Mr. President?

I have entered Phase II of bloglife. I've had my fun. Been silly. Thoughtful. Political, green. I still very much intend to continue writing in these styles. But this is the part where I admit I need help. Topics of interest. Topics for social discussion.









For this Sunday I am going to follow-up in recent developments on"immigration"- which has seemed to turn into developments of "border control." Tomorrow evening, President Bush will address the union (that's us) on the resolution. In an article from The New York Times Online today released information that the President of Mexico , Vincente Fox, and President Bush had a 30-minute conversation on this issue. The article raises a few questions, and I think the President may just be being vague in his response to the media, so he can explain exactly what he is going to do. That is what a country deserves in a President. Anyway...below are the questions I would like to ask the President, along with a little commentary.

"...Ms. Tamburri [spokeswoman] said the president told Mr. Fox [Mexico
President], "What is being considered is not a militarization of the border, but
support of border patrol capabilities, on a temporary basis, by National Guard
personnel."

Well, this reallly shouldn't be too many National Guard. I mean, from the itty, bitty, tiny bit of information that I know, there really isn't much "border control capabilities" in place already, hence this problem (?). I wonder if the president is playing with the media to eat this big beef-up of security, send a few thou to the border to run P.T. and harrass people, and by three months assure these troops are back en route to the Middle East.

Question: "Mr. President, What are the U.S.'s border control capabilities?

"In a televised address scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday, Mr. Bush is expected
to call for a significantly increased National Guard presence at the border.
Officials have indicated that Mr. Bush could call for a force of thousands but
that it would not be as high as 10,000, a number that had been rumored late last
week. "

Note: According to Wikipedia.org, The National Guard has 325,000 Soldiers.

Question: "Mr. President, How long is the border? Is this number of troops (though vague) justified? How?

"On Monday, Mr. Bush is also expected to outline several other proposals aimed
at sealing the border and cracking down on workers who are illegally in the
United States, and the employers who hire them. Aides said he would renew his
calls for an overhaul of the nation's immigration law that includes provisions to grant illegal immigrants the right to work here legally."

Overhaul: a repair job

"The president's speech, his first on domestic policy from the Oval
Office, is to come as the Senate begins trying again to pass a bill that
addresses competing demands to stem the flow of workers across the border from
Mexico and the desire of American employers to have reliable access to a
low-wage work force."

Does anyone else think it is kind of wrong that under the leadership of this president, our nation has been terrorized, naturized, technologized, and this is the first time he has made even one speech on domestic policy?

Question: "Mr. President, Why have you not addressed the union on domestic policy since the beginning of your presidency?"

Question: "Mr. President: "stem the flow of workers" from Mexico (?), "and the desire of Americans...." ? ? ?

[on the National Guard] "Speaking on "Late Edition" on CNN, Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, said expressed similar feelings, saying, "We're stretching them pretty thin now. We're going to make a border patrol out of them?"

Remember, folks, these are our reserves.

"The president is looking to do everything he can to secure the border," said
Stephen J. Hadley, the national security adviser, on "Face the Nation" on CBS.
"It's what the American people want, it's what he wants to do."

This is an example of how brain-dead our president is. He (and the admisinstration) are refusing to look deeper into this situation to solve the problem. Instead, they are trying to combat outcomes that have been happening for a long time. It is a simple difference between reactionary and pro-active.

"A statement from Mr. Fox's office said that during the president's
30-minute conversation he reiterated to Mr. Bush his conviction that the best
way to manage the problem of illegal migration was with comprehensive
legislation."

Question: "Mr. President, How did the president of Mexico define comprehensive legislation?

"Mr. Fox's expression of concern to Mr. Bush, along with that of members of
Congress and some governors, underscored the constituencies the president is
juggling as he seeks a legislative victory on an issue of special interest to
him at a time when much of his agenda is stalled."

Geez, how many contingencies can be listed in one sentence? Excuses, excuses...

"His push for granting illegal immigrants legal status, and his veiled
discussion of a path to citizenship — he often says those who want to become
citizens would have to go to "the back of the line" — has been dismissed as
"amnesty" by some conservatives. And, as his party faces a rough midterm
election fight, Republicans have worried that his push on immigration has helped
demoralize core conservative voters."

Isn't that what we all should be worried about?






Be sure to listen to the President Monday evening on your local channel for possible answers to these questions and more. It should be a good one; he's had enough time to prepare.