MexAmerica?

By Aussiegirl

Rich Lowry, writing in today's NY Post, outlines amnesty legislation being proposed by the ubiquitous Sen. McCain and the always fulminating Sen. Kennedy.

But be sure to read the kicker at the end of the article -- which makes me suspect that this bill is actually supported by the President. Why am I getting the uncomfortable feeling that our president is actually working with McCain on all these latest moves he has taken? Is McCain doing President Bush's dirty work, so that the Bush administration can still lay claim to a conservative agenda, while actively pursuing a much more liberal line?

The inaction on the border issue is just one such dangerous indication. No wonder conservatives are beginning to feel ill at ease in the Republican party they thought they knew, and with a president they thought they could trust. So far President Bush has been "spending his political capital" more at the expense of conservatives than liberals.

Perhaps this is what he meant all along when he called himself a "compassionate conservative". I guess that makes me "uncompassionate" -- so be it. Without borders we have no security and no country -- and no safety from terror attacks -- regardless of the exploits in Iraq.

There obviously will be no trouble on the border with Mexico if we simply all become one big happy country. Maybe this is what they call "a problem solved."

Under the bill, illegals would have to work in the U.S. which they are already doing, for six years as legal temporary workers, then they would be eligible to apply for green cards. Also, a new category of guest worker would be created who would work here for four years, then be eligible for green cards. This category will likely bring another 400,000 (and probably more) foreign workers a year into the country.

McCain and Kennedy argue that their legislation isn't an amnesty because illegals have to pay a $1,000 fine prior to becoming temporary workers and another $1,000 before getting their green cards. But an amnesty with a small fine is still amnesty.

Mark Krikorian of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies calls the fine, in effect, "a retroactive smuggling fee paid to the U.S. government." The bill could make illegals stand on one foot and wave their arms before becoming legal - but it would still be an amnesty.

And here's the kicker:

The legislation stipulates that it doesn't grant state and local police any more authority to enforce immigration laws, but it goes out of its way to include language about securing Mexico's border with Guatemala. This bizarre concern reflects a concept bandied about by the Bush administration as well called the "North American security perimeter."

It holds that we can all be one happy North American family, and the U.S.-Mexico border won't matter so much, if only we can keep those pesky Central Americans out of Mexico.

Of course, we should keep our focus about 1,600 miles north of the Mexico-Guatemala line, at our own border. The first step is defeating McCain-Kennedy.