White House, although the president recently met with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and set the goal of launching the debate in the fall, a senior administration official said.
[...]
"What I saw ... was John McCain saying, 'Look, I didn't get a lot of support from the Hispanic community,' which he deserved to have had," Martinez said. "It frustrated me. It frustrated him. [McCain said,] 'You guys thought this guy [Obama] was going to be your savior. Where is his leadership?' I sort of echo that. It's not like [the meeting] went badly, I don't think."
[...]
McCain's communications director, Brooke Buchanan, also disputed the notion that her boss's temper had flared at the meeting. She did not attend, but said she had been briefed at length about it.
Buchanan noted McCain's history of pushing immigration reform in the face of staunch opposition from many in his party, his work across the aisle with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and his popularity among Hispanics in Arizona.
See, he was for it, before he was against it. Sound familiar?
Anyway, this is one thing that I supported Bush's plan on. It seemed like a rational way to address the issue at the time, but the right wing basically took it down, and made it an issue yet to be resolved again.
McCain moved on this issue as well, as soon as he was running for President. I'm sure Snoop could place his list of flips, and flops up here for McCain again. And this was just one of them, there were LOTS more no doubt.
I agree with you.
I'll be happy to post that list again, but first a word from today's thread sponsor (and a shoutout to C&L for the article):
We wrote a lot about John McCain's temper during the election, but this latest one is a doozy.
The idea that when he said that "you people" were just voters who didn't back him rings very hollow. His intent was quite clear. If you brown people would have backed me--I would have won the election. There were a lot of people that didn't back McCain for the election and losing his temper just shows how unhinged these privileged men in power actually are. He did push the Bush immigration deal, but you know it was just response to the anger many Latinos felt over Sensenbrenner's HOUSE bill.
The McCain flip-flop list!
National Security Policy
1. McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.
2. McCain insisted that everyone, even “terrible killers,” “the worst kind of scum of humanity,” and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, “deserve to have some adjudication of their cases,” even if that means “releasing some of them.” McCain now believes the opposite.
3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”
4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.
5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.
6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He’s since come to the opposite conclusion.
Foreign Policy
7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it. Now, he’s for it again.
8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.
9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.
10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.
11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision.
12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.
13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.
Military Policy
14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”
15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.
16. McCain was against additional U.S. forces in Afghanistan before he was for it.
17. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”
18. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the “enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.
19. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.
20. McCain staunchly opposed Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama’s policy, McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like “a pretty good timetable.”
Domestic Policy
21. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)
22. On Social Security, McCain said he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Soon after, asked about a possible increase in the payroll tax, McCain said there’s “nothing that’s off the table.”
23. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.
24. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.
25. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite.
26. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.
27. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.
28. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.
29. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.
30. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.
31. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.
32. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
33. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.
34. And on gay adoption, McCain initially said he’d rather let orphans go without families, then his campaign reversed course, and soon after, McCain reversed back.
35. In the Senate, McCain opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for women, and endorsed the Supreme Court’s Ledbetter decision. In July, however, McCain said, “I’m committed to making sure that there’s equal pay for equal work. That … is my record and you can count on it.”
36. McCain was against fully funding the No Child Left Behind Act before he was for it.
37. McCain was for affirmative action before he was against it.
38. McCain said the Colorado River compact will “obviously” need to be “renegotiated.” Six days later, McCain said, “Let me be clear that I do not advocate renegotiation of the compact.”
Economic Policy
39. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.
40. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding of economics.
41. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.
42. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.
43. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.
44. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”
45. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.
46. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.
47. McCain was against massive government bailouts of “big banks” that “act irresponsibly.” He then announced his support for a massive government bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Energy Policy
48. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s against it.
49. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.
50. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.
51. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.
52. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t.
53. McCain was for national auto emissions standards before he was against them.
Immigration Policy
54. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. In 2007, he announced his opposition to the bill. In 2008, McCain switched back.
55. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.
56. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders “before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.”
Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law
57. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite.
58. McCain’s position was that the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.
59. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.
60. In June, McCain rejected the idea of a trial for Osama bin Laden, and thought Obama’s reference to Nuremberg was a misread of history. A month later, McCain argued the exact opposite position.
61. In June, McCain described the Supreme Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush was “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” In August, he reversed course.
Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform
62. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t.
63. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.
64. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.
65. In May 2008, McCain approved a ban on lobbyists working for his campaign. In July 2008, his campaign reversed course and said lobbyists could work for his campaign.
Politics and Associations
66. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.)
67. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t.
68. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.
69. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.
70. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.
71. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
72. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.
73. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.
74. McCain believed powerful right-wing activist/lobbyist Grover Norquist was “corrupt, a shill for dictators, and (with just a dose of sarcasm) Jack Abramoff’s gay lover.” McCain now considers Norquist a key political ally.
75. McCain was for presidential candidates giving speeches in foreign countries before he was against it.
76. McCain has been both for and against considering a pro-choice running mate for the Republican presidential ticket.
That's some list
I need to bronze this
"comprehensive immigration reform" = amnesty = yet another one in a few years because this one will "work" like the last one and just encourage more illegal entry.
Was that conservative misinformation? No. Do you guys even read the mission statement? Go to somewhere like Newsbusters if you want to see something about Olberman.
The Daily Howler is also good on Obie and other intelligent criticism of liberals, by a liberal though, so his ammo may not work for you.
I suggest you start working a little harder at "seeking" the "truth."
I'm looking for Keith Olbermann in the story you linked to, but all I see is David Shuster.
To reiterate Mag's point, I don't know what the Shuster story has to do with forwarding the conservative agenda. At the same time, however, MMFA has taken its share of jabs at Fox News over how frequently they T&A, especially Neil Cavuto.
Rather, "how frequently they *feature* T&A,"
ummm......that was david shuster that night.
McCain was...is...and will be for comprehensive immigration reform that includes amnesty.
It's naive to think otherwise. mmfa keeps raising the supposed flip flop issue on immigration by McCain...which is nothing more than partisan bickering between a partisan site and a slippery politician.
The only reason for McCain's equivocation on the issue is that he and Kennedy were handed their backsides by the general public for their thinly veiled attempt at amnesty.
Maybe MMFA wouldn't raise it if media outlets wouldn't ignore it.
Where does "flip-flopping" end and "equivocation" begin?
As always...with partisan politicians.
Here's what McCain had to say when facing Latino voters...after his "supposed" flip flop as claimed by mmfa:
-- John McCain declared today that comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal aliens would be his "top priority" as president.
"It will be my top priority yesterday, today and tomorrow," McCain declared at a forum this morning before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. -- June08
So, IMO, he flipped, then flopped, then flipped again.
But you insist that it's "equivocation," or that he's being "slippery."
Even more amusing was when Tommy (God rest his soul) insisted that it was a "shift."
Nonsense...I'm not supporting McCain's actions.
If you want to call it flip, flop, reflip...it matters little to me.
McCain has never deviated from his core belief in amnesty...except when publicly pandering for votes...like a slippery, equivocating politician.
"McCain has never deviated from his core belief in amnesty"
Maybe I missed it, but I don't see MMFA making any declarations about McCain's "core beliefs."
All I see is MMFA noting his flip-flop when a media outlet does not.
If you believe that McCain has flip flopped...and does not now support comprehensive immigration reform...que sera sera.
I don't...therefore I find mmfa's contention nothing but word-smithing a volatile issue for some political gain...and McCain's waffling the same.
In other words, MMfA got it exactly right.
you got it exactly right. McCain, like Bush, is yesterday's toast. To keep griping on them is petty.
it's not only reasonable to talk about bush, but logical. you learn from the past. we're still discussing hoover and roosevelt and we should be. history does not start every day with a blank slate.
"McCain, like Bush, is yesterday's toast."
Be sure to let the National Journal know. To keep rewriting history on them is irresponsible.
And Meet the Press.
but why then do carter and clinton STILL get grilled.......if a presidents negative policies have long lasting effects, they should be blamed
legitimate criticism of their policies and their historical repercussions is fine, and important and instructive. Whining and complaining when their press coverage isn't what some partisan website wants is petty griping.
and naturally this site is going to change for what you decide. not that it ever has before.
-- legitimate criticism...petty griping -- james
Good call.
McCain is now just 1 of 100 senators and no longer commands a national stage. To keep carping on his "supposed" flip flop on immigration falls squarely in the pettiness column.
until there comes along a more prominent conservative to kick around, McCain will have to do.
Until another prominent conservative is in the news, McCain will have to do.
and believing that Bush legalized torture is not constructive? and that his tax cuts hurt our economy rather than helped it?
I don't believe torture or tax cuts are the issue, but if they come up someplace else I may comment then.
but you opened the door with what you said about their policies.....i know it dosen't mainline direct to this thread but it does involved the larger perspective
but i will get back to the issue at hand.....immigration.
i have somethign of a personal stake in this given that a cousin of mine is a tomato farmer in PA. now he was i think maybe the third biggest supplier of fresh tomatoes in PA and ships pretty much throughout the entire eastern half of the state. (not only does he do tomatoes, he also has lots of pumpkin that has been shipped nationally, and a smattering of other crops)
he has been a big supporter of immigration reform and was very upset last year when it died in congress......why? because his pickers for his crops are LEGAL immigrants and migrant workers who come up from texas and such to work for him every year. he is very careful in making sure that all his workers are legal, taking great pains to ensure that. the reason he is pushing for that is because he has long wanted to expand his farming into corn to try and get in on the bio feul boom. it is very hard to attract workers who are legal unless they have already been there before and many of the migrant workers have other family in other countries that would be willing to do farm work but have a hard time getting into our country legally. that is why my cousin Keith E. wanted reform. because it didn't pass.....well he shut down his tomatoe planting and switched to corn.
i am a little confused. If his workers were legal immigrants why would he push to reform our immigration laws and essentially provide amnesty for those that are here illegally? I can understand why he would want that if his workers were here illegally, but they aren't.
so he could have more workers to expand his farming. because his workers have families that would be willing to come work for him but are unable to at present
illegal workers?
no he wont take any illegal workers. he had actually turned away about 30 of them and reported them to the INS a couple years back
I don't understand. If he wants to expand his farming, I am sure there are plenty of legal immigrants and citizens who will work for him.
he wants to be able to continue his core crop (tomatoes) and expand to include corn (which is the only thing he grows right now) to do that he needs more workers, and since he relies almost entirely on migrant workers from the South to come up to PA and the only ones that come are those that have worked his fields for years. he is hoping to entice more migrant workers.
he is hoping that it would be easier to get more migrant workers into the country legally
I hope your cousin finds workers and expands his business, but I am of the mindset that when we flood the market with cheap labor it only drives down wages more. but then I also believe to let the market work, supply and demand and let those who employ and work agree on what they will be paid. As long as they are legal it is none of my business.
one of the solutions in the farming sector is hydroponic farming. it's already being done in certain places where the price of land is high. it's more like factory work than anything else. crops like tomatoes, strawberries, etc, are grown in containers in greenhouses. it's initially costs more to set up, but the yields are larger and labor cost is lower because it does not involve the stoop labor of traditional farming methods.
it initially costs more...
That McCain's MO. Make a big scene about an issue. Get lots of publicity and then (as quietly as possible) vote a straight party line.
He bucked... then he caved.
McCain did more than buck his "party"...he bucked the consensus of Americans.
Rasmussen has some clear stats on that:
-- From a national survey...73% agree that "If a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, should the officer automatically check to see if that person is in the country legally?
67% agree that "If law enforcement officers know of places where immigrants gather to find work, should they sometimes conduct surprise raids to identify and deport illegal immigrants?
From another national survey...Which is more important...gaining control of the border or legalizing the status of undocumented workers already living in the United States?...63% favor securing the border and 27% favor legalizing illegal aliens.
Is the federal government doing enough to secure the border and reduce illegal immigration?...74% say no.
Until there is a crackdown on employers who hire illegals, most of these policies are nothing more than simplistic feel-good measures that will never address the forces of supply and demand. Keep deporting them, and they'll only want to come back because there are plenty of people in the US who will hire them. Try securing the border, and they'll just find new ways around whatever obstacles you throw in their way. You may stop and deport a few more of them, but you won't stop them from trying.
actually, everytime we try and enforce the law at workplaces, we get a few congressmen calling the agents gestapo. and the e verify system does work for the most part, but congress won't enforce it.
To your statement:
-- Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Arizona voters have a favorable view of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose aggressive enforcement of laws against illegal immigration have triggered an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice...
at the urging of Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan and others. They say the sheriff is profiling Hispanics in his fight against illegal immigration...
76% of GOP voters and 67% of unaffiliateds support surprise raids, but 54% of Democrats oppose them. --
amazing. only in politically correct nonsense-land would a Congressman from Michigan call it profiling hispanics when a sheriff who is in charge of a border county in Arizona with Mexico wants to enforce and secure his border . What does the idiot Conyers think he is battling there, Vietnamese?
-- What does the idiot Conyers think he is battling there, Vietnamese? -- james
LMAO...how true!
Our southern border is being overrun by illegal Mexican aliens and we're supposed to turn a blind eye to the possiblity that a Mexican looking person is not here illegally.
OK City was bombed by a Caucasian driving a Ryder truck.
Are you looking at all Caucasians driving a Ryder truck suspiciously?
I agree that there are too many illegal immigrants, most of them probably Mexican. But that not mean every Mexican you come across has to be treated suspicioulsy.
actually we could do away with most of the workplace raids if we would start using e-verify. no one gets fired because their social security number does not match. you have a certain number of months to provide proof you are here legally. if you came here and are entitled to permanent residency, you filled out papers somewhere and you should have a record of that.
-- we could do away with most of the workplace raids if we would start using e-verify -- mefirst
Suits me...but presently we're having a helluva hard time getting our govt. to do much of anything.
The word treason is tossed around here quite often and sometimes irresponsibly...but failure to act on one of the basic tenets of the constitution merits that tag.
that's really a useless argument in this case. it cheapens the term. i like to think of treason as someone like karl rove outing a cia agent.
how about illeagle wiretapping? couldn't that be considered treason?
Joe Arpaio appears to be far more interested in advancing his own celebrity than he is in properly running a Sherrif’s department. He even has his own reality show. He has consistently neglected the numerous other duties of his organization in order to put up a facade of “get tough” policies that the voters keep falling for, hook, line and sinker.
Meanwhile, in Maricopa County, murders, outstanding arrest warrants and violent crimes continue to go up.
Don’t take my word for it, an organization that even you can appreciate, the Goldwater Institute, published a scathing report about how well Arpaio does his job.
i don't believe anyone commented on how well or how poorly the sheriff is doing his job. my point was the obvious nonsense of Conyers in saying he is profiling hispanics, when he is on the border with Mexico. ridiculous.
Maricopa County is NOT on the border with Mexico.
gee, so sorry, Arizona is.
Forgiven. Ignorance isn't a crime.
My post wasn't in reply to you, it was in reply to Wesley. He commented on Arpaio's glowing public opinion as an elected official, to which I thought some perspective was in order.
Thanks for the link.
From an anecdotal standpoint...I know several people from Arizona who would echo your sentiments.
However, lets not lose sight of the issue...it's about enforcing immigration laws...not a referendum on Sheriff Arpaio. If he is falling down on his other duties...as asserted by the Goldwater Institute...it should be addressed.
Enforcing immigration laws and performing the other duties required of a sheriff's dept. should not be mutually exclusive. You know and I know that virtually every law enforcement agency assigns tasks on a priority basis...because they do not have the resources to be everywhere at once.
-- Until there is a crackdown on employers who hire illegals -- pete
I agree...employers hiring illegal aliens should be rooted out and penalized...according to current law.
We can make significant improvements in securing our border...but it won't be foolproof...but that is no reason to abandon the effort.
The main reason for our porous border is the lack of courage by former presidents and congresses...failing to demonstrate the guts to tackle this hot potato.
It's too early to tell where Pres.Obama falls in this gut-check.
The (not-quite) consensus of Americans is WRONG. It is informed by no more that fear. McCain was right... before he caved.
fear? how about enforcing our immigration laws? If one expects that are they just informed by fear?
Then lets don't be so quick to assign any consensus mandate to Pres.Obama. His election margin and current popularity rating are less than the support for tougher immigration enforcement...I'm not putting words in your mouth because I'm not sure you have made that assertion...it's just to put it in perspective.
However...even tho we disagree on immigration...it's refreshing to see you put your support of McCain's policy on display. That's putting your beliefs ahead of partisan party politics...good on you.
problem is, no cop will assume im an illegal from say germany just by looking at me
Sen. John McCain played games and lost. Why do modern poiticians think they can get away with telling one group one thing and another the oppisite? Do they know we have the WWW? The immigration rerform, I recall, was stating illegal immigrants pay and apply for citizenship. That reminds me of the XXIV,(24th), amendment-poll tax. The majority of illegal immigrants work, and pay taxes, among other debts. Americans do not want the work; what is all the fuss? Big business supports the consevatives. It is no surprise, the government is not shutting down big farms, food-meat processors, and constuction companies. Imagine the price increases if Americans took over those low paying jobs.
imagine the better wages that a lot of those jobs would pay. when i grew up, a lot of my dad's buddies worked construction and made good money. a lot of the those meat packing jobs in the midwest were union jobs paying good money.
“Most interesting,” just might be a response to John “Runny-gloppy stool hitting the fan” McCain after his reaction from being described as “Anal”. Then, he’ll go on to deny that label with a most vociferous paroxysm. Nevertheless as before, he’ll soon back away from that position then declare he’s always been “Pro–Anal”. So what’s new?