It's clear now that the Republican strategy, both in Oregon and nationally, is to get really shrill on immigration. They going to try to blame every domestic woe on immigration and claim every government is coddling illegal immigrants and spending taxpayer dollars so that illegal immigrants can get on welfare, go to college and essentially live better than the average white American.

Illegal immigrants are becoming the "Cadillac Welfare Mother" of the next election. The R's think they can distract enough ordinary voters from the war, health care, education, the environment and income inequality to eke out the election.

They could do it, too. Especially when weird things happen, like a Portland mayor walking out of a council meeting in a snit because the council won't rubber stamp the renaming of Interstate to Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Democrats are going to be accused of being soft on illegal immigrants. Fact is, the whole debate pretty much has been a fight between the religious right/Republican racists vs the corporate right. Smith's switch on the issue indicates the corporate right is going to go along with the anti-immigrant crowd, knowing full well that Congress actually won't do anything that actually impedes their ability to import cheap labor.

But what, exactly, is the Democratic position on illegal immigration?

"It's clear now that the Republican strategy, both in Oregon and nationally, is to get really shrill on immigration."

Do you suppose that might have something to do with invoking the wrath of their constituents over this rather precarious immigration issue? In case you failed to notice, there's no shortage of disgruntled voters when it comes to legislation that is seen as "amnesty" for "illegals" and the DREAM act is/was yet another example of that.

Why is it that "progressives", liberals hiding under a new name, think that upholding the U.S. Rule of Law is "racist? Its just misdirection while a million more illegals sneak across the border. If you don't think its an invasion,just see who complains when you try to stop it!

  " When the facts and the law are both  against

you cry racism" Shysters Rules

I'm a newly registered Independent, that refuses to continue to support a party that rewards illegal aliens and their children, to the detriment of America and her middle and working class families. The other issues; health-care, environmental, education, etc., will be irrelevant if America becomes a 3rd world nation. A nation with shortages of basics(ie: water, food) and Latin America's crime rates that are 3 times ours.

With the DREAM Act... our NATION and Americans were once again being betrayed by corrupt and deceitful Senators, such as Feinstein, McCain, Clinton, Brownback, Obama etc., who have sold their greedy souls to racist organizations such as LA RAZA, whose motto is "For The Race everything. Outside The Race, nothing." and MEChA, who declare that their blood is the power and destiny of the United States(Aztlan) and not the foreign Europeans(AMERICANS). (These words come straight from official LA RAZA and MEChA sites at Georgetown University, the University of Texas, UCLA, University of Michigan and numerous other universities (although recently with the outcry against illegals colonizing the US, they've been hiding their objective better)).

I'll vote for the canidates who have not been bought and paid for by ethnic and business organizations. Canidates that have heard the roar of hundreds of thousands of angry Americans shouting HELL NO to the INSANITY that corrupt politicians are shoving down our throats!

I agree with AlexSinclair. I am closer to Democrats in most of my views, however, this year I am definitely VOTING REPUBLICAN. I am tired of Democrats betraying the interests of American citizens and pandering to law-breakers. BTW, I am an immigrant myself - LEGAL one, who had to follow the due process and never complained. The audacity of queue jumpers pisses me off.

Illegal Aliens and Immigration is NOT the same thing.

Illegal aliens in America have NO rights. We are required by law to arrest and prosecute, deport them. (Title 8 U.S. Code)

No, matter your political party affiliation, and setting aside your thoughts on issues. We all need to remember what it is to be an American Citizen. We need to make sure our elected representatives obey their Oath of Office and keep their Oath of Allegiance.

See http://tinyurl.com/2znnvl Know whom you are voting for.

A Fence is being built on the Mexican border because the D.E.A. say that 80-90% of all METH, Cocaine & Heroin come from the southern Border, not Canada.

Our Schools are not overburdened with people that only apeak French(Canada), they are flooded with those that speak Spanish.

Pew Research says that 85% of Illegal Aliens are from Mexico & Latin America, not Canada.

The Canadain Gov't has never called Illegal Aliens "Heroes" nor said "Doing the jobs even BLACK people will not do"- Pres. Vincente Fox of Mexico.

The Canadian Gov't does not publish over 1.5 million booklets on how to avoid the Border Patrol.

YES, DEMOCRATS will lose Elections because their agenda is to support Illegal Aliens with a zillion excuses not to suport American & LEGAL immigrants who are paying the price. This 2007 State Legislative session and Federal Congressional session are all the proof I need.

how about making the US corporations that are outside our boaders, pay the minimum wage that is enforce here? this may stop the reason for traveling to this country for a better wage. we are now trying to bail out a river with a tin cup, and think building a damn will stop the water. it is nuts.

In the many comments on illegal immigration in various media there is a preponderance of opinions that essentially see law enforcement as the way to resolve this problem. If only it were that simple. Instead, we need to go beyond what appear to be quick solutions that are more likely to become failed and expensive policies.

Aristotle made an observation that nearly 2,500 years of history have proved valid: Poverty is the parent of crime and revolution. He might very well have added migration as a third disruptive stepchild. That is why we should be looking at the factors causing people to leave their homelands for what they hope to be another that will give them a chance to live in decent conditions.

The governments of the United States and other wealthy nations have implemented agreements such as NAFTA, CAFTA and GATT and sponsored institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the World Bank to boost the already obscene profits of the corporations that own them. Although politicians and trade negotiators allege that these instruments were intended to eliminate poverty, the sordid fact is that Mexico and other nations throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia have become more impoverished while multi-national corporations have prospered.

Continuing to convert the United States into more of a police state with penitentiary-like borders is not the answer to illegal immigration. For a fraction of what these draconian tactics would cost and with the intelligence that is absent from current proposals, we would be more effective promoting programs that would help people make a decent living in their own nations and allow them to stay there with their families, which is most likely what most of would prefer in the first place.

Applying band-aids to wounds has no benefit when antibiotics or other therapy is called.

democrats will lose!!!!

As the dollar plummets and more manufacturing moves south of the border, so too will the illegals. Soon we will have labor shortages and no one to do physical, monotonous work. The cost of living here, and quality of life will continue to diverge exponentially. When the gulf between rich and poor widens further, who will want to leave their homeland to relocate to the home of the rich and land of the poor. Wait, I forgot to factor in the vast drug market here. Hmm? I guess, the export imbalance will shift - if it hasn't already. Who knows the value of all those drugs which enter the marketplace? Meantime we'd best get to reforming the wii playing, girth expanding, entitlement expecting, youth drug consumers to go work in the fields for minimum wage. -Thats the ticket. Wistfully awaiting my wintertime Mexican holiday.

It's astonishing to me that so many people, including some of those posting above, are planning to vote Republican because of a single issue--illegal immigration.

If somehow the President of the United States could wave a magic wand and make all the illegal aliens disappear, there still will be a disastrous war in Iraq and an impending bigger disaster in Iran. There still will be skyrocketing health care costs and plummeting health insurance coverage. There still will be many huge problems with education. There still will be enormous corporate greed and Gilded Age levels of income inequality. China still will own too much of the U.S. debt and make too many goods sold in the U.S. Incompetent federal bureaucracies run by former industry representatives still will be corrupting the regulatory system. And we'll still have to deal with global warming.

The Republicans have no answers to any of these issues--in fact, hardly address them as issues at all. Thee Democrats at least recognized these issues and have some answers. So the Republicans are going to try to turn the entire election on one hot issue in which they do have an answer (though a rather simplistic one).

So Democrats, let's figure this out. I'm sure you have noticed that Latinos are not just busing tables and making beds in hotels any more. They not only are working better-paying construction jobs, but some of them own construction firms. They deliver the morning paper, fill up the car at the gas station, cook in many other ethnic restaurants. Now not all of these workers are illegal immigrants and not all are even immigrants. But you can bet safely that a considerable percentage are illegal. So it's not just jobs that other Americans won't do. And now it's jobs that other Americans won't do because the pay is too low.

So again, I ask the Democrats who frequent BlueOregon, what is the Democratic position? Or what is being advocated that makes sense?

The far right Republicans are selfish pricks. They only think about themselves, and their own comforts, regardless of whom falls victim as a result. Now, they've shown that not even children of illegal immigrants deserve any compassion, despite that they would be going to the military and college. By no measure of fairness, is this fair. They're unconscionable. Anyone who has a conscience would be sick & tired of their egotistic pattern.

The solution should be employer driven. Those on the payroll should be granted work visas. The immigration laws should be enforced. Screw amnesty, we need these otherwise responsible employees to be legal.

If we don't enforce our borders and immigration laws the United States as we know it will cease to exist. Now I know some of the Caucasian hating America blamers would really like to see that happen. I don't.

Illegal immigration is a realignment issue.

People who perfer the status quo from both the right and the left -- don't want border control and illegal immigration to take hold as an issue.

But I got news for you, it is an issue of realignment!

Frankly, this is a good thing for many reasons, but two stand out:

1. We are all Americans and the current sterile divisions in our politics are outmoded. When Americans come together for a common purpose, it's a good thing.

2. Calling somebody "racist" at the drop of a hat is a mindless intimidation tactic, not meant for real discussion or debate, but to shutdown reasoned back and forth. The "race" card is out of gas.

Americans of all political stripes should be concerned with sovereignty issues.

Thankfully, Americans are concerned and have demonstrated flexibility in America's politics.

Ossification (turning into bone) of American politics is bad for America because permanent and increasing divisions weaken America's ability to respond to challenges.

The "inbox" is full.

is it just me or is this conversation downright bizarre?

The far-left has lost control of the illegal immigration debate in the Democratic party.

Democrats who believe in border control are letting their voices be heard.

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