A Democrat Says His Party Better Check Its Play Book on Immigration Reform

In a Fall Democratic National
Committee meeting on December 2 in Phoenix,

"Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean offered a preview
of the 2006 elections with a blistering critique of
President Bush`s policies on Iraq and immigration and
the Republicans` ethics scandals. But he warned
Democrats they cannot expect to win next year without
offering an agenda of their own," reported the
Washington Post. [Dean
Hammers Bush On War, Immigration, By Dan Balz
Washington Post, December 4, 2005;]

 Great. So what is the agenda? I
believe

Representative John Murtha is certainly right on
withdrawal from Iraq, which, by the way, though
characterized as his gut feeling, is actually backed by
substantial, but quiet support from his impeccable
Pentagon contacts.  Retired Lt.

General William Odom, now at the conservative Hudson
Institute, doesn`t have to be quiet. He really puts it
on the line in a

December 2, 2005 UPI story: "While President
George W. Bush wants to bring
democracy and stability to the Middle East, the only
way to achieve that goal is for the US armed forces to
get out of Iraq now. "

Ok, Governor Dean, so far.

But Dean then goes on to say

"`In
2006, it`s going to be

immigration; that`s who he`s (Bush) going to

scapegoat next.` He said Democrats must favor
tougher enforcement of existing immigration laws and
provide

tighter border security, but said a balanced
immigration policy would provide a way to give many of
the 11 million illegal immigrants a

path to legal status."

That`s ELEVEN MILLION MORE ILLEGAL
ALIENS, Folks.

In other words, Dean and my fellow
Democrats are going along with Bush on yet another
amnesty—endorsing the mass immigration, legal and
illegal, that has added 35 million people to the US
since the 1970s—displacing American workers who used to
work for wages that allowed a middle class life style,
something a $7 an hour

chicken plucking,

burger flipping job will not.

Do not misunderstand me. I respect
all jobs, any jobs, except ones that cause slave wages
for American workers.

If we Democrats can`t do better for
our poorest

citizens than import cheap labor to take their jobs,
no wonder we keep losing.

Yes, we need border enforcement,
yes, we need to determine who is here legally and
illegally. But there is no way we can say that

an illegal alien is legal and leave those who tried
to

get here legally feeling anything but screwed.

I get so darned tired of hearing
these

Congressmen and

women and people like

Dean from both our major parties who think they can
carry water on both shoulders. The American people
understand perfectly what is happening. Both parties are

bought and paid for against the interests of the
average American—and against those Americans who are in
even worse than average circumstances.

Katrina

showed us the faces of those

urban poor.  If we think either party is going to
help us, forget it.

The only answer is to vote out
anyone with the programs being offered by both parties
on immigration. I thought the Democratic Party was the
Party of the working man and woman. Guess not. If
Democrats are willing to give our Party away to non
citizens, I am going to find a new party.

When the candidates come by asking
for your help, there is only one question you need to
ask. "Are you going to commit us to another amnesty?"
We have had many since 1965 and never any true and
proper reform or a return to the Rule of Law. Everyone
knows the borders are out of control, but the farcical

McCain/Kennedy bill or the Bush
give-the-country-to-Mexico Plan are not going to be
answers the American voters will accept.

And the arrival of uncounted new
terrorists un-captured by any systematic security checks
by our inept Homeland Security Dept. remains an open
sore.

The

9/11 Commission just gave the Bush Administration
a failed report card on national security–4 ½ years
after 9/11. Good grief, Charlie Brown!

Yes, Governor Dean, immigration
will be the biggie on the November, 2006 ballots and
beyond. But your proposal to fall in line with Bush by
legalizing the 11 million illegal aliens already here
will not fly.

Maybe it really is time for a

third party.

Donald A. Collins [email
him], is a freelance writer living in Washington DC and a former long time member of the board of FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform. His views are his own.