President Obama has ordered 1,200 National Guard to protect the border and has requested $500 Million from Congress to slow the flow of immigrants across the Mexican border.
According to Politico:
In addition to the troops, the funding will be used to increase Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security activities at the border with Mexico “to include increased agents, investigators, and prosecutors, as part of a multi-layered effort to target illicit networks trafficking in people, drugs, illegal weapons, and money,” an administration official said Tuesday.
The guard troops have had a very salutary effect. That’s why we need 6,000 of them,” McCain said in a speech on the Senate floor. He said such troops were needed to head off violent incidents such as one in March where an Arizona rancher was allegedly killed by someone crossing the border illegally.
Just before word of the border aid package emerged Tuesday afternoon, McCain squared off with the president over the issue during the closed-door session at the Capitol. “We need to secure the borders first,” McCain said afterward. “He didn’t agree.”
What will deploying 1,200 troops to the Mexican do? When the National Guard was on the border several years ago, weren’t there all sorts of restrictions? Did the military even have bullets or were they rubber? How will the National Guard be divvied up with Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas? Will there be enough boots on the ground to quell the violence of the drug lords?
Totally agree with Poor Richard in #40 and # 50.
I also agree with much of what Cargo said about the borders. My concern is that our troops will be placed in harms way with the drug violence. Rubber bullets doesn’t cut it.
However, in order to put troops on the border it seems like we should probably bring the ones in Iraq home. We can’t spend any more money…or is it ok if its for the border?
“We have met the enemy and he is us” -Pogo
Americans create a huge illegal drug market and sell assualt
weapons like chewing gum to everybody — and then blame the Mexicans
100% for the resulting mess. Que pasa? There is plenty of blame on
both sides of the border.
Si, Senior.
Police chiefs voice concerns to AG about Ariz. law
By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer Pete Yost, Associated Press Writer – 45 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Arizona’s new immigration law and similar proposals in other states would lead to an increase in crime, some police chiefs from around the country told Attorney General Eric Holder in an hourlong meeting Wednesday.
The chiefs told the attorney general that having to determine whether a person is in the United States illegally will break down the trust that police have built in communities and will divert law enforcement resources away from fighting crime.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100526/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_immigration_holder;_ylt=As_yLAVb0IQYddri68Io6rWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNwdHViOGJzBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNTI2L3VzX2ltbWlncmF0aW9uX2hvbGRlcgRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzYEcG9zAzMEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNwb2xpY2VjaGllZnM-
Thanks for that link, Starry. It seems like many of the police chiefs are of one mind on this issue.
I totally understand Moon, not a big deal… Don’t know who this was all aboot:
“Frankly, I am in a foul mood over a person using this blog to get even with someone they don’t like anyway, today. My patience is short.”
But I get it, your a modern day ‘4 minute man’ for Obama…
Whatever the true motives behind this action, it is a start at least. Now, can we wait to see how these Guardsmen are deployed and what they are actually doing before we get into further arguments? No doubt we will see calls for even more Guardsmen out there. McCain has already said that. I agree with him. But I’m willing to wait a bit and see where this actually goes. If it doesn’t go to my liking, then you will certainly hear from me again.
Let’s see–the U.S.-Mexico border is 1,969 miles long. That is 10,396, 320 feet. If we put a soldier every 25 feet, it would take 415,853 soldiers. That’s for the first shift. The average soldier in Afghanistan is being paid $38,000 a year. So the annual cost for the first shift would be $15,802,414,000. Again, that is for the first shift. So, if you take that times at least three, you’re beginning to talk about real money. An alternative might be a 5 mile wide “No Trespass Zone”. Plow up the ground, sow it with antipersonnel mines in such a way that the radius of the sharpnel of each mine overlaps–I think it would work. Since we have signed on to the No Mine Treaty, we just have to put the world on notice as to what we have done. Or one last alternative–declare against Mexico again and nuke ’em.
Ok PR, so Obama is taller than Bush. Big deal! At least Bush was PRO-American : )
How many people are currently in the combined armed forces?
They are being dispersed everywhere. Who knows, we might need reinforcement i Korea one of these day! Do we have trained personnel? Do we have equipment?
Good question, Punchak. I have no idea. Anyone else?
Hello, I took it down. Someone was impersonating Pinko. I believe it was grudge motivated. It took up time we could have all spent doing other things.
Good research question: Did the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 apply in any way in 1916 when President Wilson ordered General Black Jack Pershing and his Mexican Border Service, composed of regular Army and federalized National Guard troops, to secure the border and then actually go into Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa? I’ll try to look it up and let you know. If we could do that, I don’t see how we can be constrained in the current situation from securing our side of the border with military troops.
“Being President is a tough job.”
Sure. But you’re supposed to be a leader. Obama really has no clue how to be one.
(Please note that this doesn’t imply that I think Bush was one.).
Bush flying in the air while America was under attack, and staying up there all day incommunicado instead of saying anything to a shell-shocked American people during 9/11 was the antithesis of leadership.
And Obama going on with everyday life and playing basketball while the oil spills is also the opposite of leadership.
If I’m a manager and I’ve overseen a major crisis at my job, I am not going to stand and shrug and go play pickup basketball on my lunch hour while say millions of dollars of assets are at risk. Even if I can’t solve the problem myself, I won’t go play golf or basketball – I’ll try to set an example that this is serious business.
Twice now we’ve elected people who were unable to be good Presdients – and I see signs that this one, like the one before him, has a quitter in him and that part of him doesn’t really even want to be here.
America deserves better.
From http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/05/26/border-troops-wont-do-much-say-residents/?test=latestnews
“Every time our president talks to the Mexican president, or every time the word amnesty comes over the Mexican news, there is a flood of people,” said one resident who wanted to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
She and her neighbors say unarmed National Guard won’t deter drug smugglers or anyone else.
“There’s guys out here with no guns and they’re our troops. The Mexicans think we’re nuts,” says the resident.
But it is not just Mexicans. In 2009 Customs and Border Protection arrested 52,000 illegal entrants from countries other than Mexico, known as “OTM’s,” including from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen.
U.S. representative Rob Bishop (R-UT) says the crossings are a concern.
”It’s the illegal drug human smuggling and yes, the potential for terrorism.”
In spite of the Border Patrol’s best efforts, thousands of people are getting through, on federal land like Indian reservations and national parks that cover almost half of the Arizona-Mexico border. In many places, agents can’t pursue criminals in their vehicles for fear of damaging the environment.”
The troops will be unarmed and won’t be on the border. Another President abrogates his responsibilities.
Poor Richard,
Yep. We have a huge drug market. The war on drugs is failing and actually may making things worse. So, would the ACLU go after the authorities if we have a huge crackdown on the possessors of drugs or should we keep going after the dealers and smugglers. Do we want more draconian laws?
As to a loyal opposition…..wouldn’t the dominant party have to at least listen to a loyal opposition? When the GOP is literally and figurative LOCKED OUT of any bill negotiations, how can a party be a loyal anything? Furthermore, should the opposing party be a loyal opposition when they feel that the dominant party is being corrupt, pushing bills that go against their principles, and will harm the country? I don’t expect the Democrats to be a loyal opposition on domestic policies if it goes against their basic principles. Were you calling for the Democrats to be a loyal opposition when they were in the minority? The Democrats can pass anything they want against any opposition. Let them. And then its all their fault when their policies collapse the economy, put our troops in danger, and makes a laughing stock of America. Oh, and set up the framework for government control of our economy. Do you really want the Feds to be able to seize any financial institution they “deem” to be in trouble? Or track individual financial transactions? Or allow the Treasury to open a line of credit without getting Congressional approval?
Have you noticed that all these bills remove Congressional oversight or authority? Everything will be done by regulatory agencies that do not answer to Congress.
However, you are wrong about the “assault weapons.” One, no such thing. What you are thinking of are ASSAULT RIFLES. Assault weapons are a semantic creation by the liberals that promote gun control to make semi-automatic rifles sound scary. Two, the Mexican drug cartels are getting their ASSAULT RIFLES from the Mexican military. So you are half right. We sold the rifles to their military. Those soldiers sold the rifles, “lost” the rifles, or literally defected to the drug cartels. The bad guys are not coming over here to by low powered semiautomatic rifles. They have the cash to buy fully automatic weapons on the black market. Fully automatic AK’s, M-16’s, machine guns, and grenade launchers. Its a civil war down there.
Rick, the earth is going to spin backwards. I am going to defend George Bush. He wasn’t incommunicado on 9/11. Anything that happened with him that day was secret service protocol/decided. Their job was to protect the President. What possible good could he have done getting in the mix? None. From everything I have read, he gave the Secret Service a very hard time. (I worked with an SS spouse at the time also–not Bush fans politically)
I felt better that he and Cheney weren’t out there shaking their fists and yelling ‘bring it on!!!!’ to be perfectly honest.
————————————————————————————————————
I don’t want the NG on the border if they aren’t armed. I think that would be just horrible!
Why don’t the governors of the border states call out the Guard? Its there to be used for just this reason.
I wondered that myself. Is there some sort of restriction? Doesn’t the governor of each state command the National Guard from his/her state?
Obama has already begun to lose me because of the announcement that the National Guard will not be used to put a halt to illegal immigration. So, it appears to be just another political scam job. Just what is the intention here? If you detain someone with clear evidence of drug or weapons smuggling, you arrest them and do whatever you have to do with them. But if you detain someone who is clearly an illegal immigrant without other evidence of criminality, you welcome them to America and give them directions to Tucson?
You have seen the polls re American support for the new Arizona law. Even if you don’t like or trust the results of those polls, you have to admit that this is very much a hot button issue all the way around. In my opinion, the only possible way to get both sides on this contentious issue to a place where we can find some common ground concerning those illegal immigrants already here is to make an honest effort to cut off subsequent waves. I can support things like the Dream Act if the problem to be resolved is a finite one. But if you make me deal with an unending stream of eligibles for the Dream Act, you are soon going to lose an ally. This president has got to stop playing political games with this issue. No matter how deep your feelings may be for the plight of those below the border, that caring will not translate into the cold cash needed to sustain this country’s fiscal well being under unending waves of illegal immigrants.
#67/#68, I think this was already discussed. If the Guard is mobilized federally the federales pay for it. If the Governor calls out the Guard the paychecks come from the State of Arizona.
So, why pay for something yourself when you can have Virginia (as an example) help defray the costs by paying those guardsmen salaries.
Same happens with local deployments within Virginia. If I get activated I draw pay from the Commonwealth. So, it boils down to money – who will pay for whatever is required.
Exactly, Obama felt nit necessary to announce to potential illegal aliens/immigrants that the National Guard is supposed to let them through. I’m disgusted already.
How does one determine WHICH illegal alien is the drug smuggler/terrorist/etc from the “innocent” alien just seeking work? Telepathy?