Virtual Fence on Hold

A couple of weeks ago CBS's Anderson Cooper went downto the border to take a look at a huge smuggler's tunnel, complete with electric lights, telephones and even a crude elevator.

And last night, January 10th, CBS's lead story on 60 Minutes concerned the lack of progress on completing the so-called 'virtual fence', a billion dollar boondoggle that has been going through three Administrations, both Republican and Democrat.

CBS and the people they interviewed blamed the lack of progress on stupidity and a bumbling bureaucracy. And, to be sure, there's certainly plenty of that going around.

But there's a bigger, darker reason why this and all the other efforts to secure our borders have failed -- neither political party wants to close our borders.

The Republicans, despite all their bluster and baloney about patriotism, are keeping the borders open to provide their fat cat contributors with the cheap illegal alien labor they need to increase their profit margins.

And the Democrats, despite all the empty promises about protecting the jobs for American workers, are holding the door open for millions of illegal aliens because each one represents a new Democrat voter.

So the politicians from both parties are putting their own selfish interests ahead of the safety and welfare of the American people. And that, my friends, is the simple reason why our borders remain open to drugs, disease, uncontrolled immigration and terrorism.

Editor’s note: If you recognize the name of the candidate, don’t vote for him/her. It’s time to start over with a clean slate.


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Senate hearing generates bipartisan effort to free Ramos and Compean

With a firearms law designed for drug kingpins, two former Border Patrol agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, were sentenced in 2006 to an extra decade in prison for firing their guns at a Mexican drug smuggler. At a Senate Judiciary hearing this week, senators from both parties decried the use of that provision against law enforcement officers.

The former agents are serving 11- and 12-year terms, while the smuggler remains free, having cut a deal to testify against them. Senators also vented their dismay at West Texas U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, a Bush appointee who has caught unrelenting grief from anti-illegal immigrant activists over his handling of the case. "This really is a case of prosecutorial overreaction," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who chaired the hearing. "This was still a drug dealer who was shot fleeing. Shot in the rear end fleeing. He wasn't an innocent person."

Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Tex., a 26-year Border Patrol veteran, also joined the effort this week, pressing President Bush to commute the sentences of the two. Reyes said that even though he had supported the agent's conviction, the sentence is too harsh. "This penalty levied on these agents is excessive and ... they deserve the immediate exercise of your executive clemency powers," Senators Feinstein and Cornyn wrote to the President.

Letters to the president have been a blessing for the two affected families, but Bush may not support the requests. "The president has proven with Libby that he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants," said Patty Compean, whose husband is in an Elkton, Ohio, prison. "There's no due process with him. My husband was doing his job. I don't think Libby was."

Senate betrays Americans by reviving immigration bill

The U.S. Senate today betrayed the American voter by reviving an immigration bill which promises amnesty to more than 12 million illegal aliens. Desperate for a legislative "success," the Bush Administration had put together a target list of Senators they felt could be convinced to support open borders, mass immigration, and amnesty for all.

And how did the Bush effort do in the cloture vote? The following Senators did flip flop and switch their vote, betraying America: Bennett (R-UT), Bingaman (D-NM), Bond (R-MO), Boxer (D-CA), Burr (R-NC), Collins (R-ME), Craig (R-ID), Domenici (R-NM), Ensign (R-NV), Gregg (R-NH), Kyl (R-AZ), Lott (R-MS), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK), Pryor (D-AR), Snowe (R-ME), Stevens (R-AK), Warner (R-VA), and Webb (D-VA). Brownback (R-KS) did not vote last time and claimed to be against the bill, but voted yes this time.

The following Senators did not vote last time but voted against cloture this time.: Barrasso (R-WY), Coburn (R-OK), Enzi (R-WY). The following Senators saw the light since the last vote, when they voted yes. This time they voted no: Bayh (D-IN), Stabenow (D-MI)

Keep calling your Senator, don’t give up. The final Senate vote is scheduled for Friday June 29. Blitz your Senators with as many emails and phone calls as possible. Also, the bill can still be killed in US House of Representatives.

Bush changes few minds in meeting with Senate Republicans on immigration overhaul

President George W. Bush didn't persuade many opponents into supporting his amnesty plan in a rare luncheon meeting Tuesday with Senate Republicans aimed at reviving the stalled legislation. He acknowledged that the bill ignited passions but said he believes it is the best way to protect U.S. borders.

The Senators said Bush did not twist arms, but also failed to win new support during the luncheon. The President spent most of his time talking about the amnesty 'compromise' that was brokered by the White House and a bipartisan group of senators.

"I don't think he changed any minds,' admitted said Sen. Mel Martinez, a Florida Republican who helped negotiate the proposal.

The bill's supporters hope to bring it back for a vote in the Senate and are working to break the impasse by coming up with a list of amendments that would be considered.

Border Patrol find 1,600 lbs. of pot in truck abandoned at Cabeza Prieta national refuge

Border Patrol agents working at a remote campsite in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge this week found more than 1,600 pounds of marijuana in an abandoned truck.

Late one evening, Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue agents spotted tire tracks near the boundary of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta, said the Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman.

They notified agents working at Camp Grip, 60 miles southwest of Ajo where agents stay for about seven days at a time. The agents followed the tracks and found 354 bundles of marijuana inside an abandoned 2005 Ford F-250 pickup truck that had been reported stolen in California.

The 1,627 pounds of marijuana has an estimated value of $1.627 million.

Democrats Want to Stop Border Fence

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, D-Md., said the House will reconsider a plan to build a fence along the southwestern border between Mexico and the United States.

“I think the fence will be revisited,” Hoyer told reporters on Tuesday. “Appropriators will look at whether or not this is an expenditure that continues to make sense to them or whether there are other ways” to address the problem of illegal immigration.

Hoyer echoed the sentiments of Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who said last week that he wanted to delay construction of the fence until Congress passes a broad border security plan.

The GOP-led Congress passed the fence bill last year (PL 109-367) in an effort to prevent illegal aliens from crossing into the United States. But the fence plan, estimated to cost $50 billion, is not popular even with the Bush administration, never mind the Democrats.

The fence was initially planned to be 700 miles long, but those estimates proved to be too short — by about 154 miles — to reach "point to point," according to Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the original sponsor of the fence bill.

"The objective would be, as we move forward, to secure the border,” Hoyer said. “There has not been agreement that the fence is the best way to do it.”