Still trying to catch up on my reading, as I’m still swamped with a lot of work from a new client, but I just had to share this outstanding commentary from Monday’s JWR, by master columnist and editor Mark Steyn.

Another hat tip to Aunt Brenda:

MR. PRESIDENT, I’M HEADED TO MEXICO

David M. Bresnahan
April 1, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

Dear President Bush:

I’m about to plan a little trip with my family and extended family,
And I would like to ask you to assist me. I’m going to walk across
the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and I need to make a few
arrangements. I know you can help with this.

I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports,
immigration quotas and laws. I’m sure they handle those things the
same way you do here.

So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Vicente Fox, that
I’m on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting
the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

3. All government forms need to be printed in English.

4. I want my kids to be taught by English-speaking teachers.

5. Schools need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my kids to see the American flag flying on the top of the flag pole at their school with the Mexican flag flying lower down.

7. Please plan to feed my kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver’s license so I can get easy access to government services.

9. I do not plan to have any car insurance, and I won’t make any effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from Pres. Fox to leave me alone, please be sure that all police officers speak English.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, and don’t enforce any labor laws or tax laws.

13. Please tell all the people in the country to be extremely nice and never say a critical word about me, or about the strain I might place on the economy.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all the people who come to the U.S. from Mexico. I am sure that Pres. Fox won’t mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

However, if he gives you any trouble, just invite him to go quail hunting with your V.P.

Thank you so much for your kind help.

Sincerely,

David M. Bresnahan

Congressman Tom Tancredo, a real patriot and a conservative whom many right thinkers, including yours truly, believe would be a great next President if only he’d run in 2008, has been one of the staunchest fighters on Capital Hill against the criminal alien amnesty proposals that would severely damage this country.

Moving along to yesterday{I’ve been somewhat swamped with work for a new client}, here was his response to the defeat of the amnesty bill.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) today hailed the demise of the Senate’s amnesty deal which was brokered between Democrats and a handful of Republicans, yesterday. Cloture on the Martinez-Hagel pact was defeated in a 39-60 vote this morning.

“Today is a good day for America. The Senate – in a rare moment of clarity – rejected its amnesty-now, enforcement-later approach to immigration,” said Tancredo. “Over the Easter break, I will help inform the Senators’ constituents of what their representatives are doing in Washington. Hopefully, listening to their electorate will chasten these Senators so that they’ll put amnesty away for good.”

Tancredo continued, “No amnesty bill will pass the House of Representatives so long as Republican leadership holds to its promise to block legislation that doesn’t command the support of a GOP majority. Amnesty is a non-starter. If the Senate is serious about sending real security legislation to the President’s desk this year, it must take a different approach.”

Go, Tom!

I’ve been a little behind on my reading due to occupational overflow, so I just now got around to reading this great column by James Lileks that was in Thursday’s JWR online.

Fast, on-point, fun read…

The debate rages furiously on.

Those of us that care deeply about our country and the American people want to see our borders strengthened, criminal aliens sent back where they came from and a hearty “bye-bye” to the amnesty aspirations of a lot of foks who either haven’t the ability to think things through to the consequences of such idiocy or are more concerned with PC political agendas than the wellbeing of our nation.

One of the most appalling things about the entire kerfuffle, in my opinion, has been the response of many schools to friction between students sporting American flags and wearing clothing that demonstrates patriotism and those who wave Mexican flags and proclaim that although they have the privilege of living here, Mexico is their country. These schools have actually forbidden students from bringing American flags on or near school property or wearing anything that might suggest solidarity with America and American principals. Recently, at least one school even prevented its ROTC from flying the American flag on their pole. Perchance some of my fellow Americans, not surprisingly members of the public education community, have forgotten what country they’re in?

But I digress(me? hah!)…

Excuses like “they’ll do the jobs Americans won’t do” just don’t cut it. Speaking for myself, I recently bought a house and needed a variety of jobs done, from carpentry to general labor, and have had no problem acquiring help from legal, born-in-the-USA Americans, in fact the responses to ads I’ve run were overwhelming — a lot of Americans are looking for work, temporary and otherwise, but the proponents of opening wide the floodgates of criminal immigration prefer to either believe or pretend otherwise, or again, could care less as pushing a political agenda {at the expense of the American people} is all that matters to them.

Another argument put forth by the same faction is that if we give them amnesty, making them legally eligible to work here, they will be able to negotiate for better pay, join unions, etc. This is unthought-out malarkey at best, Utopian dreaming at worst.

Why, you ask?

Because, I reply, the reason criminals who employ “undocumented” aliens do so is because they can pay below minimum wage, match no employee payroll taxes, pay no insurance on the employees and extend no benefits. If suddenly these people who, according to law, should not even be in this country were able to ask for reasonable compensation, these same unscrupulous and basically treasonous employers would simply get rid of existing criminal aliens and hire more from a pool of others who have not been documented or cannot get the necessary permission to work in the United States. If they have been breaking the law to date, why should they abruptly start following the law then?

Also, who among them is going to provide any kind of proof to the government that an illegal alien has been illegally in their employ for more than two years or more than five years, in order to help them get this amnesty, unless these same fucking idiots politicians fighting for the decriminalization of illegally entering the country also offer them complete amnesty for their own years of lawbreaking?

C’mon, politicians, get your craniums out of your touchases and think things through. This is not a time to implement a cosmetic solution nor to pander to big business entities that thrive on hiring criminal aliens in order to put a few more pesos in their pockets!

The issue is being talked up at a forum here in North Carolina, my new home, and we are fortunate that my blog friend Mr. Ogre is at the proceedings. A number of speakers there have addressed the immigration issue both factually and to the point, and their contributions to the discussion can be found at Ogre’s Politics & Views.

How ’bout this one, courtesy of another forward from Aunt Brenda?

WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of Iraq regime has been completed.

Since Congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there.

The other list contains everyone not on the first list. Most of the world’s nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.

The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell-holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home.

On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth.

Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France, or may be China.

I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. Bon chance, mes amis.

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don’t care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York

A special note to our neighbors. Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not pissing us off for a change.

Mexico is also on List 2. President Fox and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra tank and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put em? Yep, border security. So start doing something with your oil.

Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now.

We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we’ll be drilling for oil in Alaska - which will take care of this country’s oil needs for decades to come. If you’re an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. They care.

It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, “darn tootin.”

Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America. It is time to eliminate World Cup Soccer from America.

To the nations on List 1, a final thought. Thanks guys. We owe you and we won’t forget.

To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic. God bless America.

Thank you and good night.

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.