Why aren’t Republican touting the James O’Keefe / Project Veritas video’s profound demonstration of border insecurity?
Many of our readers may have seen the image of an “Osama bin Laden” terrorist crossing the river separating the US and Mexico in Southwest Texas. It was an expose by James O’Keefe demonstrating how easy it is to do so unchallenged. He wore an Osama bin Laden mask for dramatic effect, walked across the narrow shallow Rio Grande and on to Interstate 10, six miles into the interior. He did so easily and was never approached by any border security agents.
The O Keefe “Project Veritas” video (no connection) is chilling in its implications. It should be the sort of thing mainstream journalists do to “speak truth to power,” but they don’t when it might implicate their liberal agenda.
The expose’ is not a condemnation of the Border Patrol rank and file but of the irresponsibility of politicians in charge. The agents are tasked elsewhere and undeniably that is something that can be laid primarily at the feet of Democrats both legislatively and Obama for dereliction of his enforcement duties. Why are Republicans by and large not all over this, using it as the righteous political club it could be to defeat Democrats as a class?
Some Republicans are corrupted by the influence of the Chamber of Commerce desires for cheap labor disregarding the costs laid on taxpayers for increased welfare program dependency. There has also been the influence of ridiculous hand-wringing consultant types who insist that Republicans must court the Hispanic vote by pushing “comprehensive immigration reform” instead of border security first.
Yet polling for some time has shown that “comprehensive immigration reform” was not a high priority even among Hispanic citizens. Now the influx of Central American border rushers has made border security a highly potent issue. It is ripe for Republicans to identify with the rule of law and fairness to those who are waiting under as bad and worse conditions.
But are Republican candidates touting a commitment to border security during this educable moment? We see little evidence except for some stump speeches that go almost nowhere beyond already committed Republicans. The Republican Party down to the county level should claim border security as a badge of honor and every candidate should embrace it. It is a winning issue laid at Republican feet. *
Instead we see nonsense from the likes of Alberto Gonzalez, former Attorney General in the Bush Administration who issued a mush-mouthed editorial easily interpreted as a statement in support of executive amnesty. His “all about the children” statement is far removed from not only a definable theory of constitutional law but real world dynamics and implications. Gonzalez statement is replete with the suggestion it is heartless to oppose what will inevitably turn into long-term settlement of who knows how many thousands of border rushers.
In response we suggest Mr. Gonzalez may be oblivious to actually more deserving cries for help and pleas to immigrate from around the world, including Mexico and South America. Unfair? No more than his innuendo of heartlessness and conflation at the end of his statement that “Congress” is at fault instead, primarily, the Democrat Senate, and Obama.
His statement is evidence that establishment Republicans have to some extent been part of the problem, deaf to populist sentiment, slavish toward special interests, or intimidated by agenda driven consultants. Too many have failed to honor the rule of law, Republican Platforms, legislative prerogatives. They have been weak at defending American tax payers and securing our existing obligations. Special interest oriented establishment Republicans have done so in defiance of the Republican grassroots.
As DLH said in raising the matter of Gonzalez editorial: This is one of the most tortured pieces of writing I’ve seen for a while. Alberto doesn’t seem to know where he’s going in the next sentence. It does appear though, that “at the end of the day ” (my favorite), Alberto is trying to win the applause of the left and the media but without seriously offending anybody who thinks the immigration crisis is an abject failure to enforce the “rule of law” (another favorite expression). The “protect the border first” brand is worthy one from all aspects including humanitarian. Republicans should raise it, embrace it and ride it to victory.
* Ed Note: We see little brand promotion at the national and state level and at the local level virtually none. Locally we see only what amounts to “be sure and vote early so I can get a gold star” activity directed at likely Republican voters.
They aren’t touting the James O’Keefe video because the Obummer media has successfully marginalized him. He kicks there ass all the time and they act like the videos are staged or faked because they make them look bad.
You would think a senior Senator of a border state like John McLame would be touting this! Then we remember that he’s afraid to associate with his own shadow, much less the like do James O’Keefe.