Senate Resumes Illegal Immigration Debate

This just in from the AP:

The Senate tackles the hot-button election issue of what to do with the nation's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants this week, with President Bush coming down on the side of letting many of them stay if they have jobs.

Bush planned to use a naturalization ceremony for swearing in 30 new citizens Monday to press his call for a "guest worker" program. The Senate Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, faced a midnight deadline for completing a bill.

Oh boy. Here we go again. Any minute now, the president is once again going to trot out that tired, infuriating phrase he's been workin' so hard over the past couple of weeks: jobs that Americans will not do.

"We must remember there are hardworking individuals, doing the jobs that Americans will not do, who are contributing the economic vitality of our country," the president said in his weekend radio address.

Can I call 'em, or what? The president wants us to "remember there are hardworking individuals," while he's all too ready to forget the hardworking Americans who used to do those jobs before our government failed to protect its own citizens. That's right. I came right out and said. Our government has FAILED us. And now, rather than fixing the problem they've created, they want us to shut up while they reward ILLEGAL aliens for being willing partners in the screw job.

But a tough immigration-enforcement bill passed by the House last year has galvanized forces that want worker programs for illegal immigrants already in the country.

"We will not accept enforcement-only approaches," said Cecilia Munoz, vice president of the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.

We will not accept enforcement-only approaches? WE? The only we that the American government needs to be concerned with is we, the people. That means citizens. It just galls me to hear this woman, speaking on behalf of an organization whose name means The Race, making demands of our government for ILLEGAL immigrants who have no right to come here, live here, or work here -- let alone make demands of the citizens of this country via our government.

Immigration reform advocates scheduled a rally Monday at the U.S. Capitol, where dozens of members of the clergy planned to wear handcuffs to protest what they said is the House bill's criminalization of their aid programs for poor immigrants.

Good. If they feel aiding and abetting ILLEGAL aliens to come to or stay in this country ILLEGALLY is their calling, I'm hoping that a little practice time in handcuffs will come in handy in the very near future.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, said Monday it would be unrealistic to round up and deport the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. Instead, he told CBS' "The Early Show," the United States should create a "path toward legalization" based on whether the immigrants are lawabiding, pay takes, are learning English or demonstrate other "positive behavior."

OK. I'm all for using Governor Richardson's litmus test for a "path toward legalization." Wait. If someone needs to be "legalized," that means they've already broken the law. I guess that means we don't even need to check your criteria that come after that first one -- LAW-ABIDING -- right, Bill?

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Sunday his panel will get a bill to the full Senate before Tuesday, even if it has to work "very, very late into the night."

"If they're prepared to work to become American citizens in the long line traditionally of immigrants who have helped make this country, we can have both a nation of laws and a welcoming nation of workers who do some very, very important jobs for our economy," Specter said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

You said it, Senator Specter. But the "long line...of immigrants" is a line of people waiting -- legally -- for the privilege to be here. And I'm all for a day when "we can have both a nation of laws and a welcoming nation of workers." Unfortunately, at this point in time we're sadly lacking in the nation of laws department.

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