Dobbs on the Money again ... rips Bush and Kennedy

[XtremeJibber2001]

Jeez ... Dobbs for President anyone?

Dobbs: Give it a rest, Mr. President
POSTED: 9:29 a.m. EDT, June 13, 2007
By Lou Dobbs
CNN

Editor's note: Lou Dobbs' commentary appears weekly on CNN.com.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- President Bush is building his legacy, adding another unfortunate line of hollow bravado to his rhetorical repertoire. To "Mission accomplished," "Bring it on," "Wanted: Dead or alive," and of course, "I earned ... political capital, and now I intend to spend it," he has added "I'll see you at the bill signing," referring to his own ill-considered push for so-called comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

Bush emerged from a midday meeting with Republican senators on Capitol Hill to declare, "We've got to convince the American people this bill is the best way to enforce our border."

No, Mr. President, someone you trust and respect must convince you that kind of tortured reasoning should never be exposed before cameras and microphones. Isn't there anyone in this administration with the guts to say, "Give it a rest, Mr. President"?

Sen. Jeff Sessions came close when he said, "He needs to back off." This president desperately needs to be reminded that he is the president of all Americans and not just of corporate interests and socio-ethnocentric special interest groups.

In what other country would citizens be treated to the spectacle of the president and the Senate focusing on the desires of 12 million to 20 million people who had crossed the nation's borders illegally, committed document fraud, and in many cases identity theft, overstayed their visas and demanded, not asked, full forgiveness for their trespasses?

Illegal aliens and their advocates, both liberal and conservative, possess such an overwhelming sense of entitlement that they demand not only legal status, but also that the government leave the borders wide open so that other illegals could follow as well, while offering not so much as an "I'm sorry" or a "Thank you."

This bill would be disastrous public policy and devastate millions of American workers and their families, taxpayers and any semblance of national security. Yet even in defeat, Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, one of the reform bill's chief architects, declared: "Doing nothing is totally unacceptable." Like the senator, Bush says the status quo is unacceptable.

The president and the senator are wrong. It is the sham legislation they support that is totally unacceptable. But if Bush and Kennedy sincerely desire resolution to our illegal immigration and border security crises, I'd like to try to help. But a word of caution, if I may, to our elected officials: Resolution of these crises will require honesty, directness and an absolute commitment to the national interest and the common good of our citizens. Here are what I consider to be the essential guiding principles for any substantive reform:

First, fully secure our borders and ports. Without that security, there can be no control of immigration and, therefore, no meaningful reform of immigration law.

Second, enforce existing immigration laws, and that includes the prosecution of the employers of illegal aliens. As Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, put it, illegal employers are the magnet that draws illegal aliens across our border. Enforcing the law against illegal employers and illegal aliens at large in the country will mean bolstering, in all respects, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Third, the government should fund, equip and hire the people necessary to man the Citizenship and Immigration Services. To do so will ensure that the agency is capable of fully executing and administering lawful immigration into the United States and eliminating the shameful backlog of millions of people who are seeking legal entry into this country.

Those three steps are necessary to the security of the nation and the effective administration and enforcement of existing immigration laws. Those steps should be considered non-negotiable conditions precedent to any change or reform of existing immigration law.

At the same time, the president and Congress should order exhaustive studies of the economic, social and fiscal effects of the leading proposals to change immigration law, and foremost in their consideration should be the well-being of American workers and their families.

The president and Congress should begin the process of thoughtful reform of our immigration laws. Public hearings should be held throughout the nation. The American people should be heard in every region of the country, and fact-finding should be rigorous and thorough. The process will be time-consuming and demand much of our congressmen and senators, their staffs and relevant executive agencies.

The importance of securing borders and ports and reforming our immigration laws is profound, and that security is fundamental to the future of our nation. That future can be realized only with a complete commitment to a comprehensive legislative process of absolute transparency and open public forums in which our elected officials hear the voices of the people they represent. American citizens deserve no less.

[Dr. NO]

After an experiance with 2 Hispanics (don't know if they were legal) this week, and all the other crap that is going on, CONTACT YOUR REPS, SENATORS and anyone else that will listen. This Bill is BS and Bush and anyone that supports it should have it shoved up their ass. Even LEGAL Immigrants are against this bill. It is a FREE PASS to Hispanics (Latinos) from South America and mostly from Mexico. Dump the f'n thing and build the f'n wall and patrol it properly ( monitoring your patrols since some used it to create a business oportunity).

Bush had some good ideas and some bad. This one SUCKS.

[XtremeJibber2001]

After an experiance with 2 Hispanics (don't know if they were legal) this week, and all the other crap that is going on, CONTACT YOUR REPS, SENATORS and anyone else that will listen. This Bill is BS and Bush and anyone that supports it should have it shoved up their ass. Even LEGAL Immigrants are against this bill. It is a FREE PASS to Hispanics (Latinos) from South America and mostly from Mexico. Dump the f'n thing and build the f'n wall and patrol it properly ( monitoring your patrols since some used it to create a business oportunity).

Bush had some good ideas and some bad. This one SUCKS.

Half of my team at work consists of those on Visas. They are more angered by Bush's negligence then American's are.

[GladeMasterB]

70 - 80 % of the American people say STOP. This is not the bill we want passed but the know-it-alls on the hill think we are all stupid. 84 % of Republicans oppose the bill and 55 % of DEMOCRATS oppose it. It seems simple to me. All the American people are asking for is to secure the borders first and then deal with the folks here already.

[Bling Skier]

I made a phone call to Lousen berg and the bean eater (the 2 nj reps) and thanked them 4 not voting 4 the bill...well the bimbo that was on the other side said the i was mistaken and loudenberg and menandez Did vote 4 it...well i said "so you admit the the 2 of them do not have Americas best intrest in mind and that they are asholes and should rethink thier vues on the subject......then hung up

[JerseyGuy]

I made a phone call to Lousen berg and the bean eater (the 2 nj reps) and thanked them 4 not voting 4 the bill...well the bimbo that was on the other side said the i was mistaken and loudenberg and menandez Did vote 4 it...well i said "so you admit the the 2 of them do not have Americas best intrest in mind and that they are asholes and should rethink thier vues on the subject......then hung up

Well, you sure told HER.

Idiot.

[BigKahuna13]

70 - 80 % of the American people say STOP. This is not the bill we want passed but the know-it-alls on the hill think we are all stupid. 84 % of Republicans oppose the bill and 55 % of DEMOCRATS oppose it. It seems simple to me. All the American people are asking for is to secure the borders first and then deal with the folks here already.

At one point a large portion of the American population was for slavery. Did that make it right?

[Nevada West]

70 - 80 % of the American people say STOP. This is not the bill we want passed but the know-it-alls on the hill think we are all stupid. 84 % of Republicans oppose the bill and 55 % of DEMOCRATS oppose it. It seems simple to me. All the American people are asking for is to secure the borders first and then deal with the folks here already.

At one point a large portion of the American population was for slavery. Did that make it right?

If 60-70% percent of a town voted to de-criminalize rape, would that make it right?

[Bubba]

Everybody who wasn't born here or whose ancestors weren't born here should be deported.

[XtremeJibber2001]

Everybody who was born here illegally or whose ancestors illegally migrated here should be deported.

Thanks Bubba, couldn't agree more!

[JerseyGuy]

Everybody who was born here illegally or whose ancestors illegally migrated here should be deported.

Thanks Bubba, couldn't agree more!

Did the Pilgrims have their papers in order? 'Cause if they didn't, there's gonna be a lot of unhappy blueblood Congregationalists sent packing for the Old Country...

And by the way, can someone PLEASE buy Lou Dobbs a different freakin' topic to discuss? ANYthing? Jesus Christ -- how the hell can someone be on TV 43 hours a day every day and still only talk about ONE thing for eight or nine months in a row?

Do you think Lou gets home, starts to open his mouth, and his wife says "I get it, honey -- enough with the goddamn whining about immigration"?

[XtremeJibber2001]

Everybody who was born here illegally or whose ancestors illegally migrated here should be deported.

Thanks Bubba, couldn't agree more!

Did the Pilgrims have their papers in order? 'Cause if they didn't, there's gonna be a lot of unhappy blueblood Congregationalists sent packing for the Old Country...

And by the way, can someone PLEASE buy Lou Dobbs a different freakin' topic to discuss? ANYthing? Jesus Christ -- how the hell can someone be on TV 43 hours a day every day and still only talk about ONE thing for eight or nine months in a row?

Do you think Lou gets home, starts to open his mouth, and his wife says "I get it, honey -- enough with the goddamn whining about immigration"?

No, I'm sure they didn't, but I'm sure a very intelligent person like yourself is not trying to draw similarities between the pilgrims several hundred years ago and the illegal immigrants coming into the US today?

I love that Lou Dobbs talks about illegal immigration everyday, because no one else, including congress, will touch this topic with a 10' pole. Also, he's only on for an hour a weekday and speaks about illegal immigration for about 25% of his show.

Probably ... but seeing how Lou Dobbs wife is an immigrant and went through the process legally, she's probably more angered that people are going to be granted a "free-be" after all the stuff she went through to become a citizen.

[Bubba]

Everybody who was born here illegally or whose ancestors illegally migrated here should be deported.

Thanks Bubba, couldn't agree more!

Did the Pilgrims have their papers in order? 'Cause if they didn't, there's gonna be a lot of unhappy blueblood Congregationalists sent packing for the Old Country...

And by the way, can someone PLEASE buy Lou Dobbs a different freakin' topic to discuss? ANYthing? Jesus Christ -- how the hell can someone be on TV 43 hours a day every day and still only talk about ONE thing for eight or nine months in a row?

Do you think Lou gets home, starts to open his mouth, and his wife says "I get it, honey -- enough with the goddamn whining about immigration"?

No, I'm sure they didn't, but I'm sure a very intelligent person like yourself is not trying to draw similarities between the pilgrims several hundred years ago and the illegal immigrants coming into the US today?

I love that Lou Dobbs talks about illegal immigration everyday, because no one else, including congress, will touch this topic with a 10' pole. Also, he's only on for an hour a weekday and speaks about illegal immigration for about 25% of his show.

Probably ... but seeing how Lou Dobbs wife is an immigrant and went through the process legally, she's probably more angered that people are going to be granted a "free-be" after all the stuff she went through to become a citizen.

OK then...let's be more current than the Pilgrims. How about everyone who came into this country before about 1920? Everyone, and I mean everyone - to the best of my knowledge we had no immigration limitations until the first part of the 20th century.

And I'm still waiting for anything from anyone who tells me what they plan to do with the 12 million people who are here illegally. Are you planning on mass deportation?

[XtremeJibber2001]

OK then...let's be more current than the Pilgrims. How about everyone who came into this country before about 1920? Everyone, and I mean everyone - to the best of my knowledge we had no immigration limitations until the first part of the 20th century.

And I'm still waiting for anything from anyone who tells me what they plan to do with the 12 million people who are here illegally. Are you planning on mass deportation?

Close the border and enforce the law, that's all I want. No legislation is needed, the laws are in place, it's time to enforce them.

[Bubba]

OK then...let's be more current than the Pilgrims. How about everyone who came into this country before about 1920? Everyone, and I mean everyone - to the best of my knowledge we had no immigration limitations until the first part of the 20th century.

And I'm still waiting for anything from anyone who tells me what they plan to do with the 12 million people who are here illegally. Are you planning on mass deportation?

Close the border and enforce the law, that's all I want. No legislation is needed, the laws are in place, it's time to enforce them.

Nice dodge - what do you plan to do with the 12 million or so currently here illegally?