KY GOP Engages in More Silliness

A press release from the Kentucky House Republican Caucus announces

"Rep. Tim Moore, R-Elizabethtown (26^th District) today announced the filing of House Bill 485, which if passed would direct any state, county or local government agency who determines that an illegal alien has been receiving any care, education, housing, incarceration, or treatment paid for by Kentucky tax dollars to persuade the Attorney General to seek reimbursement from the Federal government for those funds."

A couple of problems. First, until we elect Todd P'Pool as Attorney General, this is a non-starter. Jack Conway will not be "persuaded" or "encouraged" by this bill.

Secondly, the federal government is broke. Even if Kentucky's Attorney General seeks "reimbursement" from the federal government for funds used on illegal aliens in Kentucky, the federal government has no money with which to reimburse Kentucky.

This is not a serious bill. It's not even a very good political stunt. Might as well just seek funding from China.

Kentucky Republicans Need to Get Their Priorities Straight

Given the short duration of Kentucky's legislative season, it is completely inappropriate to waste time and money crafting legislation that plainly is geared to the gubernatorial election -- while ignoring real issues that need attention now.

I'm referring to the proposed immigration bill. I sympathize with Arizona. That state has faced what is tantamount to a foreign invasion while our federal government abdicates its responsibility to control the borders. Arizona had no choice but to act.

Kentucky, however, is not being overrun by illegal immigrants. There are some, certainly. More than there used to be. But it has by no means reached a crisis for our hospitals and schools. Our situation is not comparable to Arizona's. The proposed immigration legislation is at best premature and at worst unnecessary. Even worse is the opportunity cost for real legislative solutions to actual problems in Kentucky.

While politicians in Frankfort give speeches about illegal aliens who aren't here, our horse industry is dying. Our outdated tax code deters businesses from relocating here. These are issues that demand a legislative response yesterday. And yet gambling legislation doesn't even get out of committee so that politicians can be held accountable for a vote. Tax policy is dull and complex; it takes much more time, research and thought than copycat immigration legislation.

Everyone understands that David Williams is running for governor and needs issues and headlines. He's picked the wrong issues.

McConnell and Rand Paul Slam Obama on Immigration

Both Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul issued statements today criticizing the Obama administration's weak efforts at immigration reform.

First, McConnell, on the Justice Department's lawsuit against the state of Arizona:

"Suing the people of Arizona for attempting to do a job the federal government has utterly failed to execute will not help secure our borders. If the President wants to make real progress on this issue, he can do so by taking amnesty off the table and focus his efforts on border and interior security.

“It is long past time for this administration to prioritize solving a crisis over imposing an agenda and the first step is to recognize that attorneys and amnesty are not acceptable alternatives to border security and job creation.

Next, the Rand Paul campaign's statement:

Last week, President Obama gave a speech about our pressing illegal immigration problem. That speech was noteworthy because, for the first time after 18 months in office, he seemed to notice there IS a problem.

But we did not hear bold new programs. We did not hear many specifics on how our border can be controlled. Instead, we heard bluster, blame and broad platitudes where action is needed.

The same old political deals won't work. In the 1980's we were told, give us amnesty this one time and we'll secure the borders. We gave the amnesty, but our borders are not secure.

This is a matter of national security, economic survival, and basic fairness.

The illegal immigration problem clearly will not be solved by the same old politicians who talk without saying anything. That's why Rand Paul proposes a bold three-prong plan that takes the problem of illegal immigration head on.

1. Secure the Border: We must build a fence across our southern border. It can be a physical fence, or an electronic fence or a combination. I believe the reality is the electronic fence will work better and be cheaper. But I will vote for any method to put a real obstacle at our border.

We should increase our border patrol, and add multiple helicopter stations. We should move some of our unneeded foreign military bases to our borders. And we should have a zero tolerance policy for human trafficking.

2. End the Welfare State for Illegal Immigrants. Milton Friedman famously said you cannot have a welfare state and open borders. We have both right now. That's why I propose a ban on all taxpayer-funded services to illegal immigrants. There are cities near our borders where illegal immigrants literally cross our borders simply to go to our schools and hospitals. This travesty is wrong and must be stopped.

3. End "Anchor Babies." The 14th amendment, granting citizenship to those born here, was never meant for those whose parents were here illegally. It is a gross distortion of the original intent. I propose we fix this legislatively, and if necessary, by Constitutional amendment. The fact is, regardless of irresponsible news reports on this mater, this is NOT settled law, and the only case that addresses the issue of birthright citizenship, "United States v. Wong Kim Ark", was a case regarding children of LEGAL immigrants.

Kentuckians know that we need real and swift action to end illegal immigration. And, there is a real choice when it comes to tackling this problem.

Rand Paul	President Obama	Jack Conway
Will vote for fence and will secure borders	No border fence funding	???
End Illegal Immigrant welfare state	Continue illegal immigrant welfare	???
Fight to end automatic citizenship for children of illegals	Will continue anchor babies	???

You've heard Dr. Paul’s positions. You've heard the President talk, but he refuses to say or do anything of substance. And you've heard even less from Jack Conway on how he would solve this problem. I invite Jack to join the national discussion on this issue and say if he stands with the inaction, amnesty and welfare state for illegals like his national party.

Rand Paul Resurfaces . . . On Russian TV

Rand Paul has been boycotting interviews with the national media since they were so mean to him, but not the international media. He gave an interview to a Russian television network in which he says that he supports legislation to prevent citizenship to babies born in the U.S. -- the so-called anchor babies.

Of course, there's the problem of the plain text of the constitution. (Wait, I thought Paul venerated the constitution?) Take the fourteenth amendment's guarantee that anyone born in America is an American citizen ("All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.")

The genius of giving interviews to Russian television is that those journalists don't ask you about the little details, like the fourteenth amendment.

h/t: Townhall

A Warm Democratic Welcome for the Republican Convention

Most of the demonstrators are protesting the war. It seems they didn't get the message that the surge worked and Iraq is winding down. Others are protesting border enforcement. As one policeman watching the demonstration noted, the very act of free speech by the protesters underscores what a great country this is.

Hillary Would Exempt Illegal Aliens With Ovaries

The heat of the Nevada sun is starting to impact Hillary. No, she hasn't cried, but she's advocating an immigration policy that guts the rule of law.

Take this exchange, as reported by a Nevada paper and linked by Drudge:

A man shouted through an opening in the wall that his wife was illegal.

"No woman is illegal," Clinton said, to cheers.

This is absolute nonsense. It suggests that in addition to letting illegal aliens -- who happen to be women -- bear their "anchor" babies, we're going to give these women immunity for breaking the law.

It's hard to square Hillary's assertion that "No woman is illegal" with her supposed commitment to "strict but fair enforcement of our laws." Exempting a segment of the population from our immigration laws, based solely on their gender, does not sound fair. It sounds like sex discrimination.

Imagine if a male candidate promised to exempt men from the immigration laws. No secret service agent could protect that man from the wrath of Hillary and her feminist gal-pals.

Senate Conservatives Score -- Twice

Thanks to Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, it was a great morning for conservatives on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

First, McConnell delivered 62 votes to end debate on the confirmation of Judge Leslie Southwick, and then 59 votes in favor of confirmation. Judge Southwick will sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

It shouldn't be that big a deal to confirm the president's judicial nominees -- or at least give them an up or down vote -- but we have seen the Democrats stonewall nomination after nomination.

Second, Republican leadership dashed Senator Dick Durbin's DREAM Act, a curiously-named bill to give amnesty to illegal aliens. The Shamnesty proponents will be back, no doubt, but this stops them for now.

The two issues may appear unrelated, but they are not: conservatives stand for the rule of law.