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by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)

I am getting more amused every day by the loonies that constitute the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party. Being an advocates of exercising rational self interest in all thing I cannot help by marvel at Senator Marco Rubio's remarks on FOX News this Sunday. Certainly his remarks don't sound much like concern for rational self interest. Of course this is based on the belief comprehensive immigration reform is in everyone's rational self interest.

But maybe it's just me.

Via Memeorandum.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) suggested on Sunday that President Obama’s refusal to compromise with Republicans on Obamacare to re-open the government and raise the nation’s debt ceiling has jeopardized the chances of passing comprehensive immigration reform.

“I think immigration reform is harder to achieve today an it was three weeks ago because of what happened here,” the first-term senator said during an appearance on Fox News Sunday, before agreeing with opponents of immigration reform who warn that that the Obama administration will simply fail to enforce border security or other aspects of a bill he disagrees with.

“The president has undermined this effort, absolutely, because of the way he has behaved over the last three weeks,” Rubio added. “This notion that they’re going to get in a room and negotiate a deal with the president on immigration is much more difficult to do…because of the way the president has behaved towards his opponents over the last three weeks.” {Read More}

This sounds more like sour grapes and a United States Senator acting like a spoiled child than it does looking out four our nations rational self interests.

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny

Ex-President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama converse during this week's trip to Tanzania. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

This should be interesting.

dallasnews -A president named Obama may be most linked to overhauling immigration policy. But on Wednesday, George W. Bush will weigh in.

Bush will deliver opening remarks at an citizenship ceremony and immigration forum at the Dallas presidential center bearing his name, where it’s expected he will talk about how immigration reform will be good for America. A panel discussion titled “What Immigrants Contribute” will follow. The day will start with 20 immigrants taking a quick pathway to citizenship at an actual naturalization ceremony.

It’s unclear whether the ex-president will stick to generalities during his remarks at the citizenship ceremony, or elevate the conversation with details about the super-sized immigration bill now being debated in Congress.

The George. W. Bush Institute has thrown some weight behind measures to overhaul immigration policies and linked it to its “4% Growth Project,” which proposes such growth would create 10 million additional jobs during the next decade with no rise in government spending. The event will include panels discussing immigration and economic growth, why naturalization matters and “how immigrants serve America.”

Bush’s own promised overhaul of immigration policy was defeated in Congress. His measure with its five basic points is even featured in the new presidential museum, which also houses the Bush Institute.

The Bush Institute has pushed a small stream of reports and posts advocating an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws. Many are blunt: “How Conservatives Should Think About Immigration Reform.” Others note that the Bush Institute has backed “immigration reform” with a book co-sponsored with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Last week, S 744 passed the Senate, but the real fighting on the overhaul will take place in the House. The Senate measure includes a controversial “border surge” amendment that would double the Border Patrol, supply drones and more fencing to the nation’s southern flank. It was viewed as an inducement to Republicans to rally their support for the Senate measure, but one that brought criticism from Mexico’s Foreign Minister and U.S. citizens living at the border.

Some Latino and immigrant-rights groups based in border states like Texas and California say they oppose a measure that includes increases in law enforcement they consider extreme. The Border Patrol has already doubled its size from about a decade ago. Among those voicing objections are the El Paso-based Border Network on Human Rights, the online group called Presente.org, and border affiliates of the ACLU.

Waiting with baited breath for next Wednesday.

Via: Memeorandum

platomd@gmail.com Twitter.com/americassage. Author of Demons of Democracy and the forthcoming book, Obamacare: Dead on Arrival, A Prescription for Disaster. Manager of the group on LinkedIn, Government in Transition.

by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Liberty -vs- Tyranny

Boston firefighter James Plourde carries an injured girl away from the scene after a bombing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in Boston. (AP Photo/MetroWest Daily News, Ken McGagh)

Giving thought to the Boston Marathon bombing and potential political consequences for the current administration the following article from THE HILL points up a very valid concern for the Obama team and far left Libertarians. Just what is the potential impact on the immigration issue. Certainly a valid concern in these times of uncertainty and terrorist madness.

THE HILL - The Boston Marathon terrorist attack allegedly hatched by two brothers from Chechnya is threatening to disrupt President Obama’s second-term agenda.

Opponents of immigration reform — the most promising priority of Obama’s second term remaining after the defeat of gun control — are already using the attack to try to slow progress on a bipartisan Senate bill.

More broadly, the attack is raising questions about how the administration should deal with 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was captured Friday after an exhaustive manhunt in Boston, and concerns over whether the FBI was too complacent in letting his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev out of its sight after interviewing him in 2011.

The issues are expected to create political problems and distractions for Obama, whose fight against terrorism has largely been a political success highlighted by the killing of Osama bin Laden.

It is unclear how much oxygen the issue will consume in the coming weeks, but it seems certain it will shift the political debates in Washington.

“It definitely shifts the focus away from the issues they’ve been talking about,” said one top Democratic strategist. “Part of it depends on how deep this rabbit hole goes. Were there mistakes made or weren’t there? A lot of this depends on what the facts are but it shifts people’s attention from other issues and that’s a complication.”

Added one former senior administration official: “Does this push his agenda aside? It’s hard to say but I’m sure this is something that will occupy more presidential bandwidth in the near term than anything else.”

Republicans are already raising questions about the FBI interview, though there has been no direct criticism of Obama on the issue yet.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) called the revelation of the FBI interview with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, which came after queries by the Russian government, “very disturbing” in a Friday interview with CNN. {Read More}

Perhaps Micheal Savage is not that far wrong with his Borders, Language, Culture mantra. Or is he? Certainly worth serious consideration.

Via: Memeorandum