Flip-Flop Thy Name Is Fred Barnes

Source: WeeklyStandard

THE IMMIGRATION ISSUE HAS FLIPPED in President Bush's favor. The public now firmly supports toughened border enforcement plus--and this is a big plus for the president--a system for letting illegal immigrants already in America earn citizenship. This has been Bush's position all along, though the president has been reluctant to trumpet it. The ones with the politically untenable position are Democrats who want an immigration issue (but not actual legislation) to use against Republicans in November, and Republicans who want merely to increase border security.

The upshot is that an immigration bill appears likely (but not certain) to pass when Congress returns from its Easter recess on April 24--and probably in a "comprehensive" form congenial to Bush and Republican congressional leaders. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert have indicated they back this approach, not a bill simply calling for stronger border security.

The turning point came in March when the Senate Judiciary Committee approved an immigration measure that tied together border enforcement, a program for bringing "guest" workers into the country, and earned citizenship. That meant that broad immigration reform was viable in 2006. Several earlier polls, notably one conducted by Republican pollster Ed Goeas, had found potential public support for earned citizenship, and the committee's action bolstered that support.

I believe in the business this is referred to as "Washington goggles." Here's the really scary part (scary part bolded).

Once the committee acted, "the polls, indeed the whole atmosphere, changed to the pro-immigrant side," says Jeffrey Bell, a Republican consultant working for La Raza, the Hispanic civil rights group. Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein of California reversed herself and voted for the sweeping bill, as did Republican Arlen Specter, the committee chairman who had been uncommitted.

If "Hispanic civil rights group" is a euphimism for America hating, race baiting racists, then yeah! That'll play well with the base. Si Si Puede!

Wait! This just in, secret Freedom Folks operatives who shall remain nameless for no particular reason bring us this memo on immigration bill S.1815, snuck out of a paramilitary La Raza diversity training camp...

“while it doesn’t overtly mention assimilation, it is very strong on the patriotism and traditional american values language in a way which is potentially dangerous to our communities.”

That is exactly who I want the Re-idiot-ican party working closely with, whew, am I relieved!

Back to Fred "The Jackal" Barnes. In a piece from 2004 he had this to say about guest worker programs...

THERE ARE TWO THINGS to be said about President Bush's new plan for dealing with illegal immigrants. The first is that the plan reflects a beautiful sentiment. Immigrants slip into the United States illegally for all the right reasons. They want to find jobs, raise families, and decide their own destiny. They enrich America with their energy and their enthusiasm for freedom. This country would be far worse off without them.

The second thing to say about the Bush plan? It won't work. It doesn't stand a chance for two reasons. Illegal immigrants who would get special working permits for three years are never going back to their home countries. And the existence of a reward for illegally coming to America, namely the working permit, is bound to spur unlawful immigration, not curtail it.

I don't happen to agree with the first part. In fact I find the whole idea repugnant as an American. In fact have you really parsed that sentiment?

"This country would be far worse off without them." Why? Nothing against immigrants, but what exactly is he saying about himself and the entire population of this country? Are we really that bad? If so, why are people willing to risk death to come here? Is it solely so they can be with other immigrants? Or might it be so they can enjoy the freest, most successful society in the world, which was built by -- wait for it -- Americans!

And of course the folks he's celebrating aren't immigrants at all. The "illegal" cancels out the "immigrant" in my book anyway. Then again I'm not schtupping my Venezualan housekeeper, so there is that.

To listen to these prancing poppinjays you would think this country was filled with nothing but lay about malcontents and, save for the immigrants, nothing would ever happen. Um, this is stupid guys, really, astonishingly stupid. Yes, Fred "The Hump" Barnes has nice hair, I'll give you that, but his head is filled with mush.

Immigrants are a part of the equation, but not an overly large part. While I agree they add a lot is he really saying we would die as a society without immigrants?

Why do these people hate Americans so much? Living in anti-America Washington as they do I have to wonder how many "Americans" they might actually know. Do they ever deal with the people they malign so freely?

How nice it must be to float from idea to idea without ever being held accountable for having your cranium lodged firmly in your rectum. He should try blogging sometime!

That sure is some nice hair though, ain't it?

Technorati Tags: Fred "The Jackal" Barnes, illegal immigration, The Corner, raving asshats on parade