By Peter Burrows
Republicans are confident they'll do well in this fall's elections. The Democrats have other ideas. Expect them to play all the hate cards, to run on every divisive issue they can manufacture, real or imagined. Damn the nation, full speed ahead with the demagoguery.
Expect to hear never ending lies, damned lies and statistics about income inequality, voter suppression, the war on women, the inherent racism of Republicans, the Koch brothers (Beelzebub and Lucifer), etc. etc, ad nauseam. The compliant media will repeat those lies over and over, and the poor, stupid Republicans won't know how to respond.
They have to start with realizing that the truth doesn't matter, because it gets ignored. They then have to figure out ways to turn the issues to their advantage.
Take immigration. President Obama is having it both ways. He says he's tough on immigration because he claims deportations are way up (when in fact they are down 40%.) He proposes "comprehensive immigration reform" that is anything but, and blames the "racist" Republicans if they don't go along.
Republicans are so worried about the Hispanic vote, and so afraid of being called racists that they're afraid to play offense. Here's what they should do:
(1) Propose an immigration bill titled: "The Welcome Good Neighbor Immigration Act of 2014." Under this bill, any Canadian or Mexican national who is an M.D., a hospital technician, computer programmer, engineer, nurse , electrician, or any other skill in demand in the U.S. can become a U.S. citizen under an accelerated citizenship program. They go to the front of the line.
(2) All Canadian or Mexican nationals illegally residing in the U.S. must immediately register for a green card work permit good for a year before renewal, renewal dependent upon gainful employment. Do this, and all is forgiven. This is "amnesty" for breaking U.S. immigration laws.
(3) In return for amnesty, no illegal resident will be eligible for federal welfare of any sort, including medical care. Any illegal resident receiving medical care will be deported as soon as humanely possible, and the Canadian or Mexican government will be sent a bill for the medical treatment rendered, cost of deportation, etc.
(4) In return for amnesty, no illegal resident is eligible for U.S. citizenship. A life-time green card, perhaps, but no citizenship, not ever.
(5) Any illegal resident not applying for a green card will be considered a criminal and will be subject to a long imprisonment in the Maricopa County Jail (or something like that.)
(6) Any Mexican or Canadian citizen who seeks work in the U.S. merely has to register at a border station (we'll have to build lots of these) to be fingerprinted and given a green card good for one year. No more dying in the desert, no more predations by the "coyotes." Any Canadian or Mexican detected illegally entering the U.S. will obviously be a drug smuggler or other criminal, perhaps a terrorist, and will therefore risk lethal deterrence.
Point number one refutes the "racism" charge.
Point two should give us a handle on how big the problem really is.
Point three will publicize the welfare costs of lax immigration enforcement, and would remove some of the incentive for impoverished people to get into the U.S. Nothing would prevent the states from offering aid, but no funding from the federal government. Sending the Canadian and Mexican governments the bill for not enforcing their sides of the border will also bring attention to both the costs and any complicity of those governments in abetting the problem.
Point four means that Democrats won't have the incentive to encourage millions of poor Canadians and poor Mexicans to illegally enter the U.S., eventually become citizens, and then become Democrats. Why are the Republicans afraid to make an issue of the fact that the Democrats see lax immigration as away to win elections, both now and in the future? If you don't think that's their number one objective, your name is probably Bush.
Point five is very important. Up until now, people caught breaking into the U.S. have paid little or no price. Six months in a desert prison camp run by the military, and the word would quickly spread that sneaking into the U.S. is not such a good idea. Sealing the border would become a lot easier, maybe not even necessary.
Point six would stop the needless suffering of so many people being victimized by border thugs and sent to die in the deserts by their own government. And no, for this one I'm not including the Canadian government.