As you know, I’ve been a staunch supporter of getting a solid enforcement-first immigration bill. That’s the only reason why I wanted the Senate bill to pass. I’ve been clear that I want the Senate to move more towards the House bill than vice versa. Gary Bauer is today’s columnist with the Washington Times. He’s done a far better job of outlining an acceptable bill than I could have.

But as lawmakers consider various immigration reform measures, they should take a hard look at the reams of polling data that show that standing strong on conservative values, not giving in on amnesty, is the key to winning the hearts, minds and votes of Hispanic Americans. First off, Hispanics are much more conservative on immigration than is commonly believed.* An August 2005 Time poll of Hispanics revealed 61 percent considered illegal immigration either an “extremely serious” or “very serious” problem. In addition, 41 percent thought the U.S. was not doing enough to secure its borders against illegal immigration, while 19 percent felt it was doing “too much.” Moreover, a 2005 Pew Hispanic Center poll showed a majority of both American-born and foreign-born Hispanics opposed increasing the flow of legal immigrants from Mexico and Latin America. A majority of Hispanics (53 percent) even supported building vast border fences and stiffening penalties for illegal aliens.

[Editor’s note: So why aren’t our “elected leaders” listening?]

As an alternative to amnesty, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence recently presented the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act, which would require all illegal citizens to leave the country, obtain a visa and re-enter legally. Essentially, the bill includes all of the important border security measures of the House bill passed last year, and adds a provision, allowing illegals to obtain guest worker visas for a duration of two years. Mr. Pence’s plan would also create private worker placement agencies to link specific workers to specific jobs for specified time periods in the United States.

The Pence legislation is another example of this rising Republican star’s gravitas. I think that his provision to allow “illegals to obtain guest worker visas” for a maximum of 2 years is sound policy. (continue reading post »)

Sometimes they throw rocks.
Other times they throw grenades.
The point is: You never know.

Our troops’ lives are in danger, everyday. And yet they cannot use deadly force. Which is, of course, the problem.

How do you stop kids from doing this? Kill a few. Fear.

Wouldn’t be a problem if Saddam were still in power. They’d know better. Lives had no value. The Iraqi Guard would rape their moms just for sport. (Speaking of sports)

Maybe that’s what Jack Murtha and liberals are complaining about. Going back to the days when “massacres” in Iraq weren’t news — they we’re called leadership under Saddam.

UPDATE:
HotAir: Marine hit by IED before Hidatha incident speaks
Michelle Malkin: “Hadith Marine: Insurgents Use Kids”
(continue reading post »)

Since I began promoting school charters and vouchers last March, I have heard five main arguments against the program.

• They don’t work.

The National Education Association’s (NEA) war on competition (vouchers & charter) stems from their need to direct millions of tax dollars away from classrooms to Democrats who empower union leaders. But the common thread among failing voucher and charter schools is that they are funded far beneath public schools.

For example, the NEA-affiliated Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) rails against Milwaukee’s failing voucher schools, but hides the funding disparity.

The Milwaukee Public School (MPS) system serves 95,600 students with an annual budget of $1.15 billion/year, or $15,690/year per student. The MPS’ voucher school program serves 14,000 students with an annual budget of $83 million, or $5,928/year per student.

The Cleveland (Ohio) Municipal School District (CMSD) also comes up short. When the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) reported the failure of school vouchers in Cleveland, they didn’t mention that CMSD’s $8,000/year per student budget or that vouchers were funded, “up to $5000/year per student” (which often means much less). These numbers aren’t current, for CMSD posted their most recent budget from their 2000/2001 Annual Report.

Like the cynical landowner who belittles a sharecropper’s shack, the teacher unions under-fund charter and voucher schools and then blame the effort as a bad idea.

• Teachers aren’t paid well.

With half or less than the budget of their parent school district, this is the common penalty for excellence, but not the rule. For example, Fenton Elementary Charter School pays its teachers and principal more than their union counterparts in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), although it only receives half of the $18,431/year per student that LAUSD is budgeted for. Fully funded vouchers and charters will attract good teachers with better pay and resources for students and parents. Fenton Elementary succeeds despite the deliberate financial challenges that LAUSD places on them. (continue reading post »)

In breaking news from CanadaFreePress, Judi McLeod reports: “Ex-U.S. President Jimmy Carter is in league with Osama bin Laden.

A paper trail shows that more than $1 million has been funneled from Bakr M. Bin Laden on behalf of the Saudi Bin Laden Group to The Carter Center.”

That’s an impressive bit of investigative journalism that comes your way, not courtesy of the New York Times and company, but from Melanie Morgan, Chairman, Censure Carter Committee.

“An investigation by the Censure Carter Committee into the financing for The Carter Center of Atlanta, Georgia founded by President Carter and his wife to advance his “Blame America First” policies reveals that over $1,000,000 has been funneled from Bakr M. Bin Laden for the Saudi Bin Laden Group to the Carter Center,” says Censure Carter.Com in a mainstream media-ignored recent media release.

“In fact, an online report accuses former President Carter of meeting with 10 of Osama Bin Laden’s brothers early in 2000, Carter and his wife, Rosalyn followed up their meeting with a breakfast with Bakr Bin Laden in September 2000 and secured the first $200,000 towards the more than $1 million that has been received by the Carter Center.” [Read the full story]

(continue reading post »)

Based on this AP report, that’s what it sounds like. I’ll bet that Nancy Pelosi won’t be outraged by this:

The FBI arrested two aides to a powerful state senator Wednesday for allegedly deleting “electronic evidence” including e-mail to thwart a federal investigation of their boss. Leonard P. Luchko and Mark Eister had been assigned to do computer work for state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, a Philadelphia Democrat. Both were charged with obstruction of justice, federal prosecutors said.

“This was a deliberate, systematic, and ultimately successful effort to interfere with a federal investigation,” U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan said. Fumo has not been charged with wrongdoing. The affidavit does not name Fumo directly but refers to an unidentified senator. Federal authorities said the inquiry focuses on whether Fumo “used his authority and official position to attempt to demand and obtain payments” from corporations to a South Philadelphia nonprofit. Investigators are trying to find out if the senator “benefited both politically and personally from expenditures made by the organization,” according to the court documents.

To be fair, we’ll give Luchko and Eister the benefit of the doubt until trial but I can’t believe that the FBI just goes around arresting or investigating congressmen without having something compelling to point them in that direction. It’s also worth noting U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan’s wording “This was a deliberate, systematic, and ultimately successful effort to interfere with a federal investigation.” Unlike grandstanding Pennsylvania congressmen, U.S. attorneys aren’t in the habit of making such categorical statements.
(continue reading post »)

I’d like to thank this fine institution for the opportunity to speak to the Class of 2006. I’m sure you’ve had your fill of lectures, but in the fine tradition of academia, you’ll have to endure one more before we push you out the door into the real world.

I say “real world” for a reason. And with that, my comments today will center on what I consider a profound quote.

Although he is a prominent American economist, political writer, commentator, and a senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institute, many of your professors probably have never shared with you any of Thomas Sowell’s writings because he’s a black conservative.

My favorite of Dr. Sowell’s musings is this: “The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive.”

It so happens that Thomas Sowell was talking about the very place you’re sitting now. He’s talking about some of your teachers, and we’re both challenging the value of some of what you’ve been taught. As you’re now receiving your diplomas, it’s obvious that what I’m about to tell you is kind of after the fact.

Unfortunately, timing is everything.

Some of the people I hang with consider some elements of liberalism, the philosophy you’ve received a healthy dose of these last few years, to be socialism. To back this up, let me read to you some of the current communist goals as written in “The Naked Communist,” by Cleon Skousen…
(continue reading post »)

Poor Abel Maldonado. Looks like he is going to lose next Tuesday in his race for the GOP nomination for State Controller. You can always tell a loser in an election. A week out, when the reality sets in that they are going to lose, they either slow down and slide into the election, or decide to make whatever charges they feel they need to get attention and claim their opponent is bad. A winning campaign is one where in the last week, the candidate goes positive, showing why they are the best person for the race. Abel has gone silly negative. Silly because he is charging his opponent, former Assemblyman Tony Strickland, with supporting a terrible concept that was actually AUTHORED BY ABEL HIMSELF. Strickland voted AGAINST this bill.

The Facts: In 2001 Maldonado authored AB 540, this bill mandated in-state tuition for illegal aliens. In others words, citizens from Texas coming into California must pay full freight, while illegal aliens, folks that violate our immigration laws, get the cheapest rate. Abel Maldonado’s bill discriminated against citizens while giving special benefits to illegal aliens. Strickland voted against this offensive bill presented by Abel.

Fact: Strickland voted for AB 1197, in 2000, that allowed students who could prove they are here LEGALLY or are in the process of applying for legal status, to get the lower tuition.

Fact: This year Maldonado presented a bill that would raise the minimum wage, giving more reason for folks to hire illegal aliens for lower wages and in cash. (continue reading post »)

Yesterday, on NRO’s The Corner, Jonah Goldberg reported:

It’s kind of sad. They change their homepage logo for all sorts of holidays and occasions. Just last week they paid tribute to Arthur Conan Doyle’s birthday. But Memorial Day doesn’t seem to rate anything at all.

Update: A reader sends this along:

It’s worse than you think. Google doesn’t always do logos for the same days every year, but they’ve never changed their logo for Memorial Day.

http://www.google.com/holidaylogos.html

We’d call that more than “sad.” It’s utterly disgusting.

What corporate policy could Google possibly have in place that acknowledges “Persian New Year,” but ignores Memorial Day? Is it personal politics, or are they worried about offending customers by honoring America’s veterans? In either case, it’s deplorable.

The young founders, Russian-born Sergey Brin and Larry Page, are multi-billionaires thanks to America, land of the free and home of the brave. You’d think they’d start every day with a Pledge of Allegiance. Our democracy and capitalist system afforded them the opportunity to realize their entrepreneurial dreams, and yet they refuse to simply acknowledge a day of respect for those who fought for and continue to preserve our way of life. Evidently, they have no algorithm for shame.

Instead, they’re coddling communist China, where they don’t see red just greenbacks. No pride for America.

By contrast, we’d like to recognize the retailer Sierra Trading Post for being proud to be American.

On Monday, customers received this email:

From: “Sierra Trading Post”
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Remember our Heroes
Date: 29 May 2006 04:06:49 MDT

Two sentences say it all and so beautifully. Perhaps more companies can follow this example.

It’s not about politics. It’s about heritage. It’s about honor.

Google is still searching for it.

UPDATE:
Ask.com gets it (via Instapundit)

More history on Google’s bias

Technorati Tags: Google, Memorial Day, Democracy, Patriotism

Last month I wrote about AR2948 (What Constitution?, also at California Conservative), a bill written by Sen. Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) in the California legislature that would undercut the Electoral process set forth in the constitution.

[AB2948] would ratify an interstate compact under which California’s 55 Electoral College members would agree to support the winner of the national popular vote for President regardless of the outcome of the election in California” (San Francisco Examiner, 4/26/06)

What Umberg fails to understand (or chooses to ignore) is the very important role the electoral college plays in regards to balancing powers between states. Much the same way that the Federal Congress is composed of two Houses with very different numbers of members, the Electoral College plays a vital role ensuring that the interests and individuality of each state are not compromised. There was a distinct reason why the framers of our constitution did not call for a popular vote to determine the Presidency in the constitution

I did not expect the bill to pass, primarily because it so brazenly disregards the United states constitution, specifically Article I, Section 10 (h/t MikeZ), “No state shall … enter into any agreement or compact with another state.” Yet, despite the fact that the Bill presents an unconstitutional and unbalanced means of electing our President, on Tuesday the California Legislature still decided to approve it; the bill passed essentially along party lines, with Republicans opposing the bill.

Umberg, the author, says that the basic premise is understandable even to children. However, it appears as though the importance of state’s rights and balance of national and local interests, as set forth in the constitution, are not understandable to Democratic Senators. Hopefully Gov. Schwarzenegger will have the foresight to Veto this legislation.

Unfortunately, attempts to undermine our election system is not isolated to California. It has spread to the national level, with Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and John Kerry (D-MA), the two front-runners for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination, proposing legislation that would give felons the right to vote. (continue reading post »)

If this article is indicative of the race, then I’d say that Baghdad Jim McDermott’s getting a run for his money from Steve Beren. After my interview with Steve a couple weeks ago, I can’t say that that surprises me, though. Let’s take a look at this Seattle interview:

Steve Beren admitted to 34th District Republicans on May 16 that challenging Washington’s “congressman for life” is a daunting task. But, Beren declared, “There’s no candidate I’d rather run against than [Seventh District Democratic Rep.] Jim McDermott. In King County, in the Seventh District, for too long we’ve had a controversial, extremist congressman” who has given his constituents “a lack of representation.”

This rating isn’t just Beren’s opinion. According to Knowlegis’ power rankings, Jim McDermott ranks 212th amongst House legislators. Breaking it down further, McDermott scores 1 point on legislation and 0 points on influence. He isn’t influential because he’s one of the most liberal legislators in the last quarter century. If there’s anything that I’ve learned in watching politics, it’s that conservatives and centrists have influence because their votes matter most.

A good example is retired Sen. John Breaux, (D-LA). Breaux’s intellectual centrism made him a swing vote on most issues. A whip had to sound him out to know where he’d come down on an issue-by-issue basis. The House Democratic Whip knows where McDermott is and just keeps on going to the people that swing back and forth.

Another reason why McDermott isn’t influential is because some of his policy beliefs are so far out there that, if they were put into legislation, they wouldn’t gather 50 votes on the floor of the House. For instance, he used to be a proponent of the Canadian-style single-payer healthcare plan. That plan, if it were brought up in the House, would have Democrats fleeing for the tall grass faster than they ran when the Murtha “immediate redeployment” plan was put to a vote. I recall that one ‘losing’ by a 403-3 vote.

Mr. Beren takes McDermott to task on the issue of supporting the troops, saying: (continue reading post »)