The secret to achieving power in today’s America is not being the best, the brightest, or the most ruthless. The secret is coalition building; convincing specific blocs of people that you have their interests in mind, that you will favor them.
Hillary Clinton did this masterfully in her victorious campaign for the Senate. She put together a New York coalition of minorities, union workers, liberal suburban moms, and one-issue fanatics to clean Rick Lazio’s clock. While Mr. Lazio was trying to win wide support for his “honest, clean-cut” approach to politics, Mrs. Clinton was clean-cutting his throat by deal making with the special interests. In fact, the Justice Department is allegedly still investigating her chats with some Hassidic Jews in upstate New York. Don’t hold your breath on that one.
Mrs. Clinton continues her stealth campaign of power accumulation by raising large sums of money through her political action group, “Hillpac,” and doling out that money to Democrats that might help her down the road. And what road is that you ask? Well, Pennsylvania Avenue to be exact. While our gal Hil continues to say she is not interested in the big job, she also continues to hold quiet meetings with influential people in Iowa. I know, I know, she’s a big ethanol fan.
None of this is lost on the Bush administration who is getting into the coalition-building business, big time. George W. was stunned that he lost New Mexico and only got 35 percent of the Hispanic vote nationally last November. After all, he speaks Spanish for cryin’ out loud. So the president is considering a bold move that would propel him in the Latin community: He may “legalize” millions of undocumented Mexican aliens.
On paper it looks like a good political maneuver. Mr. Bush needs to get Hispanics out of the Democratic orbit and an amnesty push would certainly give him a big issue. But while it may be good politics, would amnesty be good for the country? Uh oh, could be some grande problemas aqui.
There is no question that millions of Mexican Americans have contributed mightily to the fabric of the United States. But there is some serious propaganda floating around about the benefit of granting amnesty to millions of Mexican nationals. Here are the facts.
The most recent study by the National Research Council concluded that the cost of allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the United States is substantial. In California alone, it costs every native-born household nearly $1,200 each year to provide government services to immigrants. That is above what said immigrants pay in taxes.
Even after welfare reform, an estimated 34 percent of households headed by legal Mexican immigrants and 25 percent headed by illegals use at least one welfare program. By contrast, 15 percent of native households dip into the welfare entitlement pool. These statistics come from a recently completed study by the Center for Immigration Studies, which opposes any amnesty. The center tops off its argument by stating that Mexican immigrants who have lived in the USA for more than 20 years still have double the welfare use rate of natives.
And this is understandable. In addition to the language barrier, Mexico’s culture is completely different from America’s. The pace is different; the mindset is different. It is not easy for any Mexican to make the transition to life in the USA.
The argument for giving amnesty to Mexican illegals centers around the help many Mexican workers provide the U.S. economy. They do work Americans don’t want to do, the spin goes. And that’s true to some extent. So let’s deal with this situation properly.
President Bush and Mexican President Fox should set up a “guest worker program” that is based in Mexico. Any Mexican who wants to work in the USA could apply and if that person has no felonies or infectious diseases and has an actual place to go in the USA – he or she would get a work permit and a visa. In that way American authorities would actually know who the heck was coming in here and could track their progress and tax their wages.
Making millions of illegals legal with the touch of a pen is simply insane. It is grossly unfair to other ethnic groups who want to come to the USA and are waiting in line. Our government could stop much of the illegal immigration and drug importation from Mexico simply by putting the military on the border as most countries do. But we don’t do that because it might offend Mexico, which continues to be a massive drug transshipment center.
But instituting a “guest worker program” and properly supervising our southern border would be real work and would cause much angst among some Americans. This is not coalition building. This is teeing some people off. Better to be compassionate. So welcome to America amigos, and George W. Bush in 2004!
Related offers:
Get a jump-start on O’Reilly’s latest book with a free ‘No Spin Zone’ bumper sticker!
Bill O’Reilly’s no-holds-barred look at what’s right and wrong in America, “The O’Reilly Factor: The Good, Bad, and Completely Ridiculous in American Life,” is available in the WorldNetDaily online store.
