Immigration

Questions for Martha McSally: What is your position on comprehensive immigration reform?

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In this new series, "Questions for Martha McSally," we pose questions to
the McSally campaign about her positions on current hot topics — I am
not going to give her a free pass until after the GOP primary like our local media did in 2012.

Preface: The "Gang of Eight" in the U.S. Senate, which includes Arizona senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, crafted a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the U.S. Senate on a super-majority vote of 68-32, with 14 Republicans including Arizona's seantors voting in favor.

The "Gang of Eight" bill includes a "border surge" amendment from Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) that throws $30 billion in spending over a 10-year period at border security which would produce a financial windfall to some of America's
largest aerospace, technology and security companies, and to
border states. Sen. Corker conceded that his "border surge" is "almost overkill."

GOP rebranding fail on immigration: Rep. Steve King

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

House GOP leaders have embraced something called the "KIDS Act,"
which is basically a scaled down Republican version of the DREAM Act. It is a cynical attempt by Weeper of the House John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor to offer something to soften the political impact to the GOP if Boehner allows the radical Tea-Publicans in the House to kill comprehensive immigration reform.

Let's  be clear: the fate of comprehensive immigration reform rests squarely in Boehner's hands and whether he will allow a comprehensive immigration reform bill to go to the House floor for a vote.

Former GOP Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott tells the Philadelphia Inquirer today that he’d
bring the Senate immigration bill up for a floor vote in the House,
even though a majority of fellow Republicans oppose the idea. Lott says he'd allow a House immigration vote. “If you don’t have the majority of your conference that you’re leading, and you do that too much, you won’t be the leader very long,” Lott said. “As for myself, I would do it even if it meant losing my job,” he added.

The Beltway media villagers’ latest man-crush: Ted ‘Calgary’ Cruz

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Earlier this year the Beltway media was infatuated with the village idiot Aqua Buddha, Sen. Rand Paul, over his incoherent filibuster on drones. A series of "missteps" since then, including his recent defense of his Neo-Confederate aid Jack Hunter aka the "Southern Avenger" who was forced to resign, Sen. Rand Paul defends aide with Confederate views – USA Today, has quieted speculation among the villagers over his 2016 prospects for the GOP nomination.

Next we were treated to to the Beltway media villagers declaring Sen. Marco "big gulp" Rubio the "Republican Savior." Marco Rubio, Republican Savior | TIME.com. Pravda on the Potomac, the Washington Post, wrote numerous articles and opinions praising the man-child from Florida for his role in the "Gang of Eight" in the Senate for crafting a comprehensive immigration reform bill, which he was supposed to be able to sell to his Tea Party cohorts in the House. The Senate bill was immediately declared dead on arrival in the House by said Tea Party cohorts. Oops! Sen. Rubio's 2016 presidential ambitions are now being eulogized as the "main political fatality" of the immigration reform fight. “The End of Marco Rubio.

Arizona GOP all-in on ‘states’ rights’ voter suppression

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

AZConfederacyWell isn't this special. Governor Jan Brewer, who supported the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, nevertheless is still smarting from that same court striking down Arizona's Prop. 200 proof of citizenship requirement to register to vote in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona.

While it is a certainty that Governor Brewer does not support amendments to the Voting Rights Act which would reinvigorate its preclearance provisions, she does support an amendment to federal law to require proof of citizenship to register to vote for all Americans, not just Arizonans. Arizona's GOP voter suppression knows no limits. Brewer
backs Salmon’s voter-ID bill:

Gov. Jan Brewer wants Congress to allow states to require citizenship
documents from all prospective voters before they can cast a ballot.

Brewer sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz.,
expressing support for a bill the Mesa congressman introduced in
response to a recent Supreme Court decision on the issue. The court
ruled Arizona could demand proof of citizenship from would-be voters
only when they register using state registration forms, not federal
ones.

“The responsibility of state and local governments to protect the
integrity of the voting process is essential to maintaining the
democratic process and protecting the freedom and power of every
citizens’ vote,” Brewer wrote. “I commend your efforts to improve federal law so that only United States citizens are voting. … As a
Governor, I particularly appreciate the respect for states’ rights
inherent in this legislation.”