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Rasmussen Sums Up Immigration--Voter Faith in Congress

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Anonymous

Guest
Why the Senate Immigration Bill Failed
Friday, June 08, 2007

Elite newspapers and countless bloggers are writing their own explanations of why the compromise immigration legislation failed last night. Most of the write-ups discuss legislative tactics, an amendment offered by Senator Byron Dorgan (D), or some particular provision of the bill dealing with amnesty or guest workers.

The reality is much simpler and has nothing to do with legislative tactics. The immigration bill failed because a broad cross-section of the American people are opposed to it. Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters are opposed. Men are opposed. So are women. The young don’t like it; neither do the no-longer-young. White Americans are opposed. Americans of color are opposed.

The last Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll found that just 23% of Americans supported the legislation. When a bill has less popular support than the War in Iraq, it deserves to be defeated.

There is no mystery to why the public opposed the bill. In the minds of most Americans, immigration means reducing illegal immigration and enforcing the border. Only 16% believed the Senate bill would accomplish that goal.

It wasn’t amnesty or guest-worker programs or paths to citizenship that doomed the bill. Each of those provisions made it more difficult for some segments of the population to accept. However, most voters were willing to accept them as part of a true compromise that accomplished the primary goal of reducing illegal immigration.

The key to winning voter support was to accomplish that primary goal.

The Senators missed that point and that’s where the mystery resides in analyzing why this bill failed. It’s not unusual for political leaders to be out of touch with their constituents, but rarely this out of touch. How could something this unpopular with voters get so close to passage in a legislative body that is supposed to represent them?

From the beginning, the Senate approached the issue with top priority of addressing the legal status of the illegal aliens. They addressed concerns about guest-worker programs and questions about whether family or skill level should be more important when determining who could enter the country.

All of those are important questions, but they are not the most important question. Rasmussen Reports polling found that 72% of Americans believe it’s Very Important to reduce illegal immigration and enforce the borders. Just 29% said it was Very Important to legalize the status of those illegally living in the country today.

After ignoring the main point that voters were hoping to address, Senators should not have been shocked at the public reaction. But they were.

With all the polling data in the world today, how could they have failed to see this coming? While Rasmussen Reports was the only public polling firm to directly ask about support or opposition to the Senate bill, other polling data such as a recent CBS News/New York Times survey provided plenty of warning signs. Besides, the nation’s politicians purchase plenty of private polling data that should have given them a hint.

We live in a world where most Americans believe that most Members of Congress will sell their vote for cash or a campaign contribution. Only 16% believe the legislators’ votes are not for sale. By a nearly 5-to-1 margin, voters believe that Members of Congress are more interested in their own careers and agenda rather than the public good.

In that environment, the only way for political leaders to prove they are serious about enforcing the border and reducing illegal immigration will be to do it. That’s the next logical step in the immigration debate.

There are plenty of steps that could be taken quickly with solid voter support. Some may require new laws while others may simply require enforcement of the existing laws. But, voters aren’t concerned about the specifics—they’ll support serious efforts to reduce illegal immigration. This could include imposing employer sanctions, building a barrier, adding more border patrol agents, supporting local law enforcement efforts, and more.

Once the government actually enforces the border, then the debate can begin on all other aspects of immigration reform. Then, the same politicians who were stunned by their misreading of the public on this bill will probably be stunned to learn something else—most Americans actually do favor a welcoming and open immigration policy.

The United States is a nation of immigrants. It is also a nation of laws. Voters want to honor both aspects of the national heritage. And, like good parents trying to instill values in their children, voters want their elected representatives to do the same.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
GW won't let this sad piece of Legislation die- and now is going to armtwist to get Legislators to go against the wish's of the people/voters again in his support of this elitist/Corporate bill...Pretty well shows what he thinks of the wishes of populace in his attempt to set up his facist state... :( :( :mad: :mad:

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INVASION USA
Bush wants Reid to resurrect bill
President believes it's premature to declare immigration plan dead

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Posted: June 8, 2007
3:47 p.m. Eastern



© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

President Bush wants Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to resurrect the controversial immigration-reform bill that was pulled last night after a motion to cut off debate failed, White House adviser Dan Bartlett said today.

Asked about the bill as Bush prepared to leave the G8 Summit in Germany, Bartlett told CNN the president believes declaring it dead is premature, and he wants Reid to consider putting it back on the table.

The plan would allow millions of illegal aliens now within U.S. borders to pay a fine and become legal.

Bush plans to use a scheduled lunch with GOP senators Tuesday as part of a campaign by the White House and allies in both parties to placate or outmaneuver Republicans who blocked the measure, the Associated Press reported.


A recent Rasmussen poll showed only 26 percent of American voters favored the Senate plan.

The public is most passionate about enforcement, the survey indicated. About 72 percent of voters said it's "very important" for "the government to improve its enforcement of the borders and reduce illegal immigration."

The figure jumped to 89 percent among Republicans, while 65 percent of Democrats and 63 percent of unaffiliated voters believed enforcement is "very important."

Full Story:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56081
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Jinglebob said:
Well lets impeach his ass and let Cheney take over.

Not sure if his pacemaker could handle it-- think I read somewhere today that he had to go in for a "re-charge".......
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Soros, Liberal Foundations Back Immigration

The Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation and Democratic activist George Soros are among the liberal funders that have donated millions of dollars to pro-immigration groups that favor a bill on immigration reform.

Three of the nation's most influential pro-immigration groups — the National Immigration Forum, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) — have collectively received more than $3.25 million from Ford Foundation since 2005.

The three advocacy groups generally support legislation that would give many of the estimated 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the U.S. a path to citizenship and allow aliens in the U.S. to bring close family members into the country, the Washington Times reports.

The Open Society Institute, run by Soros, gave $825,000 to the National Immigration Forum from 2002 to 2004. Soros also donated $525,000 to NCLR and $325,000 to MALDEF during the same period.

The Carnegie Corporation has contributed almost $7 million collectively to the National Immigration Forum, MALDEF, and NCLR since 1994.

NCLR also received nearly $2.2 million from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation from 2003 to 2005, and $425,000 from the Rockefeller Foundation since 2004.

Groups supporting stronger immigration policy and tighter border control, on the other hand, have relied more on small donations from individuals rather than large sums from foundations.

NumbersUSA, which claims 366,000 members, saw its membership grow 50 percent since Jan. 1, spokeswoman Caroline Espinosa told the Times. Two-thirds of the group's financial support comes from private people, with the average donation being $40.
 
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