Real Immigration Reform

This a repost of a column on Immigration from Feb of 2012. The issue is the same and so is the fix.

The Republicans need a more sophisticated way to handle the immigration issue. It seems like the even the dumbest news anchor, pundit or questioner can trip them up into some ridiculous argument or statement that can be used to grind them up into little pieces and render them unelectable. The New Narrative would like to contribute to this effort. It would begin by pointing out that there isn't an immigration strategy than can work unless the current system is reformed. It takes more than 10 years to complete the citizenship process and the backlog is so long that if the current illegal population returned home they would not be processed for at least a decade; probably one of the main reasons many won't return home and prefer to live in the shadows. So we should begin by reforming the Immigration and Naturalization Service into a tight, streamlined organization that can reduce the processing time and clear up the current backlog. Secondly we should control all of the entry points so illegal aliens cannot enter the country without documentation. And third: We should reform the visa and political asylum process so that it can keep track of those here on visas and not be used for trivial immigration cases. Republicans must not let themselves be drawn into arguments about specific nationalities, but focus instead on the INS as a service that is failing the nation. The racial and ethnic hustlers are constantly looking for ways to use the immigration debate to defeat any remedy except open borders. The Republicans must handle the argument better if they want to win.

Dems Go From Straw Man to Circular Logic

For the past four years the Democrats have used the classic "straw man" argument to avoid creating a budget to control federal spending. Under the guise of the "continuing resolution" they have managed to obliterate all budget control and increase spending by more than trillion dollars a year since Obama came to office. Simply by saying the Republican budget with make old people eat dog food, put sick children in the street, make children with autism fend for themselves, the "straw man" has served the Democrats very well. However, after four years the straw man is getting old so now a new plan has been put in place. Unlike Republicans who see the budget as a way to control spending, the Democrats, Chuck Schumer in particular, see the budget as a way to increase taxes. So this year we can expect the Democrats to try and get another tax increase or else use "circular logic" to defeat any Republican effort to further try and control spending. Democrats will simply say we must have a budget with tax reform so they can increase taxes. If they cannot get a tax increase they will say: For four years the Republicans complained we wouldn't pass a budget in the Senate and now that we have they won’t pass it. That's why we haven't offered one for the past four years. (The circular argument in pristine form.) Once again the Democrats will try to place the blame on the Republicans using the lap dog media as their willing accomplice. The big questions are will the media be compliant and will the people fall for the same old game in a new form?

Gunning Down Poor Langauge

It is always amazing to watch Republicans talk themselves into unenviable corners.  Take for example the latest fury about gun control. A republican House member has been reported to say no “assault” weapons ban will get through the House. He failed to say that any ban that includes semi-automatic weapons will include hundreds of non-military, non-assault rifles and shotguns. He also failed to say that a 10-round limit on the size of magazines, does not affect some semi-automatic handguns that hold 14 to 16 rounds. So in reality it’s not just a ban on all semi-automatic weapons or on all clips to 10 rounds. It just ain’t that easy.  Senator Diane Feinstein's (D-Calif) bill includes more than 900 exceptions to the semi-automatic rule and grandfathers (permits) such weapons that are already in the possession of gun owners.  So simply put Republicans have permitted the press and the Democrats to put them in the unenviable position of defending “assault” weapons as if they were the only weapons under discussion, when in reality, a much larger ban (all semi-automatic) is being sought.  The assault weapons ban will include many non-assault type guns and that is why it is being contested. We all want safer streets, safer schools and safer homes, but we do not want to live in the world of “Minority Report,” where people are arrested before they have committed any crimes. Perhaps if Republicans explained it that way they would be in a better position.