Dick Armey of Freedom Works to you—stop the goofiness and support an amnesty bill!
I warned readers way back in 2010, here and here, that so-called Tea Party groups like Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity (both largely funded by big business interests) were squishy on amnesty and were not even secretive about their wishes for more immigration (for cheap labor!). Don’t get me wrong, they have done good work in many areas, but Tea Party grassroots will soon be asked where they stand on AMNESTY.
The theory, a wrong one in my opinion, is that “Hispanic” voters will flow over to the GOP side as soon as they see Republicans cave on the border issue. I think Rush Limbaugh has it exactly right when he says it isn’t about amnesty for immigrant voters, it’s about which side gives out stuff! Taxpayer funded goodies! Presents! You know! As Rush asked, who is going to vote against Santa Claus?
So now the Republicans are freaking out and so are Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity. Here is a story, one of those why-we-lost stories from Dave Weigel of Slate in which he pushes his personal ideas about who or what the Tea Party is. By the way, search PTPR for Dave Weigel (a creepy and often dishonest guy who is a friend of Grover Norquist) who has been spinning on the Tea Party for years. But, I think he is correct here—look for Freedom Works and AFP to join the ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICANS on amnesty. It will be 2007 deja vu all over again! And, I hope the message from the country class is the same as in 2007—no amnesty, just close the borders!
Here is Weigel:
Republicans will need to resist some elements in their base and pass immigration legislation that wins over Hispanics.
“If the Republicans were smart, in January, maybe they’d come out with that bill and win some of that support in exchange for some of the Tancredo-style support,” said FreedomWorks’s Steinhauser. “The left saw the future and built a demographic coalition among people who don’t maybe necessarily agree. You lose some of your hard-core supporters and you pick up new ones.”
For the first time, there’s an issue that could pit the GOP’s best-organized and best-funded grass-roots against other parts of the party base. Talk radio helped kill immigration legislation in 2007. Some of the Tea Party’s leaders wanted that legislation to survive. Dick Armey, the former GOP majority leader who now chairs FreedomWorks, was warning Republicans to “get off this goofiness,” stop talking about a border fence, and pass the bill.
David and Charles Koch [major funder of AFP–ed], and other businessmen who’ve discovered politics in the Tea Party area,* are far more simpatico to immigration reform than, say Rush Limbaugh or Mark Levin. In 2007, Iowa Rep. Steve King fought reform so hard that he brought a small model of a border fence to the floor of the House, to show how ready-made it could be. In 2009, King was linking arms with Dick Armey. King will be in D.C. come January. So will FreedomWorks. And for the first time, they completely disagree about how they can win the country.
* I’ve said it over and over, the Kochs and other big Republican funders saw the Tea Party grassroots train coming down the tracks and said we gotta get out in front of this—not to be crushed and so that we can steer the engine! So not only do they fund big outfits like Freedom Works and AFP, but other large Tea Party groups. That is how you control people and they know it!
Ann Corcoran
Judy K. Warner
Potomac Tea Party Report 
On Amnesty, we need to follow the law. That said, you know, Reagan agreed to a limited amnesty back in the 1980’s on the “promise” that Democrats would then agree to secure the border. We know where that “promise” went. By now, the picture of “promises” is pretty clear. The “fake” integrity in congress and among politicians is symtomatic of larger problems of humanity that bring all sorts of evil, but I digress.
Enforcing a law that has been abused for years, the practical approach is step by step. First secure the border. Then enforce the existing laws in logical order. If there is to be some changes to the law, that’s the business of congress, not president by fiat. My statement on Amnesty, taken from “lessons for the forums”, Part II “Issues” is as follows:
The United States is inundated with large numbers of “undocumented” aliens, due to many years of lax enforcement of the pertinent immigration laws. Although only the federal government can enforce immigration laws and protect the national borders, state and local governments bear the major negative effects of illegal immigration through their higher cost of welfare, health, education, and crime prevention services due to the presence of illegal aliens. Cooperation between state and federal authorities is therefore important in achieving a suitable long-term solution.
The recent surge of illegal immigration arose from a blanket amnesty given by President Reagan in the 1980’s to refugees fleeing violence in Central America. Since then, no administration has taken a firm stand to aggressively enforce immigration laws. However, in the past, presidents of both parties, Coolidge, Truman, and Eisenhower, have successfully enforced strong deportation measures to control illegal immigration, primarily to protect the integrity of US labor laws and defend the rights of lawful workers in the country.
Policy Proposal: The practical solution to illegal immigration is to enforce the law in stages, dealing first with the most serious and aggravating dangers and threats in the immediate border region. First priority, therefore, is to tighten border security with Mexico, using all available technology and manpower resources to build and maintain a suitable barrier to illegal entry. Arresting and deporting illegal aliens just as they cross the border must be given highest priority. In addition, American border agents must be given support and resources to cooperate with Mexican border authorities to curtail all forms of criminal cross-border trafficking.
Once the border is secured, the process of orderly deportation of other illegal aliens must proceed as well, giving first priority to those involved in other criminal activity, including, for example, fraud in obtaining forged documents and making false statements to obtain unlawful employment. US employers also must be prosecuted for violating laws against the hiring of illegal aliens (I-9 form compliance). In addition, the federal government (ICE) must cooperate with state governments to identify and apprehend illegal aliens in their jurisdiction.
The federal government also should actively cooperate with Mexican and other foreign governments to minimize the disruptive effect of forced separation and deportation on illegal aliens who have been peacefully living in the US for a long period of time. This is especially important as it affects resettlement of minors who have been brought into the USA by parents and family members. For these minors, provide resettlement grants, counseling, and temporary visas to ease the process of their deportation and resettlement to their native countries.
By: Lee on November 15, 2012
at 8:08 am
Lee, that all makes a lot of sense. But, your position is NOT the position of Freedom Works, AFP or the MD GOP for that matter.
Please find me any position statement from the MD GOP on immigration. And, I will apologize for hammering this point.
And, you’ve argued for building the MD GOP membership by reaching out to the public. But, again, without firm policy positions what would I and others tell those perspective members of the public what we stand for? Pablum like lower taxes, less spending? For the half of the US not paying taxes, they don’t care!
By the way, the issue of the illegal kids is more complicated by the fact that thousands of minors are now crossing the border without Mom or Dad (numbers are increasing dramatically under Obama) and they become wards of the Office of Refugee Resettlement and our taxpayer dollars are housing and schooling them. When they reach age 18 they are simply released into the general US population to fend for themselves. I’m only pointing this out because most people do not have the full picture of our huge immigration mess in this country.
By: acorcoran on November 15, 2012
at 9:29 am
I’m not embracing positions other than my own. Getting to consensus with others is somewhat complicated by the inevitable differences of opinion and experience. Organizations bond on basic principles, not on total conformity with every detail of every issue.
When we talk about embracing unity in the company of others, we have to stick together on the most basic principles possible.
As to the MD GOP, I’m guessing that some positions currently held may need to “evolve” — but not based on the winds of popular opinion; but rather the enlightened wisdom of greater intelligence brought to bear on the issues as related back to our core principles.
My hope is that MD GOP will improve its expression of principles, so we don’t have representatives speaking outside those principles on matters that are too specific and controversial. We can, after all, as individuals, have our different opinions. What should unite is the rock-solid principles that distinguish our common concern for individual liberty and limited government — which is so totally different from the radical socialism that has now totally corrupted the Demwit party.
If we hold to basic commonsense principles, the Republican Party will grow in strength and power among voters, because in the end, there is more good that comes from a government committed to the well-being of ALL than the special interests of professional politicians and their corrupt associates. There is a whole field of ignorant, uninformed people who can be convinced and pursuaded of the sensible option of freedom over slavery. But it’s our job to deliver that message, and we have a lot of work to do on that.
By: Lee on November 15, 2012
at 9:57 am
Here’s all you need to know about what the average voter thinks about immigration “reform”:
On November 6th, 995,619 Marylanders voted against Question 4 (in-state tuition for illegal aliens).
Only 905,244 voted for Romney.
So, defeating Question 4 got 90,000 more votes than Romney did in Maryland. This, despite the PR efforts of Martin O’Malley, The Catholic Church, CASA de Maryland and their $1.5 million war chest.
By: Paul Mendez on November 15, 2012
at 9:24 am
Thanks Paul, That is a topic that I’ve been planning to write about for a couple of days—you’ve stolen my thunder! No, just kidding. I am planning to post on those stunning (not really! we knew it was possible) numbers…
By: acorcoran on November 15, 2012
at 9:34 am
[…] Some national Tea Party groups are coming out for AMNESTY, Freedom Works is one, I wrote about it here at my other blog. Freedom Works and Americans for Prosperity do not speak for the Tea […]
By: Senator Rand Paul looking for “eventual path to citizenship” for illegal aliens « Refugee Resettlement Watch on November 16, 2012
at 5:53 am