Comments on: Militarization of Border Will be Temporary

By: Sean Hackbarth

Sean Hackbarth — Tue, 16 May 2006 17:07:55 +0000

"So, why take the ridiculous step of militarizing the border as a stop-gap?"

To somewhat satiate the Minutemen and their sympathizers.

By: Small Town Veteran

Small Town Veteran — Mon, 15 May 2006 22:21:16 +0000

Jorge, are you drinking again?...

Didn't your mama tell you that little worm's bad news? Some links and comments in anticipation of El Presidente's much ballyhooed speech tonight:It’s Alive! Bush Betrayal Tries To Climb Out Of CoffinBy Steve Sailer After letting Ted Kennedy and Jo...

By: All Things Beautiful

All Things Beautiful — Mon, 15 May 2006 22:20:33 +0000

The Numbers Game...

China has become the factory of the world. 1.2 billion Chinese ensure a seemingly limitless source for cheap, but mostly unskilled labor, even at the current one-child-only policy. It seems the US wants to hedge its bet by competing with China and Indi...

By: Say Anything

Say Anything — Mon, 15 May 2006 19:50:53 +0000

Why Militarize The Border?...

James Joyner asks: ...how long can it possibly take to train effective Border Patrol agents? The initial training course is 19 weeks. It’s not like arresting unarmed migrants is as difficult as counterinsurgency, so one would think we could pair......

By: Hoodlumman

Hoodlumman — Mon, 15 May 2006 18:33:53 +0000

I'm almost convinced that Fox has photographs of Bush with a couple of Tiajuanan hookers on file down in Mexico D.F.

Almost.

By: anjin-san

anjin-san — Mon, 15 May 2006 18:27:22 +0000

If Bush was so concered about border security, why did he cut the border patrol?

Just wondering...

By: JPSobel

JPSobel — Mon, 15 May 2006 17:33:55 +0000

A main reason for using the National Guard as a stopgap measure is to discourage a rush across the border. If the administration were announce, or even try to quietly implement, only a rapid increase in the size of the Border Patrol, many thousands from the south might use the lapse between the announcement and the deployment to move into the US.

By: Topeka Satchel

Topeka Satchel — Mon, 15 May 2006 16:54:41 +0000

Just trying to think out of the box...
--Maybe some stand-up Iraqi troops could come over here for on-the-job training.

--Where are the United Nations Peacekeeper when they're needed?

By: legion

legion — Mon, 15 May 2006 16:34:45 +0000

Maybe I've missed it in all the hand-waving in the articles, but has anyone actually said what the heck 'temporary' means in this context? Because unless I'm missing something very big here, all these Guard troops will have to be federalized to do this mission. How long will they be there? Will they be camped out in Field Conditions, or living in leftover FEMA trailers? Because I _know_ neither the Army nor the Nat'l Guard Bureau have this in their budget - they're going to have to ask Congress for another supplemental to cover this operation. I expect Bush will lean heavily on the bully pulpit tonight, to pressure Congress into not asking too many questions when he hands them a blank check to sign for this...

By: DaveD

DaveD — Mon, 15 May 2006 16:27:26 +0000

My position is beginning to pretty much mirror Tim's. Why Bush feels so obliged to cover for Vincente Fox's economic laziness is beyond me.

By: Unabashedly Unhyphenated

Unabashedly Unhyphenated — Mon, 15 May 2006 16:15:52 +0000

A first: Bush Address Comes pre-Fisked... ...rather than rant on about what this person who purportedly is our "leader" will say this evening, I'll just serve as a guide to the thoughts of others who are, in effect, pre-Fisking this laughable attempt to con America......

By: Tim Vincent

Tim Vincent — Mon, 15 May 2006 16:00:20 +0000

I voted for Bush twice. Realistically there was no other choice if ones major concern is national security; BUT I was never under the illusion that the man is competent.

This latest mess with immigration illustrates the point: terrible staff work, tin-ear and now assuring the president of Mexico that we really won't stop his country's continuing invasion of our southwest.

I really feel stuck:
Weak, pandering, often anti-American Democrats.
Weak, stupid, clueless Republicans.

By: Fornl

Fornl — Mon, 15 May 2006 15:09:24 +0000

So, why take the ridiculous step of militarizing the border as a stop-gap?

This is further evidence of Bush's delusion and the fact that he is cloistered from the reality of basic policy decisions. He has never exhibited any seriousness as a public official and falls back on policy apparatuses that do more to bolster his image than to actually solve pressing problems.

This is a desperate and pathetic attempt to bolster his status as his presidency continues to self-destruct.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Mon, 15 May 2006 13:53:04 +0000

Bill: Sure. But we've been debating this for months. Unless, as Bryan suggests, they're having difficulty recruiting, they could have done this already.

By: The Moderate Voice

The Moderate Voice — Mon, 15 May 2006 13:41:39 +0000

Bush To Talk About Immigration As He Gets Caught In Political Pincer (UPDATED)...

Tonight all the major TV networks will carry live a speech by President George Bush on immigration...a speech that will be highly significant and could put Bush in a political pincer.

Why? Because he'll be proposing getting the National G......