On a roll!

Wednesday – May 11, 2011

On a roll!

The president is on a roll. It’s good thing to see, if you are in his camp. It’s good to see that he is changing to yet another initiative. Let’s slow down a bit and take time to see what is really happening.

The President has changed from Commander in Chief to the nations top immigration official. The President is in El Paso, Texas talking about his immigration reform package. The Republicans say it is dead on arrival, because it doesn’t address security.

The big difference between the Democrats and the Republicans, when it comes to the immigration reform question, is security. The Democrats want to give the green light for immigration reform through the so called Dream Act. This, in essence, would give a fast track to anyone who wants to become a citizen of the United States. The red tape, the waiting and every other restriction that comes along with immigration would be lifted. This type of approach gets instant votes and also creates instant appeal to those who want to be fast tracked.

The Republicans favor a system that would be quicker, but doesn’t give up security. The Republicans have told the president that if there are appropriate security measures in his immigration reform package there would be bi-partisan support. The President, on the other hand, says the Republicans are putting up barriers. He is using the same argument that is being used with the budget. The Republicans have done their job by offering up a new budget plan, only to be rejected by the President and the Senate. They say the Republicans have shirked their duty, when the Democrats have not proposed a thing.

The president and the Democrats have resurrected the same old plan that has proven to be fraught with irreversible policies that, if enacted, would weaken our border and weaken the nation’s ability to approve and disapprove citizenship. We have laws and we have a system. If we use the system and enforce the laws that are already on the books then there would be no need for immigration reform. The crux of the argument is this: should we, as a nation, have the ability to reject certain individuals from becoming citizens? I say, yes!

The President went to El Paso to garner applause during his speech. This applause would be broadcast to millions over the news wires. The question I have and as my wife said why doesn’t he go to Arizona and give that same speech?

The President used some interesting statistics in his appeal for reform. The statistics showed improvement in control, because the statistics were a direct result of Bush era policies that provides security and that also provided for fair treatment of immigrants and illegal aliens.

This is another case of taking credit when credit should be given to someone else. The problem is, if people knew that the success should be given to Bush, they would not be supporting Obama. So what is his game?

The President is out for votes and nothing else. The Democrats are out for votes and nothing else. When you give something to someone with no strings attached, you will be liked. When the other side wants to give the same thing, with some conditions attached, they are more likely to be hated.

This is the same with the budget, healthcare, union reform etc. etc. The question is: should we allow our politicians to play this game? The problem, in most cases, is not entirely the politicians. The big part of the problem is the citizenry voting for the politicians with the biggest giveaways. I read some thing the other day that said, in essence, that we will survive Obama, but will we survive a citizenry that continues to vote for people like the President and his Party? Don’t get me wrong. The same can also be said of some Republicans that have been elected to office.

The President said in his speech in El Paso, “anyone can write the next chapter in our story.” This is true and this is accurate. Let’s not forget that it is up to us to make sure that when the next chapter is written, it is written with passion for liberty and freedom. When the next chapter is written, the author must be versed in the tradition of the liberty and the freedoms that made us great and that made us strong. It can not be written by one man who writes a successful chapter by taking the credit for previous chapters. This is not what I call being on a roll!

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: “Anyone can write the next chapter in our story” lets make sure it is a true author who can write the next chapter with words of liberty, freedom and prosperity. That’s what being on a roll is all about!