Gay Marriage, Immigration Prominent Issues At GOP Convention (CA)

[TacticalPeek]

Gay Marriage, Immigration Prominent Issues At GOP Convention
Activists Say Party Will Benefit From Backlash

POSTED: 9:03 am PST February 22, 2004
BURLINGAME, Calif. --

snip

But the gathering was also marked by debate over illegal immigration, an issue that caused major problems for the party after the passage of Proposition 187, a Republican-backed measure that would have denied essential services to illegal immigrants.

Saturday morning, Senate candidate Howard Kaloogian led several hundred people in a boisterous rally against illegal immigration, including proposals to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants in California and President Bush's plan to give legal status to millions of undocumented workers.

"We are a nation of laws and that starts at the border. ...I don't understand how you compromise. They either have a driver's license or they don't; they are either here illegally or they are not," Kaloogian said.

While Schwarzenegger has signaled a willingness to consider ways for illegally immigrants to obtain licenses, one GOP legislative leader says he faces a tough sell.

more
http://www.nbc11.com/politics/2865323/detail.html



Also, Eschaton links to an LA times article that sounds juicier, but requires registration:

BURLINGAME, Calif. - An uproar over illegal immigration roiled the state Republican convention on Saturday as party leaders struggled to keep the rank and file united behind Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Bush.

Hundreds of GOP loyalists booed the president at a rally where U.S. Senate hopeful Howard Kaloogian and his allies denounced Bush's plan to give temporary legal status to undocumented workers.

"Enough is enough!" the crowd shouted. "Enough is enough!"

LA Times

:evilgrin:

[Taeger]

1. Legalizing illegals??? How ???

While Schwarzenegger has signaled a willingness to consider ways for illegally immigrants to obtain licenses, one GOP legislative leader says he faces a tough sell.


Arnold needs to READ his US Constitution. The feds control the border. States CANNOT mandate US immigration policy.

[orwell]

3. Give Me Your Tired

The Dems should run with this to splinter off a significant chunk of Bush's base. Bush's racist base is furious about this.

The Dems should come out strongly against illegal immigration, setting harsh penalties for employers who are caught with illegal hires. The employers are the enablers, the illegal immigrants are just "the supply side" for the lowest-cost labor lovers.

There should be a period of amnesty for illegal immigrants who have been in the country longer than some set time, say a year. They would be required to get green cards and become legal immigrants.

Dems should also champion legal immigration as critical to the nation's economic and social well-being. Immigrants are the backbone of America and should be celebrated rather than maligned. This talk-radio fueled racist hatred must stop immediately! It is coded hate speech.

O

[Taeger]

7. Legal immigrants ...

Legal immigrants are great.

These guys who jump the border can ALL go home!!!!!

My program.

1) I'd offer amnesty and citizenship to anyone who volunteers for a 5 year period of military service. If they fuck up, they go home. If they successfully serve, their immediate family would receive citizenship.

2) I'd PAY illegals $1,000 to go home voluntarily. Whatever ticket they need to go home would be provided. Those who voluntarily left would be entered into a lottery for permanent citizenship. Those with high levels of English fluency would be given preferential treatment.

3) I'd delegate INS enforcement to state police departments. They could deal with it to the degree THEY wanted to deal with it. Though, I suspect states that DIDN'T go on a tear of identification and deportation would be overwhelmed with illegals from states that DO. That would show everyone what we are up against.
INS would offer fee for service basis payments to state police departments of $3,000 per illegal identified and delivered to the INS.

4) Any illegal that was deported would lose the ability to come through normal immigration channels or Visa visitation for 10 years.

5) I'd offer $2,000 BOUNTIES to citizens who can finger illegals. They would be paid once the illegal was deported.

6) I would HEAVILY fine companies that willfully and knowingly employed illegal occupants. I would confiscate their pickup trucks if they used the vehicles to transport illegals to a job site.

7) Local cops would be able to deliver any criminal suspect to INS that is undocumented and receive the SAME bounty as state cops.

8) I'd increase funds for Border Patrol and Coast Guard enforcement.

9) I'd attempt to capture "people smugglers" by pulling deals with illegals in return for citizenship.

10) I'd audit EVERY occupant H-1B and guest Visa holders. Anyone who didn't pay their taxes (like they're supposed to) would be shipped home at THEIR expense!!!!!

11) Students who overstay their visas would be sent home without question and NOT allowed to return.

12) I'm sorry, but the idea that illegals are allowed to stay ENCOURAGES more illegals to cross the border. I'd mount an AGGRESSIVE advertising campaign aimed at getting out the message that illegal migrants WILL be deported irregardless of WHERE they are captured.

13) I'd streamline the immigration process and make sure that people had access. Though, those proficient in English would ALWAYS receive preferential access to immigration Visas.

That's my illegal immigration platform. It's not right-wing, nor is it based on hate. It's based on maintaining the integrity of our borders.

[orwell]

2. Freedom to Marry

I propose that all Progressives stop calling this issue Gay Marriage. A much stronger frame would be "Freedom to Marry" or "Marriage Freedom."

Language matters far more than logic to a sound bite motivated population. The Cons understand this. Do we? If we are tired of getting BushWhacked, we had better.

Just a suggestion.

O

[BR_Parkway]

4. Agreed, the term should be Civil Marriage

because it's the religious kind that has everyone up in arms. Bubba and Billy Bob just know some gov't agency is going to force their poor, sweet mama's preacher to marry some of them homos...

As for the immigration issue, what the Dems ought to be pounding is BORDER SECURITY - if Shrub is such a great "war president" who's making the country so safe from "terra" WHY are all these people sneaking across the border? How many terrorists could be sneaking into the country. * was dumb enough to bring the issue up, use the whole "Bush Administration Fails to protect American Borders" against him! They are going to keep running how "strong" he is, how wonderful he is doing "protecting us", but the fact is, any Al Quida or other terrorist that wanted to do us harm could pretty well stroll across the border any day. So all this talk is BS, all this cash for Homeland Security is totally pissed away - and as long as we leave it unchallenged, his base (that still want to believe Iraq was behind 9/11, that Iraq still has WMD) will continue to think Bush is a great leader.

[orwell]

5. Thumbs Up

I like "Border Security." I co-opts the Con's "security" meme.

O

[Name removed]

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