Day: May 15, 2006

CNN inadvertently went to the President while he was rehearsing his speech, catching him in an awkward moment.

          

UPDATE: YouTube, the site hosting this video, is down at the moment. Here’s an alternate link.

The speech tonight from George W. Bush could have been delivered months ago. There was nothing new here that he hasn’t telegraphed in the past. The pre-speech leaks were correct. Bush could have been Reaganesque. He delivered milquetoast.

6,000 new border agents – too few, we need more.

6,000 National Guard troops – too few, we need more. Moreover, they will rendered inoperable by not being able to enforce the law. Worse yet, they’ll only be there from 2008 to 2009, then their numbers will be reduced.

Temporary Worker Program – ugh.

Tamper-proof ID cards – Great, but I predict these will end up being easily obtainable by forged documentation.

And the thing that disturbed me the most was the “I’m against Amnesty, but let me describe how we’ll provide Amnesty” statement…

We must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully and it would invite further waves of illegal immigration.

Some in this country argue that the solution is to deport every illegal immigrant and that any proposal short of this amounts to amnesty. I disagree. It is neither wise nor realistic to round up millions of people, many with deep roots in the United States, and send them across the border. There is a rational middle ground between granting an automatic path to citizenship for every illegal immigrant, and a program of mass deportation. That middle ground recognizes that there are differences between an illegal immigrant who crossed the border recently and someone who has worked here for many years, and has a home, a family, and an otherwise clean record. I believe that illegal immigrants who have roots in our country and want to stay should have to pay a meaningful penalty for breaking the law to pay their taxes to learn English and to work in a job for a number of years. People who meet these conditions should be able to apply for citizenship but approval would not be automatic, and they will have to wait in line behind those who played by the rules and followed the law. What I have just described is not amnesty it is a way for those who have broken the law to pay their debt to society, and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen.

This just isn’t going to cut it. It’s Amnesty and that’s all it is. The comparison Bush used regarding the brave Marine who was also an illegal alien was inappropriate and misleading.

I’m disappointed, but not disheartened. George W. Bush is an “open-borders” president, and it’s clear that no one, not even the base of voters his party needs to keep power will change his position. We need to keep the pressure on this Congress and those who are coming up hoping to take residence in the White House. We must secure our borders and everything must be done to see that this happens. Bush’s half measures won’t do. We need to press on and demand a better plan.

MORE: Text of speech | Video |

OTHERS: Malkin | Hugh Hewitt | John Hawkins | Ed Morrissey | Hot Air |

Kevin Aylward provides the inside scoop on the rumor monger who served up the spoiled red meat.

The AP has sent out a few morsels ahead of the full course.

Notables…

On border security:

“Since I became president, we have increased funding for border security by 66 percent and expanded the Border Patrol from about 9,000 to 12,000 agents. We have apprehended and sent home about 6 million people entering America illegally.

“Despite this progress, we do not yet have full control of the border, and I am determined to change that. Tonight I am calling on Congress to provide funding for dramatic improvements in manpower and technology at the border.”

…and to build a wall, right Mr. President?

On a temporary worker program:

“The reality is that there are many people on the other side of our border who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life. They walk across miles of desert in the summer heat, or hide in the back of 18-wheelers to reach our country. This creates enormous pressure on our border that walls and patrols alone will not stop. To secure the border effectively we must reduce the numbers of people trying to sneak across.”

You can do that effectively by building a big wall.

On enforcement:

“We need to hold employers to account for the workers they hire. It is against the law to hire someone who is in this country illegally. Yet businesses often cannot verify the legal status of their employees because of the widespread problem of document fraud. Therefore, comprehensive immigration reform must include a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility.

“A tamper-proof card would help us enforce the law and leave employers with no excuse for violating it. And by making it harder for illegal immigrants to find work in our country, we would discourage people from crossing the border illegally in the first place.”

And a big big impenetrable wall would really stop them.

On amnesty:

“We must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully and it would invite further waves of illegal immigration.”

…who would encounter that big big impenetrable wall that will be built, right?

The devil is in the details, and so far, the speech doesn’t seem to have any.

There’s lots of banter going round regarding ABC News and the government allegedly tracking phone numbers dialed by staff reporters to uncover federal employees who are leaking private and sometimes classified information. Frankly, I’m tired of reading story after story citing “anonymous sources close to the president say…” or “retired generals point to…” or “senior officials familiar with the investigation”. Those who leak sensitive information need to be rooted out, exposed and prosecuted. It’s a national security issue.

Marshall Manson says we should stop the crusade against reporters who publish news stories based on leaks. I admit – the crusade is fun, but ultimately, Manson is right.

In spite of Great Lie #3, the Republican congressman from New York’s 23rd district believes government can help you.

NRO’s John Derbyshire gives his prediction on what Bush will deliver tonight.

According to the AP, fewer than 10,000 National Guard troops would be placed on the 2,000 mile long U.S./Mexican border. They would not have any law enforcement authority.

Smoke and mirrors.

It started yesterday and continued right throughout the morning news shows. I’m talking about the leaking of information ahead of the speech planned by President Bush scheduled for 8 PM EDT / 5 PM EDT today. If we’re to believe the sanctioned leakers we have reason to be worried about the immigration proposals Bush is set to spell out.

Here’s what we know so far. Bush has apparently ‘heard’ the American people and now ‘understands’ the need to fully secure the U.S./Mexican border. He will announce a call up of National Guard troops to fill a support role behind agents who are presently guarding the 2000 mile long border. The National Guard presence will be temporary. Bush will express support for a temporary guest worker program and present a plan to give millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship.

Assuming the leaked pre-speech information is accurate, Bush’s ‘comprehensive plan’ is nothing more than appeasement for Mexico’s Vicente Fox. Scattering National Guard troops on the border but preventing them from really providing security is simple window dressing. Allowing illegal aliens to stay in the country without penalty is blatant pandering to an electorate that isn’t Republican, in the hopes that they’ll become Republicans at some point in the future.

I hope this isn’t what we’re going to hear tonight.

MORE: WaPo | Reuters | NYT | Malkin: “Too Little, Too Late” |