First off let me get it out of the way:

Another poll? With made up people even?! Oi...

*Chuckles*

Okay, now that that's out of the way I agree that this is a major political topic. But why is it a left/right issue? In fact the five points I keep bringing up are agreed to by many of our liberal or "left" friends here and we can't agree on anything!

Immigration reform and border security are big things I think most normal Americans can agree on, it's only the noisy ones and those who listen to them who are the problem.

Again, the five points I've got are:

1. Put up barriers on the border
2. Streamline and improve the LEGAL immigration system.
3. Fine HEAVILY anyone who knowingly hires illegals
4. Capture and deport what illegals we do find
5. Make English the official language of the country

There are some other things that I think deserve discussion to such as the "baby anchor" law and making it illegal to become a citizen if you're a convicted felon.

Gozer,

It is an issue which really transcends political labels, much as gay marriage and the ban on late-term abortions...this is something where you have to be a far-left fanatic to be on the other side; everyone else is in general agreement.

What makes it into a right/left issue is the fact that the Democratic Party is enthralled to the far-left fanatics...and this means they have to obstruct in order to placate their leftwing base (ie, "we're stopping the GOP from banning illegals") while at the same time trying to be with the majority (ie, "we want immigration reform, but with some changes the Evil GOP won't allow"...).

The same poll also found the following:

For the first time ever, a majority of Americans (52%) say that the U.S. mission in Iraq will be judged a failure. Just 32% believe history will judge it a success.

At $187 Million Dollars per Day for a failed war it does not leave much left for implementation of meaningful illegal immigration measures much less anything else.

Mark Noonan,

Are you sure all America agrees on immigration reform issues? I think most favor securing our borders. But I don't believe even conservatives agree on other immigration issues.

I've voted Republican for 26 years. My view on almost every political issue is steadfastly conservative. I'm pro-life. I'm infuriated that freedoms were taken from us by Campaign Finance Reform. I believe in small government. I've been firm in my support for the war on terror and the overthrow of terror-sponsoring regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq. I favor school vouchers. I could go on and on.

I will not support the deportation of the hard working Mexicans and other illegals who make up 5% of our workforce. I don't hire any such workers and I'm not related to any. But I have met many. I'm convinced these are exactly the type people I want in my country. They're hard working. They embrace family values. They and their descendants will continue to make a major contribution to our economy.

I am certainly not alone in this view. National polls have consistently shown that the majority of U.S. citizens do not favor mass deportation. The majority does favor allowing illegal immigants to stay here as temporary workers. Some polls find that overwhelming majorities favor allowing illegals to earn citizenship if they learn English, have a job, and pay taxes.

The hardline stance of conservatives in the House of Representatives may help some Congressmen in conservative districts. But it's a recipe for disaster for the Republican Party.

Another day, another phoney poll and the misinformation campaign continues. Why, as this poll suggests, are border enforcement and accepting reality about illegals already in this country, deemed by so-called "conservatives" to be mutually exclusive. So by virtue of our luck of having been born in the US, we want to actively deny the priviledges of our birth to less fortunate who just happen to not be born in the US. Sorry,luck of the draw, you're screwed. Funny how those who say they are for free markets want to eliminate the most vital source of capital from our country, human capital. The fact of the matter is that the racists, sorry I mean "conservatives" are just as hypocritical as liberals on this, as well as many issues. The immaturity surrounding such an important issue is frightening.

" shows strong support fo the Democrats, the political reality is that the majority is with the GOP on the issues. All we have to do is tell people what we are, and point out what the Democrats are...all else will follow naturally from that.

Mark, your arrogance continues to amaze me. You have no majority with you. Now that you have shown yourselves for what you are it is likely that the slim majority you held will evaporate.

I just want to say the above poster is not me. That said, unemployemt is at 4.7 percent, which means if we had no illegal aliens here, we could theoretically have full employment. More demonstrations with american flags upside down mean this poll number is only going to go up, time to strike while the iron is hot in my opinion and get tough. This is the dems achilles heel.

I just want to say the above poster is not me. That said, unemployemt is at 4.7 percent, which means if we had no illegal aliens here, we could theoretically have full employment. More demonstrations with american flags upside down mean this poll number is only going to go up, time to strike while the iron is hot in my opinion and get tough. This is the dems achilles heel.

Rich: So are all those people marching today in favor of a border fence and more border guards? I think you will find that most conservatives have no problem with increased legal immigration. It is the illegal ones that are a problem.

I was watching ABC news last night when they highlighted the immigration marches. Everything was pro illegal immigrant. They did not make any mention of how the majority of US citizens felt.

I ask each day, what part of illegal do we not understand. Others having been waiting years to come to the US to become citizens, learn our language and become an integral part of our country. They seem to be pushed aside for "cheap labor". I say secure the borders and let the illegal aliens come through the proper channels.
Maybe we should send a delegation to Mexico to recruit workers with the proper work authorization and if you don't have it-get it.
Lynne

Kyle, it does not matter what all those people favor, most are here illegally and don't get a vote. Use your head man.

Mark,
While I agree with the overwhelming majority of your post on this topic, I am a bit surprised that you actually used a Rasmussen poll to support your position or as an example of why "our side" of the argument is gaining steam. So many of us on the site have discounted the use of polls time and again, because in each and every instance, they are designed to elicit the pre-determined result that the pollster was told to produce.

They are untrustworthy at best, and maliciously manipulate the outcome by phrasing leading questions (such as you used as an example, but a a bit more subtle, to be sure), and skewing the demographics to ensure that the respondents are more than likely to answer as anticipated.

It's intellectually untenable that we whack down poll after poll that shows things that we don't like to see, or don't agree with, then offer others in support of our ideas and objectives. It amounts to no more than the age-old "Am too!" "Am not!" school of persuasion...

That we are on a verge of a hurricane-force uprising of the American citizen remains to be seen. To be sure, those who are already engaged and committed to fighting for what's left of this country have been vocal and extremely active. (I have called my Senators' offices every day for the past two weeks, for example)..

What needs to happen, though, in my opinion, is a forceful expression of our anger and disgust at Congress for not moving on this issue properly. Yes - let's point out how the Demublicans are skirting around the issue of voting on anything, but pretending that they desperately want something done. Equally reprehensible is the lack of intestinal fortitude on the part of the Republicrats, who , for reasons totally beyond me, don't stand up firmly to decisively slap down the blocking efforts of the Dems and force a vote - and then vote according the Conservative principles upon which they were elected, but somehow seem to have thrown aside since the election.

Gozer's five bullet-points are right on, as is his observations on "anchor babies." Making English mandatory for official government business must also be instituted. It would show a concern for and pride in our heritage, which was largely British and West European. I'm tired of having to press "1" for English.

To my knowledge, no one has introduced any legislation to physically track down and deport illegals. I'm opposed to any move in that direction. I believe it runs contrary to our Constitution and traditions. However, I have no problem with making it more difficult for them to stay here with the status quo unchanged. My state(Georgia) recently passed legislation, which the Governor has not yet indicated he will either sign or veto (SB529). On paper at least, it could be the toughest anti illegal immigration legislation on the books. I've called his office again today, after the protests in Atlanta, to urge him to remember who elected him, who his constituents are - and ARE NOT - and to sign this bill into law. Beyond that, I urged him to strictly enforce the statute, so that it doesn't become a defacto paper tiger. I eagerly await his signature.

If the laws as they currently exist would be strictly enforced on the Federal level, most illegals would go home because their wages would be bitten into just like my wages are. If they pay into Social Security, FICA, State Income Taxes, Workers Compensation, etc., I have absolutely no problem with the illegals staying here. But they won't if that were to occur. They'd begin to understand the other side of the coin that is working America. Along with the wages, come the taxes and deductions. There would be that much less to wire home to Mexico...

The illegals made a conscious decision to break America's immigration laws and come here on the terms that they dictate. It's time we took back the terms of their stay here, just as it's time the Republicrats took back the agenda in Congress and deny the Demublicans the opportunity to co-opt them on the illegal immigration issue...

I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!!

By the way, why is it that the Republicrats haven't taken the 1993 proposed legislation by Harry Reid and used this against him? It's such a fine piece of legislation, and now he's turned 180° from that proposal. It could really put him in his place. The same should be done with Ted Kennedy, one of the principal architects of the original modern-day immigration reform laws which have brought us to where we are today...

Come on Repubs! Grown some gonads!!

By the way, why is it that the Republicrats haven't taken the 1993 proposed legislation by Harry Reid and used this against him?

db, it appears to me that they want to give control of congress back to the Democrats. I have never been more pissed at my party than I am now. Just like Rush said today, "All the Democrats with their necks stuck out, and noone wants to cut the rope on the guillotine."

The quote was paraphrased, BTW, but the contextual integrity is maintained.

Come on Repubs! Grown some gonads!!

With the exception of a select few, I'm afraid our party has been neutered.

Our government is finally listening to the people--the people who are here illegally. We, on the other hand, have been given the finger...

Keefer

It must a slow release to steal the next election right?

LOL

I agree with dozer, and a few others. I've lived all over this great country and my husband being in the Navy did his share of traveling and swears this is the greatest country in the world.His five laws work for me and mine.And the one thing we need to do is make ENGLISH our native language.I hate to go out for food and can;t understand them.
I heard my daughter say in Texas the other day on the news, a girl illegal, said that if we stick to this law that the House has set it would hurt her life. She lives in Mexico, drives into ElPaso to work, and goes to college there, she said everyone there knows it,and they know it would be unfair to her. WHAT ABOUT US.
I have a friend, she is 72, her family came here at the end of WW11, they had to be sponsered, and live with another family for 5 yrs.After that they could go in front of the board and become legal.She says that was the greatest day of her life when she became a legal citizen. But, they had to give up their language,and become 100% american.They did not have a problem with this, hell they were happy.The problem with the mexicans is that they don't think they are wrong.They don't think they are stealing from us.I am so tired of hearing how great these mothers are, and how they know the right way to train children(take a look at their kids), how these people hire them to clean their homes and take care of their kids.Please, I can't go anywhere, if they are in the grocery store their kids are running in front of you,or in line at a resturant,they step all over you.
As far as the left/right, I'm afraid that neither one of the party's have the balls to take a stand,they are so afraid of how it will look at election time. All they care about is points. We have made this country and so have our forefathers,but at least they spoke ENGLISH, and paid taxes. We have taught our kids today that in order for you to get anywhere you have to graduate high school and go to college. With that you have bills forever to pay, but you get a good education. Now, 5 years later these kids have 2 college degrees, alot of bills, and NO JOB. We are being under bidded in our own country from people who dont even like it here, they just like the money.The reason their government wants they here is for the money they are sending back home, my god, were supporting 2 countries and don't even realize it.They can live 15 deep in a single wide home, ride around in 54,000.00 dallor cars,shop at the nice stores in the mall,wear top brand shoes and clothes,and they have us beat.Why we have busted our a#$% to get to this point in life. There will not be a middle-class america any more.Go to your flea markets, they own nice business there, and they don't pay taxes.I say also if they had to pay out the a#$%, they would go back home and forget the american dream. No I don't feel sorry for these people. I can't believe the breaks they get. In the state I live in, 2 years ago there was a mexican girl that had a weak heart and needed one. She was at Duke hospital,The first heart did not match her, and as you know, once you try that heart and it don't work, they throw it away and wait for another.( no one else can get it).She was in the hospital for a couple of months(free),there was a contractor in the area that decided o build her family a home for free, then he gets on tv and pleads for someone to give her a new heart, lungs, liver.He even decided it was his job to protect her family, so,it was about a week latter when a black man was on the same list for the same heart, got kicked off. Now, this girl got another heart, lungs,liver,within days she died. Her family decided to sue Duke, they say it was their faught.This black also died waiting for the same heart.The man had 3 kids at home, and he was not on any welfare program. I say that was wrong.Take our schools, when their children come over and have to go to school, they don't have to have the shots that our kids have to have.We would be told if you kids don't have the shots they don't go to school, and you are breaking the law. Another thing, there are special dentist for mexican children. I don't know about you, but going to the dentist is an arm and leg these days. So, they get it free. The first they they are told is how to play the system, and it works for them. I'M Tird of it all and I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK, GET OUT AND GO BACK TOO WHERE YOU CAME FROM, WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE.

I couldn't agree more with you Keefer!

We the people need to figure out how to give them the finger back and vote them out of office... But we need to make sure they understand why we're voting them out of office...

What do the polls say? From what I'm told, the vast majority of Americans favour tougher immigration laws. After seeing/hearing the events surrounding these protests, I agree.

You should check out some of the more popular lefty blogs--those kooks are all agog over these protests, and how these immigrants are "normal" people. They can't figure out why every time they have an anti-America protest, the people look like losers. Maybe they ought to hand out anti-Bush, anti-war, anti-America signs to these immigration protestors. These protestors are doing the protesting "Americans won't do..."

"...These protestors are doing the protesting "Americans won't do..."

That has got to be the BEST turning of a phrase that I've seen in years!!!

We need to make it our mantra, because that's exactly what it is!!!

I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!!!

The American National Anthem

Oh Jose cant you see, we're tired of supporting thee.

When you snuck acrossed the border, it began an illegal plight.

Over broad stripes and bright stars, We'll continue to Fight.

Mexican Flags we did watch, that were so sadly streaming.

Our tempers did flare, with Mexican's everywhere.

Gave proof to the nite, we must send them back there.

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave.

For the land of the U. S. Citizen and the home of the American's.

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Made In America