The Styrofoam Pillars Collapse
Washington (CNN) — In an election-year policy change, the Obama administration said Friday it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. … Under the new policy, people younger than 30 who came to the United States before the age of 16, pose no criminal or security threat, and were successful students or served in the military can get a two-year deferral from deportation, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.
Although most of the discussion around President Obama’s latest move will probably center around his authority to enact by executive authority what was the subject of pending Congressional legislation, the most interesting aspect of his decision is what it reflects about the collapsing special interest coalition that supports his administration. On the face of things the decision is all about November 2012.
For years the administration had said it didn’t have the authority to make such a move, saying it couldn’t decide to stop deporting wide categories of people on its own without approval from Congress. But on Friday Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she now interprets the law to give her this discretion.
The wholesale suspension of the law enforcement will be interpreted, together with the staunch resistance to voter ID checks, as an attempt to create a whole new class of Obama voters just in time for 2012. Or if not that, then it will at least be taken as a bribe to existing Latino voters to vote for the incumbent. CBS News is already asking if “will this be a game-changer in November.”
But it is more than mere electioneering. It would be more accurate to say that President Obama’s latest selective non-enforcement suggests the political game as played has already changed as of right now.
It also indicates the demise of two other pillars on which had counted to carry him over the line. Both pillars failed under the weight of the economic crisis and necessitate their replacement by others.
Unions, long one of the pillars of the Democratic Party, have fallen into obvious disrepair. They relied in the past on government contracts or inflated pay scales to pump money from the taxpayer or other economic actors into their coffers. But they are a shadow of their former selves. The failure of the unions to overthrow Scott Walker in Wisconsin underscored their weakness; that, followed by the manifest cooling between the unions and Obama, underscored the fragility of their loyalty in hard times.
That makes it possible — even imperative — for the president to create a new interest class to replace them. A class which will vote for him even if competes directly with the blue-collar constituency the unions represent. “There is now no fear,” said one person who was until a few moments ago, “illegal.” He could go to work, he said. How long before the new class starts competing with the blue-collar constituency?
The other collapsing pillar is the entitlement system. Obamacare was designed to be a vast transfer of tax revenues, obtained from tax exemptions or shifts in expenditure from one set of economic actors to those which were politically allied to the president. But the deepening economic crisis, coupled with the possibility that the Obamacare itself may be struck down by the Supremes, means this tax transfer isn’t gonna happen.
You can’t “buy” people when there is nothing to buy them with. And this fact intensifies the administration’s search for new bases of support.
The other major special interest actors — the financial sector, the Greens, even the African American community in which the incumbent’s support is declining for the first time — have been paid off. In return, their potential has been tapped. No more sales there. The Greens have already cost him plenty for blocking the pipeline. And the African-Americans have been a long time without a job in his disastrous economy. He has presumed on them about as far as he can. And as for the banksters — well Obama will be hearing from them for the Nth time as soon as the “storm clouds from Europe” that Axelrod ominously described cross the Atlantic.
Taken together, they mean the premium aisles of the candy store have been shut down by hard times or sold out. All that is left for the administration to peddle are the cheapest items in the store. Stuff he can only sell to illegal aliens and those in similar circumstances. People who’ll be grateful for crumbs. But he’ll sell that.
Of almost equal interest is the fact that the success of this ploy relies upon the hound-like loyalty of people like Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder to implement it. Not only is the political core of the current administration shrinking, but so is the bureaucratic base that it can safely employ to carry it out.
young illegal immigrants….no criminal..threat
One of these things is not like the other.
Yesterday they called the Egyptian military’s takeover of the country a “slow motion coup”. They have nothing on us. Ours started in January of 2009 and is still ongoing. The rule of law and the Constitution are ignored by this administration and its agents.
1. His authority under the law and Constitution to do this is at best questionable, and at worst non-existent.
2. If he gets away with this, expect more rule by decree, possibly up to and including an Enabling Act.
3. Congress can do nothing because their power is the power of the purse. We have not had a Constitutional budget for 3 1/2 years, and have been promised that there will not be one in this presidential term. Thanks to the administration’s agents in the Senate.
4. Romney’s people have been amazingly fast in responding to Obama’s campaign propaganda. It would be a good time to put out a series of ads noting that we have an official unemployment rate of 8.2% and an unofficial U-6 of close to 20%. And with the declared automatic granting of Federal work permits attached to the illegal amnesty, Obama is adding at least 800,000 competitors to out of work Americans in the job market.
5. Obama’s agents are claiming that the amnesty will not include citizenship or the ability to vote. I would point out that in the recent Wisconsin election, Democrat bastion Dane County had a voter turnout of 119% of the registered voters, and no one batted an eye. And that Obama’s Department of Justice is suing to stop every attempt at preventing vote fraud around the country, including the removal of known foreign nationals who have voted illegally from the voter rolls.
This is all happening on our watch.
Subotai Bahadur
If this isn’t to be considered an amnesty, then the provision must be made that no family members can coattail on their status to gain citizenship.
And no family member can get any benefit form the child status as being able to work in the states.
But the silly question would be what does adding this many people to the work force do in a time of high unemployment.
And does adding these 800,000 (approx. number) now make the unemployment that much higher.
This is a hedge against Rubio as VP. If he loses 5 points in the latino vote – it is over and out. Rubio guarantees that outcome. This is a blocking move as well as a hail mary pass – desperate, my friend, desperate. I would say that Obama now knows the election is lost. It all makes sense if you think of it as a football game, and your team is down 5 touchdowns in the first quarter and your defense cannot stop your opponents. The second and third quarter there is some hope but now in the beginning of the 4th quarter, you know, deep down inside it is over, but you create some plays – stupid, chaotic plays, thinking that you will score and the rally will begin. Never happens!
“Yesterday they called the Egyptian military’s takeover of the country a “slow motion coup”.”
So, like, what is the problem? Mr. Subotai Bahadur, are you cheering for the Brotherhood? That the military revert to running Egypt is actually the best realizable outcome.
When a government no longers adheres to its own rules, the Constitution in this case, is it even a legitimate government anymore? All governmental matters should automatically revert back to state level. No more federal income taxes need to be paid anymore. Let the states take care of their citizens without federal bailouts. Good luck with that Michigan, New York, California, Illinois- you reap what you have sown.
Adding one or two million illegal aliens to the work force will play well with the 30-40% unemployed young AMERICANS…
Obama is a GENIUS.
sarc/off
Did you see the rage in his eyes when that heckler stepped on Obama’s latest attempt to re-gain his momentum? I saw seething fury. Beautiful to watch this evil vile treasonous anti-American scumbag auto-destruct. Before the presser was even over, we saw #AMNESTYFAIL in glowing neon, and smoke signals fuming from Obama’s orifices.
Obama broke the law, or is proposing to break the law by implementing this executive order. Constituionally, and even on the basis of the derivative form of law we now live under, he is doing what he is not legally allowed to do. He and Napolitano cannot “reinterpret” laws. The judicial branch can, maybe, reinterpret, and Congress can “reinterpret” by amending existing laws.
All this is basic American civics.
What needs to happen now is a court challeng to this “executive order.” These soon to be newly-minted “citizens” are not likely to be ablr to vote in November if their is a vigorous court challenge and strong, effective Congressional opposition. I understand that Rep. Peter King is already starting a challenge, but this thing has to go to court. I imagine that Obama probably didn’t expect or intend for these new “citizens” to be franchised in time for the election, but is hoping to curry more support from Hispanics in particular.
Morton @ 7 – When, where was that?
The interesting thing about Neil Munro’s interruption of President Obama’s speech is that creates an immense talking point. Watch the media for reactions for and against. Events like this are unpredictable. I guess Munro is finished as a correspondent, but the event itself was interesting because after Obama left the podium other journalists, perhaps emboldened, or perhaps driven by the same reactions as Munro, but more under the control of decorum, shouted questions like ‘how can you import illegals when Americans are jobless’? That is about as close to the press in open revolt as you can find.
A number of things can happen when emotions are running high. One, an incident will occur which will illustrate the dangers of bigotry and chauvinism. Two, some lawsuit will be filed to challenge the President which will take months to resolve. Three, someone taps the energy and directs it into a visible, nonviolent and nondestructive public action aimed at one of the other styrofoam pillars.
The problem with relying on purely legal action is that it takes time. Clearly this is a situation which will probably be met by other types of public speech. “There is a tide in the affairs of men …” What has the President done? Will he get away with it from GOP inaction (probable) or has he gone the proverbial bridge too far?
Barack Obama March 2011:
“With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that’s just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed — and I know that everybody here at Bell is studying hard so you know that we’ve got three branches of government. Congress passes the law. The executive branch’s job is to enforce and implement those laws. And then the judiciary has to interpret the laws.
There are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system that for me to simply through executive order ignore those congressional mandates would not conform with my appropriate role as President.”
h/t Daily Caller’s Matt Lewis
How long before the new class starts competing with the blue collar constituency?
Outstanding point. However, we know that (a) Obambus has alread written off white, blue-collar workers, and I guess (b) he assumes black, blue-collar workers are on permanent welfare or won’t dare talk back anyway. Also, and I hate to say this, his executive order won’t make a jalapeno of actual difference in the job market between now and November, the facts on the ground will not change, outside of a handfull of deportations. Will it earn Obambus a few (legal) Hispanic votes in a few key states? Mebbe not. Legal Hispanic immigrants are not necessarily enamored of more illegal competition! In fact, they are the MOST likely to be directly impacted. Poor second-order analysis by the simpletons in the Obamanation regime.
I was surprised by a black democrat I go to church with who said, “We have to get Obama out in Nov.”
He voted for him last time. I asked why? He said it was the gay marriage thing. I think will cost him more than he thinks in the black churches.
10. Wretchard. Yes, the response needs to be quick, vociferous and unequivocal. I would have added “lawful,” but that seems to be a moot point.
Obama’s announcement goes far beyond the amnesty debate. His meta-messages and actions are incontrovertible: “Laws are for thee, not me.” And: “Laws mean only what I say they mean.”
This straw from the champion Strawman may have broken the camel’s back. What laws will you choose to ignore or break today? It’s okay, you’re just following the president’s example.
Obambi is certainly creating stress within all the internal contradictions in the ‘Democrat’ coalition. Homosexual marriage fundamentalists versus African-heritage Christians. Anti-pipeline pseudo-environmentalists versus blue collar Union workers. Now young illegal aliens versus the (now unemployed) citizen youth vote which supposedly took him to the White House.
Is this merely desperate incompetence on the part of Obumble & his inner circle of the 0.001%? Or is this a deliberate calculated policy to remake the Democrat Party into the New Socialist Party by making it clear to the current Democrat faithful that not all animals are equal?
If () thinks he has this sort of authority don’t be surprised at all the tricks he and his TSArs got up their collective sleeves.
Gotta wonder what will happen (actually, what () will SHRIEK to be done) to the poor schmucko who thought he could embarrass () with that question.
I also wonder if the Unions will have something to say about this move.
Maybe some leader in some union SOMEWHERE will recall that the unions were started to kinda sorta PROTECT their members from abuse, unfair competition, etc.
Start immediately adding 800,000 to the workforce when calculating the unemployment rate then listen to these rats scream. He wants everyone to have “skin in the game”-this is his.
He said yesterday his jobs plan would immediately put 1 million people to work. Did 80% of that today. Maybe he is a genius.
Perhaps the railroading of a Hispanic by the president’s Black Klan allies?
#13
I think will cost him more than he thinks in the black churches.
Marion Barry, for all his spectacular flaws, was on to something when he warned the DC Council against approving gay marriage. He said there would be a civil war in the black DC community. He was wrong on the particulars; two years have apssed, and no “civil war,” but there is very likely a smoldering anger under the surface among large groups of blacks, perhaps the most socially conservative of all significant American subgroups.
“. . . the notion that my White House would purposely release classified national security information is offensive.”
Note that he said the notion is offensive, not that it is not true.
He is really good with language (certainly when it’s available via teleprompter a guy; a little less so in friendly talk-show settings; much less so in higher-stress situations).
Consider the artistry of this statement: “‘When this information or reports — whether true or false — surface on the front page of newspapers, that makes the job of folks on the front line tougher,’” he said. “‘And it makes my job tougher. Which is why since I’ve been in office, my attitude has been zero tolerance for these kinds of leaks and speculation.’”
Is this merely desperate incompetence on the part of Obumble & his inner circle of the 0.001%? Or is this a deliberate calculated policy to remake the Democrat Party into the New Socialist Party by making it clear to the current Democrat faithful that not all animals are equal?
I think it is both. Ideological overreach incompetently applied. Obama seemed genuinely surprised by the outbursts in the Rose Garden. This, in addition to the other missteps in what even the press has been calling a month of disasters suggests he’s in a mental bunker, being fed doped polls by Dr. Feelgood Axelrod, and soaking up flattery in Manhattan salons by people who probably secretly despise him.
That’s why he walked into it.
Before anyone celebrates it would be well to recall that such a situation is very dangerous. Suppose someone reports a missile strike inbound? Suppose something like 9/11 happens again? The President is still the President. He has been given the authority to do unthinkable things.
If his legitimacy breaks down under the impact of discredit, mental distortion or extreme controversy, then US will be effectively decapitated. A ship without a captain, or worse, one who is engaged in a brawl with the rest of the crew. There are political ways to resolve this. The Democratic elders should talk to him. Unfortunately that means Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. Or there should be an approach by Republican statesmen, among whom the pickings are similarly slim.
Maybe the problem is that the Republic is presently led by a clown and the only alternatives are still disembarking from clown car. If the system is broken all you get is a succession of failures.
#10 Wretchard.
Good points all. Sure Munroe will get frozen out by the WH – and probably face strong blacklist headwinds from some MSM editors.
But. Did Joe Wilson face career extinction when essentially calling the same Heckle before or after getting censored for it @ a state of the Union address?
Hardly.
Likewise, Munroe will find ample invitations to ply his trade because the liberal MSM DON’T OWN OR CONTROL THE AVAILABILTY OF INFO LET ALONE NEWS ANYMORE.
And Richards larger point is spot on as well. Just as the snafu over birth control blew up in his face, and his ‘evolution’ over gay marriage (once pushed off the election year cliff by Biden), this likewise represents the deperate zig zagging of an overwhelmed Amateur in chief.
Yesterday he whiffed on a ‘major economic speech’ that even his loyalist journo-listers panned.
Today we get a Dream Act executive order for selective amnesty.
I gotta believe that the ‘attention’ Wetchard alludes to because of Munroe’s actions will keep this issue alive – forcing the WH Team to continue explaining why now (2 days after the release that middle class americans LOST SOME 40% OF WEALTH IN THE PAST RECESSION TO DATE)….if not for entirely opperunistic election year politics.
That is not a winner for O-man and his crew. Don’t buy the media bunk that these divide and conquer ploys will help win Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia …ect.
It’s flailing desperation – and a great relief to see. As well as an enormous oppertunity for Romney to define WHY HE CAN RESTORE AMERICAN PROSPERITY FOR ALL AMERICANS…and take this fraud down.
Hasn’t the Democratic Party effectively purged itself of grown-ups, in the form of ‘elder statesmen’ who would put country ahead of party? The Democrats have consistently selected radicals to lead them on a national level since at least the 1980′s. There is no one to go to Obama that he would listen to.
I greatly fear one of two things–either an attempt to provoke or fake an attack on Obama or the country that leads to martial law before (or just after) the election, or a genuine attack that Obama and his administration is completely incapable of responding to.
These people (the Obamaites) are not the sort to relinquish power once they have achieved it…
0bama’s being setup to be removed before election time by his own Brutus’s or we have yet to see the worst… 0bama ether gets replaced in the next thirty to forty five days or even more drastic action is coming! I think Illinois and Mexifornia will get massive Federal bail-out so the Democrat’s can keep their kingdoms then we get the drug freedom mandate that will make Pot legal and possibly mass amnesty for those jailed for pot possession and or sale and non-violent drug crimes… just in time to swell the voting rolls in his favor in all the close states!
#5 Paul Milenkovic
I think you misunderstood. The “Yesterday they called the Egyptian military’s takeover of the country a “slow motion coup”.” was solely a description of the mechanics of the process. In the theory and practice of coup d’ etat normally there are primarily rapid military moves, sequestrations, and arrests as the means of execution. The Egyptian military did it by way of the court system and then dissolving parliament, kinda-sorta.
I was commenting on the lack of speed and not the outcome. In point of fact, I think that the military coup was the best of a host of truly horrendous options for Egypt. They are still well and truly scrod, in that they import fully 1/2 of their caloric intake, for hard currency; and they will run out of hard currency reserves in late summer. But the military bought them some breathing space that has a miniscule chance of improving things. Mind you, there are Islamists involved on one side of the equation, and I am pretty sure that the pooch will be left walking bow-legged, shortly before it starves.
Subotai Bahadur
This stuff just depresses me. Unless romney is made of stronger stuff than is currently estimated–this sort of thing is a ball of string that will unravel him when he gets into office and the country. typically establishment republicans are only slightly less eager to sell out the country than the dems. already too many are lining up to say how good and reasonable this move is. Never mind Americans. you just gotta pray.
“How long before the new class starts competing with the blue collar constituency?”
Something very much like this started, happened, a long time ago. In my youth, as a high school and college student, it was fairly easy to find a summer job in the lawn mowing, groundskeeping, tree-trimming, and construction trades. After school let out, e.g., you would find a construction site, knock on the trailer door, and ask the foreman if he was hiring basic laborers. There was fairly good chance you would be hired, and if not there, then somewhere else. No more. Those jobs have long since gone, in my corner of the world, to Mexicans. The Mexicans totally dominate the lawn care service industry–once one of the most common summer jobs for young Americans.
Wouldn’t mind having one of those jobs now. Nice work if you can get it. But hereabouts you can’t get it unless you’re Mexican.
“The months till November promise to be eventful in both international and domestic terms.”
some of us were specifically predicting this as soon as the con artist was enthroned.
It will get a lot uglier. a LOT uglier.
Anybody who thinks it is normal times is a fool. Leftists always turn violent when cornered.
“there is a tide in the affairs of men…”
Very apt quote wretchard.
“…Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat,
and we must take the current when it serves,
or lose our ventures.”
Charlie0bama don’t surf…Here’s hoping we are able to keep the choomster in chief in the shallows struggling in the shorebreak…Unaware of the art of duck diving.
“And does adding these 800,000 (approx. number) now make the unemployment that much higher.”
That depends. The “official” unemployment number is about as bogus as a number can get. AFAIK, it consists of workers that have been laid off and are looking for work within the last 6 months or so. There are many different ways to count unemployment and each administration uses whichever is most favorable. That is why I think a better number is how many people are collecting a paycheck. Last number I saw was 138 million. 50 million are collecting some sort of entitlement check from the government. I think what is important is the ratio.
The feds are taking money from 138 million people and giving it to 50 million. That works out to 36%. What did you say the top tax rate was?
But what do I know. I’m just some redneck farmer. Krugman is the Nobel prize winner. As is the Won, who shares the “honor” of the Nobel Peace prize with luminaries such as Arafat and Carter.
The trend line at RCP shows Mitt closing the gap. From down 6 to less then a point now. Those trend lines should cross by the end of July. Sooner if the Won’s bad week turns into a bad month. Obama goes into September trailing by 6 or more and things will get tense.
If you are not prepared now, better hurry. August will be too late. If the Left is planning any kinetic efforts, ammo will be scarce by August.
Great optics: Obama creates a jobs program for illegal aliens.
Wretched #21 “If his legitimacy breaks down under the impact of discredit, mental distortion or extreme controversy, then US will be effectively decapitated. A ship without a captain, or worse, one who is engaged in a brawl with the rest of the crew. ”
Um… This is where we’ve been at for 3.5 years already! Why do you think we see the entire Muslim world in full frontal Jihad, Russia flaring up an going back to the bad old Stalin Breznev days, China flipping us the bird, our financial system in flames!???
The thing you warn against is well under way.
With the sky high unemployment rate among blacks, they must be overjoyed with more competition.
bailing out california would lose him more votes than it would gain him. the dems already have this state locked up, so how does bailing it out help them? no, he is chekmated and just hasn’t accepted that yet. just like none of the world leaders respect him or listen to any of his yammerings, neither do americans. he is alone and naked and ready for the end stage. from his reaction to that reporter, i expect a public meltdown very soon, and then his mental health will become a campaign issue.
At this point, even the most obtuse individuals ought to be able to recognize the blatantly partisan and shamelessly political nature of this administration, but sadly, I’m afraid that many will still rationalize it away. But just to review, in the past few months, Obama and his administration have:
1). Reversed his position on gay marriage yet again in a blatant attempt to assuage his gay bundlers (and to court gay voters and the cultural left), just days before going to a fundraiser in Hollywood;
2). Taken action to prevent states from enforcing voter ID laws;
3). Argued against the Arizona immigration enforcement law in the Supreme Court;
4). Started a blatant lie campaign about the amount that Obama has contributed to the debt;
5). Recycled an old communist slogan, “Forward,” as his campaign slogan;
6). Tried (mostly unsuccessfully) to find new ways to blame Bush for his problems;
7). Declared that it will not enforce immigration laws on “young” illegal immigrants under 30.
And what else have I forgotten?
Anoymous – I like your style but perhaps a better symbol for the Obamessiah would be {} – the mathematical convention for the empty set. Or perhaps {}bama.
The geeks will like it, anyway.
Point out to the unions that the newly legal Mexicans will be taking their jobs.
Point out to the blacks that Obama is paying more attention to the newly enfranchised gays and lesbians than he is to them.
Point out to the academics that not only is no one listening to them, but they are being defunded nationally and being a professor is now a laughing stock career.
Obama’s support among young people was very high in 2008. This time, however, I can’t see them being excited about the prospect of 4 more years of him for several reasons. Obama’s decision to stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements will infuse more people into system(s) with whom legal citizens must compete, for jobs (as several have pointed out above), for scholarships, college admission slots, for housing, and more. If you’re a high school senior about to enter college this fall, the idea of having to compete for those things with people who aren’t legal citizens should concern you. Moreover, their parents likely aren’t excited about that, either.
Hutsul above points out this is a Rubio-as-Romney’s-VP-candidate hedge. The problem for Obama, however, is that it will likely anger legal immigrants who did wait in line and go through all the red tape on the path to legal citizenship. So, with regard to the Latino vote, it’s a wash. But not so with white Americans – I speak regularly to civic groups and they are mad as **** about the illegal immigrant problem and want more done to curtail it. Why does Sheriff Joe keep getting re-elected in Arizona? Because he’s trying to keep order in a civilized society and maintain the rule of law, and as a result, he has received nothing but grief from the Obama administration. A formal policy of not deporting young illegals will only anger white America as well. He’s already alienated many blacks by giving his stamp of approval to gay marriage.
Whoever is advising Obama on these issues has no business being in the business of advising a President facing re-election, but fortunately for us, Obama won’t realize it until he wakes up on November 7 as a lame duck President.
Obama must have read Tom Clancy ‘executive orders’ – he is no Jack Ryan
but perhaps a better symbol for the Obamessiah would be {} – the mathematical convention for the empty set.
{} also represents an object in certain languages, to which properties and methods may be added at will. In many ways it is good notation for a “blank slate”, but the problem is that the properties in the White House version do not persist.
var Obama ={};
Obama.jobs=”unions”;
But if you output Obama.jobs you get “illegal aliens”! The object property changed all by itself.
In a political system where government policies, regulatory agencies and largesse is apportioned according to special interests, it is important that politicians stay, how shall we put it, faithful to the terms of the deal. But the President is absentminded in his dealings. Last week he invited servicemen and barbers to a Father’s Day lunch and left the restaurant without paying the bill.
But it only proves that things don’t happen automatically. Sure the bill may get paid, but you need a waiter running out the door with check to make it happen. Things get promised and then are promptly forgotten. So the kinds of objects {} created in the Obamaverse have a curiously nonpersistent quality, or behave as if they were being updated or destroyed by some mysterious process.
You really wonder how many handshake deals with people both foreign and domestic the President has either forgotten or reneged upon. That goes beyond mere ideology and goes to the heart of competence. He can’t keep his books of political account straight. And if I were an illegal, I would ask myself: how good is the check the President just wrote? Will till it last only until it hits rough sailing? Will it bounce? Just what does the object contain?
Obama.jobs=NULL;
Obama.jobs=NULL
That would be comforting in a way. But I think if you watched the variable in the debug window you will see it come back as “undefined”, which is a heck of thing when you expected to see something definite. That’s when you get up and look under the keyboard or behind the monitor for the hidden wires.
If you have a database and consistently get the wrong answer to the same query there’s hope. But if you get a different answer each time you are in big trouble. This may seem like an irrelevant comparison to make to the political system. But it is surprisingly germane.
As James DeLong notes in his new book “an iron law of Big Special Interest States is that it must protect vested interests against the disruption of the future. Existing interests have money and votes.” When the President carves off a slice his constituent’s pie and hands it off a newly created interest he is destabilizing the system that provides him with legitimacy. He is burning the steamboat to keep the boilers going.
So, he’s telling Federal Agents to break Federal Law now. Heck of a position to put these agents in, isn’t it?
I read the Daily Kos / SEIU poll cited. It stated it had polled 1000 voters. I wanted to know the breakdown between Dems, Republicans and Independents, which was 410, 330, 260, respectively. Aside from the sponsors of the poll (no special interests there, eh?!), that breakout would be suspect in itself.
#21 – Wretchard, excellent reminder! Since 2009, I have been puzzled by the Dems being wholly unconcerned about their constituents’ reaction to unpopular moves, i.e., Obamacare, etc. – the secret deals behind closed doors – as though reelection was not a consideration – as though they had been guaranteed a 2012 October surprise that would seal the election in their favor – no repercusions.
Anybody besides me have a problem with Romney’s response to hands off under 30 year olds who are here illegally? For a rapid response team, it was a wash – no risk response…
37. NanGee
Sounds to me like a great Romney attack ad.
26. Charles: Re:Romney, when your opponent is self-destructing it is best to stay out of his way. There is plenty of time time replay these missteps.
35. Kurt :”And what else have I forgotten?”
Fast and Furious?
36. Fletcher Christian: How about (*) Use your imagination.
I was just listening to Hugh Hewitt show and he pointed out that during Janet Napolitano’s interview with Wolf Blitzer, she stated that the parents needn’t worry that there will be a follow up once the kids register. HH stated something to the effect, so they’ve thought it through and waived the parents’ illegal status as well.
“That elevated temperature can result in a runaway thermal reaction, driven by uncontrolled feedback, unless interrupted by the elections or dampened by a buffer.”
Fortunately, there is an election forthcoming. But think, though… what if there were not? What if this were still only 2011, not 2012? Just an ugly, ugly thought.
As a commentator said on Fox News, the Obama Admin has a dichotomy that is inexplicable in other than under the worst assumptions.
On one hand, Holder prevaricates endlessly about supplying Congress with detailed information about an issue in which the overall facts are known. Everyone knows what Fast and Furious was about, many suspect it was about even more, and no one can doubt now that it was a massive screwup.
On the other had someone in the highest circles is leaking information that has undoubted national security implications.
You can’t tell the Congress. You can blab to the NYT. The common denominator is self-interest.
“i expect a public meltdown very soon, and then his mental health will become a campaign issue.”
I thought it already was. Anybody that thinks turning that 138 million with jobs into 128 million with jobs and the 50 million collecting an entitlement check into 60 million will help the US economy is as nutty as a Krugman. I keep reaching for a comma.
No attack ads needed. Just point out to the 138 million that (*)bama plans on lightening their wallets to give more to the 50 million they support. Just vote ‘no’.
138 million is bigger then 50 million, shoes on or off.
” the Obama administration said Friday it will stop deporting young illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children if they meet certain requirements. … Under the new policy, people younger than 30 who came to the United States before the age of 16, pose no criminal or security threat, and were successful students or served in the military can get a two-year deferral from deportation”
I’m just surprised that Obama didn’t throw in a free college education too just to sweeten the deal. And what happens after the two-year deferral is up? You guessed it, they’re probably going to become citizens. Hmmm, I wonder how that makes all those immigrants feel who came to this country LEGALLY? I guess they don’t matter as much to a panderer like Obama.
So if I am 31 I am history?
ls46 @ 51: and were successful students or served in the military can get a two-year deferral from deportation
two-year deferral? that’s – odd. and I thought that any illegal who signed up for the military (and got an honorable discharge?) was also given citizenship (or just a green card?) semi-automatically, a lot better than a deferral.
Will he get away with it from GOP inaction (probable) or has he gone the proverbial bridge too far?
I’d like the hear the BCers’ reaction to GOP’s response so far.
And for his next trick, expect him to legalize the import of pot from Mexico. That way the cartels have a huge new and legal market and best of all, no competition by pot growers on public lands in the west. The cartels and the unions will be the heart of his not so well laundered campaign dollars. And he doesn’t have to shut down the War on Drugs, but merely swings the emphasis from Mexico to internal producers. Cheers -
Someone (perhaps it was Wretch?) recently described 0bama as a pyromaniac with a box of matches in a powder magazine.
I believe he lit one of those matches today. I do not think his little grandstand ploy will play well with the electorate. I think this stunt will blow up in his face. Big time.
The polls will show us soon enough.
Naturally the president was never supported by pillars, but is suspended from above. Not sure which cult owns him exactly, but they are all fairly similar, no?
It’s odd no one supporting open boarders even bothers to philosophize about the concepts involved – ie. human rights, ideas of nationalism, etc. Discussing those things openly would yield quicker outcomes than hiding behind supposed practical considerations – things like money or vote-packing schemes. (Fast discussion, yes. They’d lose.)
Such a debate further assumes that the source of illegal aliens is confined to two dimensions, or three at most. Don’t assume that.
Here’s a consideration:
Will all those General Contractors who felt it necessary to “bend” the law to hire illegal immigrants to compete in construction contracts, and who were heavily fined by the Federal government to the point of being driven from business, now face Justice Department EEOC-driven criminal prosecutions for NOT hiring “undocumented” Hispanic workers, out of fear that their credentials might be forged?
Either way, the property owners and job producers will get screwed, all for the glory of a greater American Socialism.
To hell with the “rule of law”; In America, we just damn well RULE.
O.S.
The worst result is that the it is now thinkable to violate the law so crassly. It really almost doesn’t matter if he gets away with it now. Or some other would be fascist finishes taking our country over the goal line of dictatorship.
And it does not matter one way or the other if its a ‘good thing’ or a ‘bad thing’ he is enabling. I favor mercy to illegal students. But I favor it as an upfront change in the law so now one lies, no one hides, no one gets illegal labor without admitting out loud he needs it and why.
What has to happen is that Obama has to be defeated in as stinging a manner as was FDR after his court packing attempt. It has to be clear, ‘no dictators need welcome in our country’.
Unfortunately the situation with Obama for the special interest groups is rather like that of Greece.
If you invested in Greece at some point they own you as well as you owning them. Cut them off and let them fail and you’ll lose all the money you put in. Lend them some more to keep them going and they might just pay some of it back, someday. And needless to say, it gets worse and worse with each “pay you back next Tuesday” deal
Some special interest group leadership have so much invested in Obama by now that if he succeeds in gaining a 2nd term it will be a disaster for them – but not as big a disaster as if he fails to get re-elected. Add that to the real possibility that some of these people will be doing the Bernie Madoff perp walk – even if Romney is nice about their behavior, the Congress is unlikely to be – and so they have a lot to lose versus even more to lose.
And that’s not even counting the psychological aspects of recognizing how badly they screwed up.
Interesting to hear the Democrats say they have the majority of certain interest groups, but those majorities have dropped by ten points in many instances. from 7/8ths to 3/4s, from 3/4s to 2/3rds, and ect. 10% here, 10% there, and pretty soon you don’t have enough votes to win a state.
Lordy, they use to call the Nixon administration an Imperial presidency. Now we have blatant un-elected and unconfirmed courtiers running the works and controlling access.
Obama’s pandering might just cost him the election. He makes a few abbrosexuals giddy with joy at the cost of running off hundreds of voters for every light in the loafers fan. How many teenage illegals will vote for him? Enough to offset the millions of rabid anti-immigrant voters? I don’t think so…Obama keeps shooting himself in the foot. What does he do when he runs out of feet to shoot? Where do you go after you’ve gone too far?
The problem with relying on purely legal action is that it takes time. Clearly this is a situation which will probably be met by other types of public speech. “There is a tide in the affairs of men …” What has the President done? Will he get away with it from GOP inaction (probable) or has he gone the proverbial bridge too far? – Wretchard
Unintended consequences.
That is Mr. Obama’s problem at this point. How will a blue collar Hispanic American who has entered the country legally, filed for a legal green card, filed for citizenship, and maybe worked his/her way up to a $15-$25 per hour job, going to react when he/she is replaced by a now “legal” illegal Hispanic alien for $8.50 an hour? It’s going to happen. My competition is for the most part, Indian immigrants. Hispanic illegal aliens are not. Hispanic aliens will compete with LEGAL Hispanic Americans and rob them of the bread off their family tables, and Obama thinks that they’ll support him?
Second, consider the history of the American Civil war. Without sounding like a treasonous anarchist, one could quite soberly and accurately observe that a civil war was fought in 1860 for far less cause than what Obama’s imperial Administration and openly partisan Justice Department are now doing. If the Constitution and law are no longer applicable, the “rules of engagement” have been unilaterally changed by the ruling party. At what point do the newly disenfranchised react, and how?
There will be unintended consequences all over the place between now and mid January 2013. I say January and not next November, because at this point, I can actually visualize a scenario that I would have laughed at in the past. The ONLY way that Obama could sustain himself in office past January 2013 at this late point, would be to challenge the election results (i.e. pull an Al Gore). I believe those contingency plans are already being drawn up. Obama will not leave the White House next January while the election is disputed, and he will delay the results via legal law suits for 2 years at least. The “evidence” of the electoral fraud will be ample, clear, convincing, and sufficient enough to prevent the quick Judicial end that Al Gore’s haphazard effort at election fraud failed to prevent in 2000. The entire Democrat party will go to the wire with this guy, too, believing that they’re on the side of God and the angels. (Hell, if they supported Gore’s clearly anti-constitution action, and do to this day, they’ll go all in for the Won.)
Look at Obama’s angry eyes, and then convince me that he’ll accept defeat and gracefully leave the White House. It’s just not going to happen.
What then? Kids, we’re in a whole lot of trouble with this guy.
O.S.
Heard Romney say, “Oh, I have my own plan, where an advanced degree gets you a green card”. That’s his response, to this? What a waterhead.
So, will Rubio now replace Biden on the Democratic ticket?
Local ABC TV here in Lost Angels has several high school and college grads, illegals apparently, saying that now they have a future.
I have to say again, wtf, they already thought they had a future, and I wonder what if any effect Obambus’ fiat can have between now and November in any case, the reality on the ground is already there.
Oh reh, the same ABC station’s impromptu poll showed 60% of the callers/tweeters were for Obambus’ action.
The House should pass a bill that prohibits any federal employee, from any branch, from issuing any payment, except if it is for services performed as a member of the Armed Forces, unless said payment is authorized by a money bill made law under the procedure given in the Constitution. Further it should specify that any aiding abetting advocating or ordering any such expenditure, or the issuance of any court order to so issue, or the review of this law by any court contrary to the orders of Congress here given, shall constitute a felony. Further it should state that the issuance of any order by any officer to any other officer to ignore the law as enacted by Congress shall constitute a felony.
It would die in the Senate but it would be a line in the sand.
#63 Old Salt
Not my ethnic, but a sentiment I understand:
“Hokahey! Nake nula wauŋ welo!”
Subotai Bahadur
“Hokahey! Nake nula wauŋ welo!”
I had forgotten that one – nice.
It is certain that leftists fear it a great deal more than we do.
Regards.
Scanned Fox News on Sirius just in time to hear O’Reilly endorse Obama’s position as “fair” and brilliant politics. He also went on condemning Munro of the Daily Caller for interrupting Lord Potus and not knowing his place.
Who will the armed forces be loyal to?
Their oath is to uphold the constitution non 0bamabus.
Perhaps an ‘American spring’ or an ’0bambus fail’.
Old Salt : Unintended consequences.
Here in Alta California, in the construction industry almost all workers other than supervisors, owners and a few old hands over 50, are hispanic from Mexico or Central America. To continue Old Salt’s line of thinking, what happens to those usually more productive illegals over 30?
Since I often work with these guys at construction sites , I find they break down into two types- those who learn English and want to integrate into America and those who don’t. And that split often follows generational lines where most of those who want to be Americans are over 30. The over 30 crowd who have tried to live American are going to be really pissed.
Knight 1 ‘ Napitalitano ….. waived parent’s status”. Brings up a host of questions. How many illegals over 30 don’t have kids under 30? My guess -not a big percentage. So in effect the vast majority of illegals have just been made legal. And under present law, to protect particularly school age kids, wouldn’t you have to waive the parent’s status or else the parents would be at risk far more than they are today?
But the real question is why did Buraq do it? I think Subotai is on the right track @2. The combination of attacking voter ID laws/enforcement and granting amnesty for millions of illegals could be worth millions of votes – illegal votes that is.
Maybe we would all be better off if Barry resumed smoking hemp.
I wish that were a joke.
We are a nation of laws. Sure.
On its face 0bama is invoking a vote buying ploy. This program will surely be expanded to those who can vote. And, it will probably include some extension of government benefits to all involved.
There are other complications including law enforcement. A huge amount of background records must be examined to ensure pure terrorists are not allowed in to the USA. The real problem is the accuracy of these background records, if they can be accessed and if they actually cover the illegal’s full criminal history.
This hurts all of the immigrants in the queue. It puts a premium on certain age groups for immigration priority. It basically, stands fairness on it head. It’s bad policy and should be challenged at all levels.
A lot MSM personalities are calling Neil Munro a disrespectful a**hole. I think it is undeniable that Munro violated the decorum expected of a correspondent, and within the context of that system is finished.
But it is also very probable that over the medium and long term of history, Munro will be regarded much more favorably than the so-called ‘titans of responsible journalism’. What history remembers most is which side you were on. Now as I am willing to bet that the giant state and those who operate it are going down the tubes, it is probable that Munro will have made the right bet, whether if he made the pick from accident, pique, ill-manner or principle.
I think that many journalists know or suspect in their heart of hearts that this is true. Unless they are completely out touch they must know that we are living through a crisis and it is a least 50-50 either way.
History is apt to ignore a person’s sincerity and remembers only the essential question: which 50 was he on? A guy like Keith Olbermann has very little chance of being remembered well 10 years from today. Munro has a maybe and perhaps more than a maybe.
Unsk @ 70:
Si. Well said. Still a few Irish boyos in the trades though, but Mexican and Central Americans are most of the workers and, increasingly, the contractors and subcontractors.
How many undifferentiated American highschoolers aspire to finishing concrete or running cable? Not very many. But for some folks, construction is an upwardly mobile industry.
I don’t see how this move by the President makes any sense for him, either.
Can we keep it?
http://www.bartleby.com/73/1593.html
AUTHOR: Benjamin Franklin (1706–90)
QUOTATION: “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?”
“A Republic, if you can keep it.”
ATTRIBUTION: The response is attributed to BENJAMIN FRANKLIN—at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, when queried as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation—in the notes of Dr. James McHenry, one of Maryland’s delegates to the Convention.
Of course Munro will be remembered favorably. Faced with an historic overreach of executive power, he blurted his mind. He’s the guy who had balls in the Rose Garden, and also the only one whose question was addressed. The Prez did not take questions after the speech, despite admonishing Munro to wait for the appropriate post-speech confab. Journalistically, he got ‘er done. None of those other pukes did. They got had by waiting for tradition and rule. Who can sympathize with them? Obama’s announcement trounced tradtion and rule; he announced the gloves were off. Munro was the only guy who picked up on that and fought back in kind.
He deserves a medal.
#70 Unsk and #74 Wretchard – d’accord. While Munro may have broken protocol, the President may have just usurped powers properly belonging to Congress. Which is the more offensive act? Anybody…. Buehler?
“What then? Kids, we’re in a whole lot of trouble with this guy.”
There is more then one type of civil war. If you see a civil war as the breakdown of established law and order, America has been in a civil war since the Won appointed his first Czar. Nothing in the constitution allows him to do that. Congress let him get away with it.
Lincoln started the last civil war, although he was smart enough to trick the South into firing the first shot. If Ft Sumner had been blockaded and an injunction gotten to remove the soldiers, there never would have been a civil war. The hotheads won and the rest is history.
The most important thing about the coming civil war is that Liberals have to start the violence. If it is clearly seen to be a violent revolution by the Socialists, the Military will side with the constitution. By military I mean the rank and file. Up to O-5 or so. Flag officers will of course support the administration.
You should have spent the last 2 years getting ready. By getting ready I mean stockpiling food, water, ammo, minor medical supplies, etc.
You also should have spoken with good friends, people you have known for decades.
Get a copy of the Anarchists Cookbook. There are enough chemicals under your kitchen sink to make a real big boom. It’s just a matter of mixing them properly.
OK, you got your logistics covered, you got your buddies ready, now you need a target and a plan to reach that target. It helps if your plan includes an escape.
You cannot make a detailed plan now, since everything will change once some hothead starts the shooting. But you can scout targets. I have a go-pro HD camera I use. I mount it on my motorcycle and can ride around the targets house then go back and look at things.
Use your brains. If we can’t outsmart Obama’s minions, we deserve what they do to us.
If you see what looks like security, go by at the same time every day. If they think you are on your way to or from work, they don’t think anything about it.
In WW2 one of the French resistance teams worked out a trick that I always thought was neat.
On a rainy day, when everybody had their umbrellas up, The triggerman would walk up behind a German, place his pistol about 3 inches behind his head and squeeze the trigger. His accomplice would push over a stack of pallets with glass of some sort on them as soon as he heard the gunshot. The obvious source of noise would offer enough confusion for the triggerman to stroll calmly away. On non rainy days, they would stalk likely targets.
I forget how many kills they got but on rainy days in Paris, A lot of German bureaucrats took to calling in sick.
Their luck ran out when some Infantry Hauptman (Captain) who had seen way to much combat was picking up something for a girl friend and had brought a couple of his soldiers along to tote the packages. They walked out just as the triggerman was doing the deed and were not at all confused about what was happening. Hauptmann Quickdraw whipped out his p-38 and riddled the triggerman. When his buds across the street saw that they panicked and tried to drive off. The soldiers were carrying mp-38′s and riddled the truck. The moral here involves a guy named Murphy.
Civil War is as nasty as it gets. Which ever side the military takes will win. That is why it’s so important to let them have the first shot. WE want the guys and gals in uniform to say, ” Those bath-tards are shooting up my brothers and sisters”.
Ok – let’s say they give green cards to a few million illegals under thirty – ( I don’t believe that 800,000 figure for a minute; there are more than 800,000 illegals under thirty in LA County)- then what happens if some court like the Supremes takes away those green cards? Will we be able to round them up and deport them? Or will we cave to compassionistas and say we can’t possibly do that ?
And if their status is declared legal, what about citizenship and other rights? The Nanny State it would seem just got a lot bigger officially – much bigger in fact.
W @ 74: “What history remembers most is which side you were on.”
According to the history books, Chamberlain’s ‘Peace in Our Times’ throw-away from A. Hitler was very popular at the time. The Big Media of the day feted Chamberlain, and crowds of ordinary Brits cheered him in London on his return.
Those who opposed what Chamberlain had done were on the right side of history, but it did not spare them from the consequences of Chamberlain’s mis-step.
No question that future histories will rank Nobama’s Amnesty on the Sly as one of the dumbest political acts ever — almost Carteresque in its folly. But those histories will also be very hard on decades-worth of Congress-scum who lined their own nests while avoiding their Constitutional responsibilities. And those histories are unlikely to be kind to ‘We the People’, since we also collectively have failed to maintain the Republic.
There are many well-intentioned, sincere voices from the left and the right that do not wish for the President of the United States to become the target of derision or ridicule from the public at large generally and the press corps particularly; one day the opposition party will have a sitting President in front of the cameras. However, there is no room for doubt that tensions and ‘differences of opinion’ are at an all-time high….I ask you, whom is to blame for this? Did Journalist Munro make a mockery of the President, or did the President make a mockery of the Presidency? I know, simple answer….and that’s my point: this man has utter contempt for America and everything it stands for-why should we expect him to respect the Constitution or the rule of law? The time for playing nice is over, we play nice with an honest broker. This muslim-sympathizer, marxist-influenced Manchurian Candidate and his ilk are not honest brokers; they will lie, cheat, steal and yes even murder (Agent Brian Terry) to get what they want. They do not just have a ‘different point of view’ but also love America; his own wife said with her own mouth that the first time she was even just ‘proud’ of her country was when the Marxist-in-Chief was elected. If she is just now ‘proud’ of America, how can she love America? The democratic party has been highjacked by marxist-socialist extremists, radicals, revolutionaries…..they are not what democrats used to be. Are there any democrats out there that have the guts and courage to stop hiding under the covers and do the right thing for your country? Any at all? These times are getting red-hot America, unlike anything we have ever seen, not even the ’60′s. Prepare yourselves financially and spiritually for the storm these miscreants will very likely unleash prior to obama’s humiliating fall from grace….its going to be ugly. God Bless the U.S.A.
I deleted my own comment; several other folks have made much better ones while I was
b. wrote: ‘There are many well-intentioned, sincere voices from the left and the right…”
I had to stop right there. There are no “well intentioned, sincere” voices from the left. not anymore.
although I do think that is kind of what you were saying by the end.
#79 stoicheion
My friend, I agree with pretty much everything there EXCEPT Wo3 de5 tian1, a5 do not, I pray, go near anything in the Anarchist Cookbook. It is a book written by amateurs, for amateurs; and it will hurt you severely. For that subject, you can find government publications with the prefix “FM-” that are available for cash at various venues; that are fitting and effective.
Subotai Bahadur
From North of the border this looks like desperation. Obama is flailing about hoping he lands a knockout punch somewhere before he himself starts seeing tweety birds. Leading the country as President has completely vanished from his mind.
But life goes on. Today Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced plans Friday afternoon for a new bridge across the Detroit River. “America is Canada’s biggest customer by far and Canada is America’s biggest market,” Harper said. “This is not going to change”. The project will cost an estimated $2.1 billion, but Michigan’s share, about $550 million, will be borne by Canada and repaid with tolls.
This isn’t happening because of some nutball ideology or dopey slogans or because Canada feels sorry for Michigan. It’s happening because of enlightened self interest on both sides of the Detroit River.
Remember enlightened self interest? It used to break out all over the place.
“So, he’s telling Federal Agents to break Federal Law now. Heck of a position to put these agents in, isn’t it?”
Interesting observation! Maybe the federal agents need a ‘work to rule’ campaign where the terms call for them to work only according to the rules as embodied by the Constitution and the laws of the land, NOT whatever Obama arbitrarily decides to enforce….
“Obama keeps shooting himself in the foot. What does he do when he runs out of feet to shoot?”
Get him more feet and encourage him to reload! (I was going to say get him some more ammo too but he seems to be coming up with that all on his own.)
85. Subotai Bahadur “It is a book written by amateurs, for amateurs; and it will hurt you severely.”
The FBI was aggressively smearing people against the Vietnam war when ‘Anarchist Cookbook’ was published. It was quite possibly written by professionals to make amateurs hurt themselves. Considering the author’s retraction and his “conversion” to Christianity… There is very little doubt where that book actually came from.
We are finally seeing why Obama keeps clueless Napolitano around.
Remember when the agents on the ground on the border voted ‘no confidence’ in their own upper administration?
When Obama is gone the country and the economy will start to heal.
I was listening to a talk show tonight and an African-American male called in, incensed by this latest ploy. He correctly pointed out that the black unemployment rate was already too high and now blacks will be competing with a million new workers. Blacks and Hispanics have never been chummy and Obama’s gambit may lose him more black votes-he has already alienated black ministers with his gay marriage “evolution.”
Time for pitchforks and hand grenades. The hue and cry over this outrage should be defeaning. We need a scorched-earth, hold-their-feet-to-the-fire candidate for President; one that will relentless hold up Obama’s action like this one and never ever let go. Instead we have Mittoast. Sigh.
One thing about ambitious flag officers, their masters would be wise not to trust them for the ambitious are always looking for the main chance. One who has sucked up as high as he can go and has just retired is especially dangerous. One who thinks he can look noble by bringing down his master is another.
So last year when polling was favorable for him, he couldn’t do this because he has laws that he had to uphold.
Now his polling is dismal and it looks like he will thrown out of office, he finds that he can bypass congress.
What a sick joke on the American people
But there is the potential that once again this man can’t think things through because this can be very bad for him.
You put 800,000 mor people into the work force with no jobs and unemployment will rise.
You put 800,000 people inot the job market and American citizens may not get jobs as they go to illegals that have a work permit.
Doesn’t get any worse in this scenario
WALKER WON WICONSIN EXIT POLLS PROVE WRONG ROMNEY LEADS RACE
SCOTT PURGING FLORIDA VOTING ROLLS OF DEAD AND ILLEGALS
N.DAKOTA SHOW CAPITALISM AND OIL WORK, UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN, REVENUES UP
N.C. HAS A SWING OF 20% OF BLACK VOTERS FOR ROMNEY
N.Y. HAS A SWING OF 22% OF JEWISH VOTERS FOR ROMNEY
Now that is hope and change that Americans can embrace
And I didn’t even include San Jose and San Diego, two large democratic cities voting against union perks
I just noticed that “leader” and “dealer” are almost the same. A little lIke {*}bama?
On the substance of this move by Teh Won, it presents itself as having the same baffling duality as everything else he does. One asks, “is he crazy? That is electoral suicide, as well as blatantly illegal and, of course, wrong, low and dueuinorable.”. But then one pauses and asks, “nobody is that stupid or evil, right? I must be missing something here…”
I think Wretchard is right to ask, what will the GOP do? My hope is that they don’t take the bait. Teh Won wants to draw them into a war on amnesty. If they put their foot wrong they will be seen as bigots and indifferent to the poor struggling brave young “immigrants” who are the Spirit of America, etc etc etc. Teh Won has got a bunker full of tropes and memes of all kinds –armor-piercing, high-explosive, White Phosphorus, and more– ready to deploy here. His batteries are per-registered. If Romney drives through that inviting gap, he will be in a world of hurt with the Latino community and La Raza will be firing up the campuses and border towns.
So Romney and GOP have to outflank him. Point out the essential illegality of this, the willful (and self-admitted) destruction of the entire legal order on which immigration and nationhood itself are predicated. Point out the unfairness of this lame ill-defined scheme of 2-year sorta waivers for some but not for others, will penalize honesty and patience and good behavior by those in line for citizenship. This is a cheat and a theft from them. It is divisive within the Latino community and creates two classes or even three: the citizens and those waiting legally with green cards to become citizens; the still-illegals; and this new limbo community. People outside the Latino community will now have to guess who they’re dealing with. The burden of proof has somehow fallen on them (“May I hire you? What am I allowed to ask you? What papers will you have? What about your mother or father: should I pretend I don’t see them?”) but the shadow of that burden falls on the entire community, because the outsiders now have one more reason not to deal with them: they’re “special,” they’re “extra work,” they’re risky.
They are a new shadow people, a limbo people. And –key– they exist at the President’s pleasure. That is a key point: what {*}bama made today, he can change tomorrow. So these 800,000 people now work directly for him, hoping to keep him happy. They do not obey our laws but his. They are like an invisible army in our midst. What other armies will Teh Won form or disband with equal disregard for the Constitution?
These arguments are dry and wonky unless well-developed. They will be attacked as mere camouflage for bigotry, more abstract anti-people rubbish from the heartless plutocrats. I just hope Romney and GOP saw this coming –it was an obvious move, even for a man far less desperate and far more principled than {*}bama– so they can open up with strong counterbattery fire and stay out of range. They should focus on how this divides the country, rewards queue-jumpers, and takes work away from honest Americans.
What is needed is more individual states’ executives of a Conservative stripe to adopt the Obama Privilege for their own and start unleashing businesses from the EPA and minority quota requirements. For a start.
Uh, that would be, the few states’ execs that aren’t beholden to the federal weal for votes.
In my previous there are two typo’s (“dueinhorable” should be “dishonorable” and “per-registered” should be “pre-registered”) but the bigger correction is that I use “Latino community” as short-hand for “all the communities affected by this policy, most of whom seem to be Latino.”
The rest of it stands. Two days ago, Teh Won was merely the worst President ever. Now, we’re through the looking-glass. I don’t favor impeachment for the same tactical reason I want Romney and others not to walk into the kill zone. We can wait until November. We have to.
Wretchard #74:
It’s entirely possible that Munro just finally got fed up and popped his cork. There is no Administration that has been more disrespectful of journalists than this one. Even a whore expects to be paid promptly and not slapped around.
I have a seen a few journalists issue a diatribe against “the most open adminstration in history.” You can bet that for every one of those there are a dozen others inclined that way.
Not to worry; A “Papier-mâché czar” will be appointed soon. And they will have the assistance of the silly putty media.
“Not only is the political core of the current administration shrinking, but so is the bureaucratic base that it can safely employ to carry it out.”
Ah, Steiner.
At this rate, the American political landscape may well end up looking like Berlin in ’45, scorched earth.
No one should be surprised by Obama’s latest political red herring. He has to try to energize his former supporters by focusing on political issues where the country is divided. Remember HHS Secretary Sebalius decreeing Catholic hospitals must provide abortion services? Then this Friday, Defense Secretary Panetta honoring and thanking gays for their military service? The non-amnesty amnesty for illegals is just the latest red herring to fire up the base and hopefully to get the Republicans to say or do something stupid that can be used against them. So the public debate stays focused on anything but the economy. Yet, we must stay focused on the economy because, notwithstanding our individual viewpoints on social issues, this President and his allies are driving the country to economic ruin; sort of a larger version of Zimbabwe under Mugabe. Do expect more red herrings between now and November. We have the political fight of our lifetime to win. Keep everyone you know focused on the economy and get them fired up to vote this November to throw Obama out of office and the Democrats out of control of the Senate. Do not be afraid to engage the Democrats or independents you know. If you open the eyes of but a few voters to oppose Obama, that may make the difference between winning and losing this November.
Burkean @101:
“Yet, we must stay focused on the economy because, notwithstanding our individual viewpoints on social issues, this President and his allies are driving the country to economic ruin; sort of a larger version of Zimbabwe under Mugabe.”
Is it any wonder that the very parties that basically gave us Mugabe, offer us this world?
Fear not. This is an announcement that should have been made in September. Making it so early has two problems:
1. The ‘low information voters’ who are moved by this sort of thing will have forgotten it by November.
2. This regime has a long track record of making big pronouncements and then not following through, or making the process so complicated that it gets bogged down. There is just enough time for that to happen and piss off the very voting block he is trying to appease.
Has anybody asked what will happen to this “backdoor amnesty” project once we have a different president and a different Justice Department? Is it not the case that most of Obama’s policy decisions, including Obamacare, have a shelf life of not more than one presidency? To be precise, doesn’t it seem that the slow transformation of the presidency into an imperial office, has resulted in the fact that elections are no longer about the individual man who will occupy the White House, but about the entire social and legal regime that will obtain over the country?
Ironically, the imperial presidency has rendered the franchise much more powerful than it ever was before. These are dangengerous times—dangerous especially for the Emperor. It will be recalled that emperors seldom leave office alive. He who would depend for his support upon the belligerence of rowdy and rootless mobs is riding a tiger, the dismounting of which usually has but one result.
Presidential oath of office –
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
First, all Romney needs to do/should do is ask the question, “How’s he doing?”. The intellectually honest know the answer. The dishonest are already lost.
Second, Romney’s reply when confronted with questions about Obama’s unilateral DREAM and what he will do, “I will honor my Presidential oath.”
Obama has turned our national debate into a choice between a future nation where rule of law matters and one where it does not. Particulars of the immigration issue, of ANY issue, are irrelevant to this debate. Obama has enabled and energized the campaign to secure his defeat.
Zero’s new campaign slogan: Visas for votes!
This man(?) is dispicable to a level that makes the clintons look honorable.
Actually, this is another case where the Repugs need to stand their ground.
All Romney needs to do is say ” my first Presidential act will be to rescind this unconstitutional Executive Order”. Once he does that, any illegal coming forward will be exposed for possible prosecution in the future Romney Administration.
Then Romney should discuss how Buraq does not have the right to pick and choose what law he will choose to enforce and which he won’t. Romney needs to go after the lawlessness of this Administration and he should not discuss the merits of this executive order at all, for it’s an illegal Executive Order and should not be enforced.
Re Roughcoat #27
I remember when gardeners were Asian, Black and White. Not any more. When my husband was a young man he worked as a house painter. Those jobs were taken over by Mexican workers who would do the job for less money. Construction jobs the same.
I worked as a legal secretary and a friend as an executive assistant. In recent years we both had to find new jobs. At least 50% in each field now require bi-lingual Spanish. Those jobs were out of reach for both of us. I am white and she is black. So far I haven’t seen lawyers or business management being required to speak Spanish – yet. It will be interesting to see if there are any complaints when that happens.
So it’s employer’s who want to pay less and make more for themselves and employers who want to get the business of the hispanic population that doesn’t care to learn English. And they don’t really care what the outcome is for non-hispanic Americans.
Kathy
I think the amnesty is Obama’s way of trying to get the Catholic Church back on his side. We often forget that other than on matters sexual, the American Bishops and Organized Catholicism (OC) are very Leftist. And no issue is more important to them than open borders. They would love nothing more than for every Catholic south of the border to move north of the border, legally or otherwise.
We have some 43 Catholic groups suing the Obama admin over being force fed contraception and abortifacients. If these lawsuits suddenly get dropped, then I think we’ll know a deal was cut. You drop your lawsuits, and we’ll give you the amnesty you want.
Even if it’s not a quid pro quo directly, this amnesty move will go a long way toward getting the Bishops and OC firmly back in Obama’s camp, which is where they really want to be.
“Obama keeps shooting himself in the foot. What does he do when he runs out of feet to shoot?”
You need to ask? He ran out of feet the day he took office. Those are OUR feet that the bullets keep going into. That’s why everything he does seems to hurt so much.
91. dlsada:
Don’t forget about George Zimmerman! The Obama Administration has been doing the heavy lifting in pushing that one, from the Holder Justice Department sending in agents to pressure law enforcement to Obama’s infamous statement about how if he had a son he would look like Trayvon.
It seems like the White House sees political advantage in trying to foment hatred between blacks and Hispanics. So far it hasn’t worked.
I’m starting to think that Barack Obama is trying to destroy the Democratic party. Of course, he’s also trying to destroy the Republican party, and trying to destroy the American Constitution, but he doesn’t have much influence over the Republicans, and his efforts to destroy the Constitution mostly amount to deliberately violating and ignoring it. But he does have a lot of power within the Democratic party, and that is where he is so overwhelmingly successful.
There’s something I say to myself when I need a smile. Barack Obama has neglected all of his Constitutional responsibilities save one, which he may well fulfill in the upcoming election, although not in the meaning of the Charter:
Article IV Section 4: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government”
Let that be his legacy.
Peterike@109,
Have to disagree. I’m a devout Catholic and I know the American Bishops and clergy’s mind on abortion. It’s murder of an innocent and is a mortal sin. While some may advocate for open borders and sanctuary for illegals, it is not even remotely on the same level as breaking the commandment to not kill. Obama will get no quid pro quo from Catholics on this except maybe from those Catholics-in-Name-Only like Nancy Pelosi.
@104 Matt:
“Has anybody asked what will happen to this “backdoor amnesty” project once we have a different president and a different Justice Department?”
That’s simple: they aren’t planning for there to ever be another President or a different Justice Department. Even less evil lefties than this lot are so self-referential and contemptuous of their opposition that they never have a Plan B and never contemplate losing anything. This lot may well not accept electoral defeat peacefully. At minimum, the Country will be nigh on to ungovernable after Comrade Obama’s defeat. The venom spewed at GWB will pale in comparison to what awaits Romney when he, as he must, invokes austerity measures to try to get the deficit more manageable. The bankrupt Blue states will explode.
This is more than evocative of Bertolt Brecht’s advice upon hearing that the East German government had lost the support of the German people. He responded that the government should elect a new people.
Mexican immigrants – doing the votes American citizens won’t do.
An idea that would solve 90% of the immigration problem-promise potential full citizenship to the newly-minted “young” people on the condition that they erect a fence the entire length of the US border with Mexico. When it’s finished, inspected and certified, those participating go to the front of the line.
101. No, keep hammering, “Obama thinks you’re stupid.” That covers a multitude of incidents, including but not limited to: the economy, persecuting the Catholic Church, Obamacare in general, de facto amnesty for illegals, and blatantly defending voter fraud.
Great comment from a poster at Steve Sailer’s blog
Note the pattern on elite collaboration on this:
Earlier this year, Obama had a semi-public meeting with Jeb and George H.W. Bush at the White House. He also called members of the Bush family on several occasions to discuss current events.
Shortly thereafter, George W. Bush starts complaining how Americans are becoming “isolationist” and unwelcoming to immigrants.
George W. and Laura Bush then go to the White House to meet with Obama and unveil portraits of themselves.
Next, articles rehabilitating Bush (or scolding his critics for lese-majesty) appear on the websites of CNN International, Washington Post, The Atlantic, National Journal, Foreign Policy, etc. There appeared to be a concerted effort by writers of both parties to restore Bush’s image and gravitas.
Next, Jeb Bush and various Bush-era apparatchiks start calling for an amnesty and more immigration, worrying that America is becoming “isolationist,” and complaining how the Republicans have become the “White” party. ( Apparently, Whites — as opposed to Blacks, Hispanics, and Jews — are not allowed to disproportionately favor one party over the other.)
Next, Nancy Pelosi starts describing George W. Bush as “really a lovely man,” reminiscing about how they worked together on numerous issues, and defending him to a disbelieving audience. http://dailycaller.com/2012/06/06/pelosi-nostalgic-for-george-w-bush-video/
Next, more support for immigration and amnesty by the Bush family and Republican apparatchiks.
Finally, Obama’s amnesty. An amnesty which – thanks to the recent love-fest between Obama, Pelosi, the Bush family, and various Bush administration officials – is insulated against meaningful criticism by the “respectable” political right.
Always Right @55,
My reaction? It is the Vichy Republicans collaborating with the Occupiers.
I’m with the Maquis. McCain=Petain, once upon a time a war hero. Meghan’s in for a head-shaving.
M 14 year old Daughter was attacked by three Illigals at school. The boys left with their families within a few days. Nothing was done to catch them. Mr. President enforce the law dont ignore this threat.
Aboli/119: I am sorry for your troubles. I think all of us would be better off with more self-help and fewer apologies. Ideally these animals would have been checked before they acted, or immediately after. If they don’t respond, throw them out.
The refusal to enforce the law as written is hardly new. Look up the “Mann Act.”
If you don’t like what Obama is doing, the only remedy is to vote for the other guy, and (why not?) elect members of congress and senators who will impeach voer this.
Note that once a million or so illegal aliens have registered for their work permit cards, self-identified to the Federal government as illegal aliens and given their personal information with no immunity, that work permit list can become a round-up and deportation list in the Blink. Of. An. Eye.
Don’t focus on the Mexicans, consider this conversation next week on the border:
Border Patrol stops a group of “under 30″ males, in military clothes, in good shape, all with backpacks, all from Iran.
“No sir, we were all brought here at a young age, home schooled (no records), lived in an Iranian enclave (so we don’t speak good English) and just went to visit our Grandparents. We are all enrolled in college (Fred’s College, available on line), so, per Barak Hussien, YOU CAN’T DEPORT US!”
Now, can you tell us where the nearest shopping mall is? Our backpacks are getting heavy (from all the Semtex).”
I used to work along the Border – so don’t think they have not figured this out yet, they have.
Are you all afraid now? You should be!
113. Art Chance:
“The venom spewed at GWB will pale in comparison to what awaits Romney when he, as he must, invokes austerity measures to try to get the deficit more manageable. The bankrupt Blue states will explode.”
Let them explode.
The Left shot this particular bullet at GWB. The next one will have substantially less potency.
You can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Forget who said this….
Obama’s re-election strategy is now finally crystal-clear. He will not pursue a national majority. Instead, he will concentrate on the electoral college tally. There are several paths to 270 available to him but they ALL have some battleground states in common. He must win these at the very least no matter where else the blue wall is breached. And he will do this by segmenting the states by special interest groups.
This approach has clear risks. For one, there will be no big Democratic tent, like there was in 2008. Instead, the field will be covered by a number of small tents.
Moreover, these small tents are mutually exclusive. Those who attend the Green tent are not welcome in the Blue Collar tent. Those who flock to the Amnesty tent are not welcome in the Jobless tent. Those who frolic in the Gay Marriage tent are not welcome in the Black Church tent, the American-Muslim tent and the Traditional Christian tent. Those who holler at all passers-by from the Free Contraceptive tent are not welcome in the Catholic tent. Those who screech from the Hang Homemaker Wives are not welcome in the Family tent.
Furthermore, Obama is engaged is “selling everything that is not nailed down” and has adopted a scorched-earth strategy, all for a second-term.
The mask is off, the gloves are off, the battle is joined. This will be an American election like no other in its history. Let us hope that an election of this nature is the first and the last.
Obama’s re-election strategy is now finally crystal-clear. He will not pursue a national majority. Instead, he will concentrate on the electoral college tally. There are several paths to 270 available to him but they ALL have some battleground states in common. He must win these at the very least no matter where else the blue wall is breached. And he will do this by segmenting the states by special interest groups.
This approach has clear risks. For one, there will be no big Democratic tent, like there was in 2008. Instead, the field will be covered by a number of small tents.
Moreover, these small tents are mutually exclusive. Those who attend the Green tent are not welcome in the Blue Collar tent. Those who flock to the Amnesty tent are not welcome in the Jobless tent. Those who frolic in the Gay Marriage tent are not welcome in the Black Church tent, the American-Muslim tent and the Bible tent. Those who holler at all passers-by from the Free Contraceptive tent are not welcome in the Catholic tent. Those who screech from the Hang Homemaker Wives tent are not welcome in the Family tent.
Furthermore, Obama is engaged is “selling everything that is not nailed down” and has adopted a scorched-earth strategy, all for a second-term.
The mask is off, the gloves are off, the battle is joined. This will be an American election like no other in its history. Let us hope that an election of this nature is the first and the last.
Pray tell, just who is going to be doing all this “certifying”? The TSA? The State Department? The rest of this corrupt government, starting with the Liar-in-Chief, himself?
And once little Johnny is somehow legal, do Mommy and Daddy, and Granpa and Granma and Sis and Cousin Julio all become legal, too? Do they get Green Cards and Food Stamps, and Medicaid, and Section 8 housing? Why of course! Master Obama loves him duh liddle Beaners! And they love him! Viva Obama!
Meanwhile, the Court Eunuchs, Boehner and McConnell, are really PISSED! They just might be mad for two whole DAYS! That’ll show ‘em!
Then they’ll go back to caving in. It’s what they do.
Sleuth/123: yes, that scenario worries me. I think this 800,000 Freebies is like another Fast & Furious but aimed inward instead of outward. F&F deliberately broke U.S. gun laws to flood Mexico with weapons that might someday reappear (typically at a crime scene). It had no control logic: just throw the guns into circulation and wait to see if they turned up, in hopes they would help tighten laws to limit Americans’ 2nd Amdmnt rights. And what is this executive order of quasi-amnesty for young illegals? We’re flooded with them and they might someday surface (although why would somebody who lives in the shadows, step out for the sake of a temporary waiver, one that a President Romney will reverse). Does this program have any better control logic than F&F? Better than Teh Won declaring with a glare at his “press conference” that “this is the right thing to do”? Isn’t this just going to throw these amnesty claimants into the labor pool to compete for work and into the welfare benefits and education and medical care pools to compete for things that taxpaying citizens have paid for? And won’t that be fine with Teh Won, who thinks everybody should be in lifelong debt to his State? Guns; people; they’re all just policy toys for him. He doesn’t have to clean up the mess when play-time is done.