Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign are heavy weights. Reid is Senate Majority Leader. Ensign is fourth in the GOP leadership because he is chairman of the Republican Policy Committee.
In 2007 Ensign opposed the comprehensive illegal immigration bill. Reid supported the bill. The major “sticking point” according to the Las Vegas Sun is what to do about the 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the U.S.
One of those problems is the fact that the 12 million is comprised of families. A husband, wife and children. Whatever the undocumented status of the parents, children of undocumented persons born in the United States are American citizens and are protected by the United States Constitution.
So, what is the government to do? Load up all those people in a huge bus convoy and dump them on the south side of the Mexican-American border? Dump the undocumented father or mother, or both, and also their American born children (called anchor babies)?
A big big problem. Rednecks would have, seemingly, no problem with dropping them all off south of the border, American kids or not. But it poses a problem for gun totin’ flag-waving beer drinkin’ so-called real Americans. That same Constitution that they profess to love precludes kicking those American born kids out of the country. Besides those far right-wing, conservative, bible thumping evangelicals and their GOP leaders preach God’s gospel about sanctity of the family and family values. But they’re first in line shouting “get those illegal Mexicans out of here.”
And there is another problem in all this. America’s corporations and companies want to hire the Mexican population because they can hire them for cheaper wages. It is those jobs that drew all those undocumented immigrants to the U.S. in the first place.
And the unions want to hang onto those 12 million too. They are potential union dues paying members necessary to restore the power of unions to levels they enjoyed before.
The GOP and Democrats want them too. Though the GOP has treated the Hispanics shabbily, driving many out of their party into the Democratic Party now they want them back now that their party is in shambles.
So, what is a mother to do? Political power trumps mother’s wishes. That 12 million will remain in the United States, documented or not, because they represent political power.
“Nevada is unique on the national landscape because its main employers and largest union back an approach that includes not just increased border security and expanded visas for workers but amnesty,” writes Timothy Pratt of the Sun.
A Pew Hispanic Center study estimates that as of 2008 “Nevada was tops in the nation in the percentage of illegal immigrants in the workforce, with 170,000 workers lacking documentation, or 12.2 percent of the state’s total.”
Pilar Weiss, political director of the Culinary Union, says John Ensign has chosen to align himself with the right wing of the Republican Party.
Ensign told John King of CNN “I actually believe…in comprehensive immigration reform” if the amnesty provisions were removed.
Ensign can’t have his cake and eat it too. Three out of four Hispanic voters supported Obama in the general election. That was the second highest showing of support in the nation. If Hispanics think the Republicans want to boot them over the southern border then Republicans won’t get their vote. Who can blame them?
If a really competent Democratic candidate came out of the woodwork he/she just might take Ensign’s senate seat.
The GOP is going to have to make some major changes and eat some crow if they hope to begin winning elections again.
On a more local level, I wonder how the Nye County Republicans is going to explain to Hispanics why the Town Board of Pahrump was so hostile to them a few years ago with their Town Ordinances discriminating against them? The local Republicans made their bed and will have to sleep in it.
Ensign recognizes “We have to reach out to Hispanics.” Well, yes, but you aren’t going to find many Hispanics playing on the golf courses, they’re too busy tending to your landscapes. Besides, it costs too much money to belong to a golfing country club.
The Republican Party is overwhelmingly made up of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. They don’t mingle well with the darker skins of Hispanics who look so much different than they. There is little or no commonality of culture. “They just aren’t like we are.”
This immigration issue may be a “showdown” between Reid and Ensign, says the Sun. 62% of Americans now support a comprehensive illegal immigrant reformation which includes paying a fine and “meet other requirements,” according to a late April Washington Post poll.
It is really going to be interesting watching the 2010 election and finding out if Nevada is going to progress forward or remain stuck in the mud.
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I think we need a Constitutional Amendment to remove the anchor baby BS. These illegals know that all they need to do is get here, make a shitpot full of babies and then they get all the entitlements that are free for the asking such as food, clothing, shelter and medical. Meanwhile the parents don’t follow our laws, as they are not citizens and could care less, and know we won’t do chit to them. Most of the illegals have no automobile insurance which is no concern to them.
Kind of a narrow minded view Omahabob, don’t you think? The U.S. Constitution doesn’t mention “anchor babies.” It simply provides that persons born in the United States are citizens and, as such, are entitled to all the rights, privileges and immunities of any other citizen, including the protections of the Bill of Rights.
Does one visit the sins of the father on the child?
To the seventh generation
I have no idea what you mean by “To the seventh generation.”
Yes “The Sins of the Fathers ARE visited upon the children” (Exodus 34:7) If the parents are arrested for drug trafficking or any other transgression of law the children suffer. Why would you choose to subject your children to such misery? We are a nation of laws & they are not harsh nor hard to obey take your babies home to grandmaw & GET IN LINE! what a concept