Immigration

John Boehner, a tragic comedy

by

On Wednesday, the House Tea-Publicans voted to sue President Obama for taking “unilateral action” without Congress’ permission.

On Thursday, after the debacle of the border emergency funding bill in the House, the TanMan, Weeper of the House John Boehner, pleaded with President Obama to take “unilateral action” on immigration to address a humanitarian crisis that House Tea-Publicans refuse to address. Boehner issued this statement which included this passage:

Screenshot-6This situation shows the intense concern within our conference – and among the American people – about the need to ensure the security of our borders and the president’s refusal to faithfully execute our laws.  There are numerous steps the president can and should be taking right now, without the need for congressional action, to secure our borders and ensure these children are returned swiftly and safely to their countries.

The Fool on The Hill becomes more incoherent and detached from reality every day. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid couldn’t resist trolling the TanMan. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his office told Talking Points Memo:

“Senator Reid agrees with House Republican leaders’ statement that President Obama has the authority to take steps on immigration reform on his own,” [spokesman Adam Jentleson] said. “He’s glad Republicans have come around and hopes this means they’ll be dropping their frivolous lawsuit against the President, instead of continuing to waste the American people’s time and money.”

Read more

House GOP leaders pull border bill, delay recess to whip votes

by

Screenshot-6Once again the nominal Speaker of the House, Canadian-born Cuban immigrant Sen. Ted “Calgary” Cruz, and the anti-government insurrectionists of the  Tea Party Caucus in the House have dealt another embarrassing defeat to the TanMan, Weeper of the House John Boehner, the weakest speaker in modern American history and the consensus “Worst. Speaker. Ever.” This Fool on the Hill has got to go.

The Hill reports, House pulls border vote:

House GOP leaders pulled a Thursday vote on their $659 million border bill after failing to win over conservative members who opposed giving any more money to President Obama.

A significant number of Republicans had balked at sending any money to the White House for the border, and Democrats were generally united in opposing the measure.

House Republicans will meet at 3 p.m. in the Capitol basement to discuss their options. Members have been advised that another vote series is possible Thursday.

[Update: House Republicans plan to delay their August recess to stay in Washington until they have enough votes to pass a bill responding to the border crisis. House GOP delays recess]

The decision to pull the bill is another defeat for House GOP leaders, who have repeatedly failed to bring their members in line on tough votes.

Read more

(Update) When is a ‘crisis’ not a crisis? When it is GOPropaganda

by

With only three working days before the House’s August recess is set to begin, GOP leaders are under pressure form their rank and file to tackle the border crisis in some way. “Members are none too eager to head home for a five-week recess having accomplished nothing, especially after blasting Obama for failing to visit the region during a fundraising jaunt through Texas.” The Hill reports, House GOP scales back border bill in scramble for conservative support:

RefugeeChildrenHouse Republican appropriators are scaling down an emergency funding bill to address the surge of child immigrants crossing the border.

Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) is in the process of drafting limited legislation that would provide less than $1 billion in funds, and through only Sept. 30, aides said.

That’s a far cry from the $3.7 billion requested by the White House, and less than half the amount in $2.7 billion bill Senate Democrats have written.

The differences suggest it will be tough to get a final bill to President Obama’s desk, and that Republican leaders are more focused on winning approval from House conservatives to ensure a bill is approved by the lower chamber.

Read more

When is a ‘crisis’ not a crisis? When it is GOPropaganda

by

He’s baaack! Suffering under the delusion that the GOP really wants him and needs him, that scion of the Bush Dynasty, Jeb Bush, along with his own version of “Bush’s brain,” Clint Bolick from the “Kochtopus” Death Star, the Goldwater Institute, have an op-ed today in the Wall Street Journal (pay wall) detailing their solution to immigration reform and the influx of child refugees from Central America.

Jeb1
“We’ve had enough Bushes.” – Barbara Bush

Ed Kilgore at the Political Animal blog dissects this piece in Jeb’s Tin Ear:

Today [Jeb’s] got an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal with conservative movement warhorse Clint Bolick about the refugee crisis. Most of it is standard GOP rhetoric about the fecklessness of the Obama administration and the accidental impact of Anti-Trafficking legislation. But then, at the very end, the authors run off the rails:

Read more

General George S. Patton would like a word with Andrew Thomas

by

I almost spit out my coffee this morning when I read this headline in the Arizona Capitol Times: A fence through the middle of Arizona: Thomas unveils ‘Patton Line’ border security plan.

In my youth I knew veterans who had served with General George S. Patton in his Third Army that liberated Europe in World War II. I know about Patton from the men who actually served with him. These veterans are all gone now, having passed away.

For the disgraced and disbarred Andrew Thomas to refer to his proposed border fence as the “Patton Line” is an insult to intelligence, and dishonors the memory  of a great American hero. The General would like a word with you . . .

Patton

Quoted in 50 Military Leaders Who Changed the World‎ (2007) by William Weir, p. 173.

Read more