I’m sure that somewhere, someone has polled the issue of giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship because Democrats wouldn’t force the issue of citizenship over border security. That said, I can’t see them being on the right side of this debate:

Senate Democrats yesterday defeated a Republican effort to authorize $3 billion for new border security and immigration enforcement. Instead, the Democrats proposed a new agriculture workers program to bring in hundreds of thousands of foreign workers and grant legal status to illegal aliens now working in the fields.

It was the first major skirmish on immigration since President Bush’s bill collapsed last month, and members of both parties are filing piecemeal measures to deal with various aspects of the crisis and leave for another day the issue dealing with the estimated 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens already here.

“We’re now moving to Plan B,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who took a bruising last month for his support for the broader immigration bill, and who was the chief sponsor of yesterday’s border-security amendment. “That will require us to address the major changes that must be made a piece at a time. Today, we’re addressing border security, visa overstays, sanctuary cities and other important issues.”

But Democrats argued that the amendment broke legislative rules that separate rewriting legislation and enacting a spending bill, and, joined by three Republicans, defeated the measure 52 votes to 44 votes.

“This is not a vote on immigration,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, (D-MA), accused Republicans attempting a “do-over” to placate conservatives angered by the earlier bill. “I guess it’s to try to make them politically OK among the voters.”

Ted should listen to himself once. Without his knowing, he’s just tried vilifying Republicans for attempting to enforce the law. He can blather all he wants about placating conservatives all he wants but Americans living in the heartland hear this as another liberal elitist trying to impose his will on people who work hard and play by the rules.

It’s also disgusting to hear Lindsey Graham refer to enforcement as Plan B. Sen. Graham won’t get back into good standing with Republicans until he renounces his pro-amnesty views. The divide between Fred Thompson and Lindsey Graham is stark; Graham thinks of enforcement as a low priority in the immigration equation while Fred sees enforcement as the first priority to resolve the immigration issue.

Let’s hope that GOP activists keep this vote before the voters all the way until Election Day, 2008. Let’s hope that GOP candidates wield this vote like a billy club against freshman Democrats throughout 2008. You can focus group the Democrats’ answers to this all day long but blocking additional funding for border enforcement is playing political Russian Roulette.

Democrats tried to get an agreement yesterday to pass an agriculture worker bill that would create a program for future agriculture workers and offer a path to citizenship to hundreds of thousands of illegal alien agriculture workers already here. Republicans objected to giving illegal aliens a path to citizenship, a proposal that doomed the Bush legislation.

I’ve asked this before but why should illegal immigrants ever be afforded a path to citizenship? Isn’t it enough that they get legal status? If it isn’t, why isn’t it enough? Frankly, I haven’t heard a thoughtful, logical explanation for providing illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. I doubt I ever will.

Technorati Tags: Border Enforcement, Illegal Immigration, Citizenship, Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, Lindsey Graham, Election 2008

Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog

1. [...] Cross-posted at California Conservative Categories: Homeland Security, National Security, Mexico, Sovereignty, Kennedy, Harry Reid, Election 2008, Law Enforcement, Fred Thompson | [...]

   Pingback by Let Freedom Ring » Blog Archive » Democrats Shortcircuit Border Enforcement, Demand Path to Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants — July 26, 2007 @ 4:29 am

2. [...] Original post by Gary Gross and software by Elliott Back [...]

   Pingback by Democrats Shortcircuit Border Enforcement, Demand Path to Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants at Conservative Times--Republican GOP news source. — July 26, 2007 @ 5:01 am

3. Dems being Dems again on immigration…

   More immigration happenings over at the California Conservative, Democrats Shortcircuit Border Enforcement, Demand Path to Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants:
   I?ve asked this before but why should illegal immigrants ever be afforded a path to citizensh…

   Trackback by FishDeck — July 26, 2007 @ 3:40 pm

4. [...] RELATED: Liberal States Engaging in Anarchy For Illegals Money to Burn: New S.F. health plan attracting members fast Democrats Shortcircuit Border Enforcement, Demand Path to Citizenship for Illegal Immigrants Statement on Signing the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 [...]

   Pingback by California Conservative » Number of immigrants hits record 37.5M: California Leads the Pack — September 12, 2007 @ 5:31 am

1. Seems to me the pro-criminal alien crowd has more plans for giving our country to foreign “powers” (hard to think of Mexico as a “power”) than they have good swimmers in their sperm count. ‘Nuff said.

   Comment by Carlos — July 26, 2007 @ 7:30 am

2. We need to pay attention to these coconuts, because they are going to get their way piecemeal if we don’t. Dammit to hell that was a critical enforcement vote we lost yesterday! It puts the Democrats squarely on the side of open borders,and given the pansy Republican dislike of fighting we probably wont even hear about it.

   Comment by T. A. Gray — July 26, 2007 @ 8:00 am

3. I am a registered Domocrat and I voted for Bush both times, but let me say his last four years in office has been a tremendous disappointment to me.

   If the bleeding heart liberals in this country get their way we are all doomed.

   Comment by Jessie Neil — July 27, 2007 @ 11:52 am

4. Jesse, on that we both agree!

   I am also tremendously disappointed, not only in the President, but his parties obstinate refusal to stand on their own principles.

   But perhaps, the next year and a half of the marxists and trial lawyers running Congress will wake up the real Democrats.
   I know they are out there.

   Comment by T. A. Gray — July 28, 2007 @ 8:31 am

5. For me, it’s been the last 3-1/2 years that’ve been the disappointment. Four years ago we were still fresh into Iraq and, had the proper orders been given, could’ve resolved the conflict in short order.

   Of course, immigration was just a word in the dictionary then.

   And GW still hadn’t vetoed a bill.

   Given the choice between GW & Frenchy, though, I’d still rather vote for some real Republican in the primary.

   Comment by Carlos — July 28, 2007 @ 3:10 pm

6. I hear you Carlos, Im just frustrated at the GOPs persistant nice guy attitude.

   Doesn’t any of these pretty boys realize the groundswell of support they’d get if just one of them would tear up the script, quit pulling their punches, start calling the libs on their horseshit, and the New York Times be damned.

   Comment by T. A. Gray — July 29, 2007 @ 10:28 pm