W.M.DEEEZ

Well, this was released shortly before the election. So you know it's going to be used for shock value.

Up a little north of you, they hammered away at this to discredit many politicians.

Now, we can get to the meat and potatoes of the issue.

OldManOnFire

From my perspective, illegal immigrants, no matter their country of origin, first are human beings and second are mostly decent people. I speak about this topic with first-hand experience due to living in a farming community in California.

Yes I know they are here illegally, but I believe the story is much deeper than the technicality of law, and the solutions, both for the immigrants and for the USA, must be developed with compassion.

I believe US business, and our government, and most citizens, knowingly tolerated illegal immigration over many decades...sort of setting a precedent or at least sending a message, that if you can make it to the US there will be jobs. The population of illegal immigrants grew and grew until recently reaching critical mass and bam it's all over the news and suddenly these mostly wonderful people are treated like cattle...no...treated like cattle with the plague!!

For some time now these are my comments about dealing with illegals:

1. All current illegal immigrants are given six months to register with the federal government, to receive a temporary identification number, WITH NO FEAR OF REPRISAL FROM ANYONE, FOR ANY REASON, IN ANY FORM. This process allows us to document the scope of the issue.

2. An illegal immigrant who does not register within the six-month window will be considered a criminal, and if caught, will be processed according to law.

3. Once registered, everyone pays all applicable local, state, and federal taxes, including social security, etc.

4. Two to three years after this six-month deadline, all illegal but registered immigrants must apply for citizenship and succeed in the process.

5. Effective on the six-month date as stated in (1) above, ALL BUSINESSES must provide proof that all workers are either registered with their social security numbers or with the temporary identification number. Any business who commits fraud or continues to hire unregistered illegal immigrants are to be fined $50,000 per illegal--no exceptions!!

In this scenario, if law enforcement seriously monitors business hiring, and using a zero-tolerance approach, I believe if we can stop the businesses from hiring unregistered workers, keeping everyone honest, paying taxes, etc., although not an overall solution, this is a grand step in the right direction!

Rounding up tens-of-millions of men, women, children, babies and grandparents, many of which have lived in the USA for generations or all of their lives, is a ridiculous concept! A 'fence' is not a solution--it's a political Band-Aid--98% worthless and a 100% waste of money!!

Illegal immigration is a complex issue, highly charged with personal bias and xenophobia, and it will require cooler heads and logical solutions to explore and implement creative policies.

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Did you know both our problems and the solutions can be found simply by looking in our mirrors...and...Never confuse the extraordinary stuff I think and write with that of a well-balanced person...

Heretic

Maybe if you exhibited some judgement... any judgment, instead of spouting off campaign headquarters issued talking point. Your predictability is dangerously close to that of Jr. apologists.

I blame candidates who don't learn to steer questions to toward issues voters really care about. Obama did an excellent job doing that. Hillary made a half-assed effort to evade and got nailed on it.

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"In space no one can hear you scream. in D.C. it won't matter..." -Clinton Resurrection: The Alien Queen lives!

jdanton

Horsefeathers! If they try to steer a question on one subject to another subject, then they are evading the question asked.

I agree with the Old Man here to a very large extent.

Just like we can't go back and not invade Iraq, we can't go back and not let these illegals that are here in.

We have to deal with the situation that we have, not the situation we'd like to have (a rummyism).

This is an incredibly complex issue.

Here's a thought. Congress puts a bill together that consumes hundreds of pages. They don't have time to read it, so they depend upon summaries prepared by people who know the bill.

Why can't we see those summaries? What we get is sound bite questions.

Where am I wrong when I say that a question that fails to explain the tiers of licenses in NY's proposal is unfair?

99% of the people listening to Russert's question would assume that NY is planning to give illegals the very same license everyone else gets. This meant that, within her 30 seconds, she had to define the proposal.

This led to a complex answer that most, apparently, couldn't follow.

Maybe I followed it, because it reflects my views. I DON'T KNOW IF I SUPPORT this proposal or not. I don't know if we'll know if it's a good idea or not until after it's being done and we see how it works.

I accept the fact that illegals are a problem, and I accept the fact that governors would try to address this problem. And that some trial and error may be involved in efforts to do so.

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Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

OldManOnFire

How about the concept of candidates just answering the questions that are asked??

Steer questions where?? To which issues?? Your issues, my issues, the Pope's issues?? This is ridiculous--just answer the questions!!

Even though I have not yet selected a presidential candidate, this much is for sure; Hillary has been ganged up on by her fellow candidates, the media, the Republicans, and all of you Hillary-haters, and you know what...she has held up to all of the scrutiny!!!! You will never admit this in your life because you are blind to anything outside your tunnel vision. No other candidate has been put through this process! Your problem is your xenophobia of having a woman guide your nation--chew on this some...

__________________
Did you know both our problems and the solutions can be found simply by looking in our mirrors...and...Never confuse the extraordinary stuff I think and write with that of a well-balanced person...

OldManOnFire

...at least from my perspective, Eliot Spitzer is one of the most intelligent and logical people I have seen in a long while. He's the kind of guy I would like for president and I'm sure he's a fantastic governor. He is highly competent! And he understands law! So if his name is on this idea of issuing quasi licenses, I'll bet they have debated all their options and made this choice full knowing their goals...

__________________
Did you know both our problems and the solutions can be found simply by looking in our mirrors...and...Never confuse the extraordinary stuff I think and write with that of a well-balanced person...

jdanton

It's also an example of complaining when one follows the polls (sticking one's finger into the wind) and complaining when they don't follow the polls.

My bet is that if you could explain to the 72% of Americans who oppose this plan exactly what is is and what it is hoped to accomplish, half of them would no longer oppose it. I'd bet 90% of them don't know this has already been done is 7 other states.

I'm annoyed at the people who ask these questions in a deceitful way. It's just plain not honest.

__________________
Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

Heretic

You mean such as UFO's? Obama was set up for the same big bear trap Kucinich was, but was smart enough to focus the debate on issues people care about more immediately.

This is the sign that modern myth making still works on the suckers. Up to now she's had softball opposition and no tough questions from the media. Now she's going to have to earn "frontrunner" status instead of counting on a coronation.

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"In space no one can hear you scream. in D.C. it won't matter..." -Clinton Resurrection: The Alien Queen lives!

jdanton

Bring on the tough questions. Just keep them honest.

__________________
Author: Memoirs of a Sleepless Mind, a book you CAN judge by its cover.

Heretic

And she got an honest tough question. The fact she refused to give an honest and tough answer demonstrates clearly why she's just not up for the job and never will be. I recall vividly in 1999 and 2000 all the hype right wingers spewed about Jr. and it's sounding dangerously close to the talking points you cite as issued from Hillary campaign headquarters.

Seriuosly, the more whining you Hillary apologists do about this the more it's going to hurt Hillary's campaign. What she's facing now is nothing compared to what'll happen in the general election campaign. And if she can't stand the heat then she'll get railroaded out of the kitchen regardless.

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"In space no one can hear you scream. in D.C. it won't matter..." -Clinton Resurrection: The Alien Queen lives!