For proof that political sanity can be in short-supply when too many ideologues gather in one place, consider the Virginia Commission on Immigration's answer to the state's immigration problems and rapidly rising unemployment: (1) Mass amnesty for the illegal businesses and the illegal aliens they hire, and (2) Increase the importation of foreign workers!
Many readers are "convicting" me for my lack of strong conviction in my blog yesterday that said Pres-Elect Obama could have done worse in choosing Arizona Gov. Napolitano to head up Homeland Security. Read some of their comments here, and I'm sure more to come at the bottom of this blog. There is no question that Napolitano established herself as the enemy of most Arizonans who wanted vigorous enforcement against illegal immigration.
The apparent choice of Arizona Gov. Napolitano to be Pres. Obama's head of Homeland Security is a very mixed signal. But Napolitano has witnessed how a mandatory workplace verification law in her state has performed like a charm with no significant disruption of the state's businesses. She should make her DHS job a lot easier by persuading Obama to endorse Rep. Shuler's (D-N.C.) SAVE Act which essentially would make the Arizona law a federal law.
Considerable national media attention is being given to a disgusting murder of an Ecuadorian man in Long Island, New York, allegedly by a group of seven teenagers who in the middle of a drinking binge decided to go "beat up a Mexican." My guess is that these teenagers are opportunistic thugs who would have found somebody else to beat up if they hadn't had some animus toward Latin Americans, but it is incumbent on all of us who fight for lower immigration to emphasize the importance of not allowing our language about the problems of immigration policies to stir up hatred, and especially not violence, against immigrants or people who may look like immigrants.
The NumbersUSA staff had a fascinating, meaningful time at our Veterans Day lunch Tuesday, as each person recounted the broad stories of each veteran in his or her family. If you didn't do something like this at your place of work (or if you got the day off), I hope you will encourage it Wednesday. We become a true national community by our shared values and especially by shared sacrifices we make for each other. There are many kinds of sacrifice to celebrate and recount, but this week belongs to the stories of those who donned the uniform in service of our country.
Hopelessness is a dangerous thing. That is why the petition urging Pres-Elect Obama to reject amnesty is so important -- and urgent. He and his transition team need to know that our side of the immigration debate is not depressed into inaction by the election of yet-another open-border president. And all who are disappointed by the election results need to act their way out of their depression. Right now, too many have the opinion of Steven from Texas:
With all those incumbents falling left and right, and seats changing Parties all night, it has been understandable if you feel uneasy about how we will do in the next Congress in terms of protecting American workers and communities from radical new immigration efforts.
Especially troubling has been the defeat of several of our strongest allies in both Parties.
Our preliminary assessments, however, find some reassuring signs:
CHICAGO -- Changing planes here seems an appropriate place to anticipate the results and congratulate Sen. Obama on his victory. As my readers know, I have rated most past immigration actions and campaign promises of both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain as "bad" to "abysmal." But I feel mildly optimistic at this moment about the next Presidency.
Well, they did it. The Presidential candidates got to election day without disappointing The Establishment which thrives on massive foreign labor importation. No matter how much Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama talked of helping mainstreet or Joe the Plumber or the middle-class or the forgotten Americans -- and no matter how much they talked of change and shaking up the Washington establishment -- the fact is that ON IMMIGRATION ISSUES, both have reached election day with almost no veering from the status quo, fatcat, Robber Baron approach of the Establishment that drove Pres. Bush's immigration policies his first six years.
The most important vote in the fight against immigration next Tuesday will take place in Arizona.
Contrary to its name, "The Stop Illegal Hiring Act," Proposition 202 abolishes the use of E-Verify in Arizona and requires the state to wait for the federal government in actions against employers.