Senate GOP Skewering Its Base

I would have used stronger language in the title, but this is a family blog.

Hugh Hewitt is up in arms (and so am I now) over the latest to come out of the Senate. The members of the GOP leadership look like they're about to cave in to the Democrats over immigration.

Word is leaking that the GOP in the Senate are on the verge of agreeing to an immigration bill that has --as a concession to the GOP-- less than half of the fencing promised by law last year.

White flag time on the border, and a national security and thus a political disaster.

The GOP are sending around talking points attempting to make this "compromise" defensible, but it won't and shouldn't fly. Agreeing to it takes the party down the tubes on the issue of border security --because it doesn't provide what the public understands to be border security, a very long, very high fence with a very wide gate. (emphasis in the original)

I really like how Hugh introduces the talking points from the GOP leaders over this proposal (posted in its entirety in his post, with his point-by-point comments): "Four pages of crap."

Here's how the talking points open:

Republicans Standing Together to Fight for Tougher Enforcement and an Immigration System That Better Serves American Interests

As negotiations continue, Republicans are demanding the following from the Democrat majority:

v Beefed-up border security. Republicans are insisting on dramatic and immediate improvements to border security, including 18,000 Border Patrol agents and 370 miles of fencing, as part of a continuous effort to protect the borders.

Last year they promised us--and even passed a bill with it in there--that we'd get over 700 miles of fence. Now the Republicans are "demanding" concessions from the Democrats (as if the Dems would listen to anything that doesn't go their way), including a whopping 370 miles of fence. But what are the chances those 370 miles will ever get funded and built? About the same as the original 700 miles: Zip.

And in exchange for such fierce concessions, what do the Democrats get for their trouble? Amnesty. Oh, it has other names, and the draft memo gives lip-service to making the illegals wait in line after the legal immigrants, but I have trouble believing there will be any teeth in that provision. I especially like this talking point:

Illegal workers not only will be subject to removal from the country but will be permanently barred from any U.S. immigration program.

Ooh. The illegal aliens must be quaking in their boots over being told for the hundred millionth unenforced time that they might be deported and banned from coming back.

If the Duka brothers hadn't been arrested for plotting to blow up soldiers at Fort Dix, they would have been on track for citizenship according to this plan.

But the GOP leadership is telling us we should be pleased with their cave-in, because it could have been worse. Here's the last line of their draft talking points:

If Republicans had not fought for these limits, Democrats would have passed an automatic amnesty bill without any of the restrictions that Republicans have now guaranteed.

It's so good to know the Republicans are such tough fighters. I'd hate to see them lose their cojones along the way to border security.

Since this is election season already, it's a good time to be reminded of Hugh's Five Points for the GOP:

Win the War.

Confirm the Judges.

Cut the Taxes.

Control the Spending.

Secure the Border.

Our Senators need to fight for these things. For real. If they do, they can't lose. If they can't do that, they don't deserve to win.

Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

Contact:
Sen. Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader
Sen. Trent Lott, Senate Minority Whip
Sen. John Kyl, GOP Conference Chairman

They're the guys responsible for these "demands."