A chamber of children

Wish this were the final post on this issue because frankly I'm pretty sick of it and everything that goes with it. But if we allow Congress to screw this issue up it will adversely affect our children down the line. Blogger gives me a voice beyond my friends and family, so now is no time to hide in the tall grass.

Do we need reform? Yes. Can we trust our government to carry out reform based on the track record set by the the government? No.

In its current form the bill is way too complicated for the average person, much less average illegal alien, to understand. To me it's a matter of gut instinct and soliciting the comments of a few whom I know and trust who work in the field, and from that my conclusion is we need to kick this down the line and let all the presidential candidates debate this. 85 percent of America seems to agree.

The haste and arrogance to which this is being forced through should send large red lights to every parent. After all, parents should recognize this behavior in their own kids...consider the child who wants a toy so bad he'll do and say just about anything to get it. When reminded about the money or other drawbacks a temper tantrum may ensue, or willful blindness, or both. That's how I see the Senate.

It's fourth down and time to punt. They want to go for it. If they blow it we've no choice but to change the coaching staff. Punting is sometimes the right thing to do when the risk/reward shows more risk than reward. You get the ball back later, sometimes with better field position.

Here's the response to a letter I sent to Tennessee Senator Bob Corker. He campaigned against amnesty, so let's see what he says when the game is on the line (a form letter, but still a response):

Thank you for contacting my office to share your concerns about comprehensive immigration reform. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

As you know, immigration is an issue that deserves in-depth attention. I am in favor of immigration reform that is fair to the American people and immigrants who have come to our country legally. On June 26, 2007, I voted against cloture to proceed to debate on S. 1639. I believe a better approach would be a more modest bill that focuses on border security, employer verification systems, visa exit and entrance mechanisms and other provisions that will put us in a position to actually enforce our immigration policy. As S. 1639 is currently written, I do not think the existing bill is good for America, and I will continue to vote against cloture and final passage of this legislation when it comes to the Senate floor.

We have lost credibility in Washington on this issue, and before the American people will be willing to get behind an immigration policy, we need to demonstrate to them that the federal government is going to do what it says it will do, especially when it comes to controlling our borders.

Emphasis added--by Corker. Nice to see somebody up there actually "gets it".

MORE 6/27/07

Just wondering whether the acts being played out on the public stage are more theater than documentary. In other words, perhaps the Senate knows the House won't pass this mess and are doing nothing but posturing to pander to the growing Hispanic vote. That would explain why so many Republicans voted for cloture yet seem incapable of explaining themselves.

As to Bush, he's a lame duck who can certainly afford to lose a few more points by coming out strong for Hispanics in an attempt to leave the lasting impression that not all Republicans are raving, hateful xenophobes. Or in other words, shamnesty is just that.

Or maybe the above is just my way of dealing with a bad reality.