Mexican Standoff

Both of our political parties are stuck on stupid these days. Specifically as regards illegal immigration.

This article takes a fair look at the basic set-up, but leaves out one element.

Illegal immigration. Both parties seem to be frozen in place, they know the majority of thier constituents are unhappy with the current state of things.

This is a bi-partisan issue as this poll shows. I'm not crazy about polls, I just really thought the numbers in this one were fascinating.

Over half of all Americans feel that illegal immigration is out of control. Republican, Democrat, independant, this may be the one issue which we all agree.

So why isn't Washington listening?

Earlier today a co-worker mentioned that that SOB Bush wasn't doing anything about the border. I queried what he thought Clinton had done. He replied, "nothing", and this guy was more than a bit of a partisan.

Prevailing wisdom says when it comes to illegal immigration--
Democrats want the votes
Republicans want cheap labor

But is this true?

I wonder if the paradigm hasn't changed. I think both parties want the votes, but even more importantly, nobody wants to blink.

If the Republicans come out with a bill that deals appropriately with immigration, they feel the Democrats will beat them over the head with the issue and lose the Hispanic vote. And don't be mislead, they crave that vote, and are perfectly willing to sell the rest of us mere citizens out to get it.

The Democrats are in basically the same boat.

It's a Mexican standoff.

So, how do we break this stalemate?

I admit I don't exactly know, I think it's going to require a whole bunch of politicians to lose elections on this issue before we'll see movement.

Republicans and democrats made a valiant effort to brush aside Jim GilChrists' amazing showing in the California special elections. Make no mistake, they heard the message loud and clear and now they find themselves in a position not too terribly different from the Democrats incoherency on the war.

I tend to think a third party is the solution, historically they have been a good remedy for a single important issue that was too radioactive for either party to have the cajones to handle. The third party also has the advantage of not coming to the plate with all the baggage of the more established parties.

I hear the drums beating on this one. Anger is building, what will it take to set off the powderkeg? Mexican gangs have placed a $200,000 bounty on the heads of border patrol agents. The Mexican military has crossed our borders and opened fire on both law enforcement and border patrol agents. Citizens living on the border find themselves prisoners in thier own homes, due to the unbelievably high number of illegals boldly crossing thier land with impunity.

The true irony to me as a Minuteman is just this, the time for this to be dealt with in a reasonable fashion is now. The longer we wait, the longer we let the pressure build, the worse it will be when the American body politic becomes fed up with our pussilanimous peacocks in the government.

The surest way to ensure that racism and violence become part of the equation is to continue ignoring the issue (Democrats) or, flat out lying about it (Republicans).

The time is now guys, there's no time to waste!

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