I was invited to be on The Takeaway again tomorrow morning to discuss Mitt Romney’s speech at NALEO.  I will share the MP3 audio once it is online and available. The Takeaway is a national show that is co-produced by the New York public Radio, Public Radio International, the BBC and the New York Times. As you may already know, the Tequila Party is a Latina counter movement to the extremist Tea Party people.Most pundits believed Obama would wait (like Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush waited) to address the DREAM Act or immigration related issues only after being re-elected to a 2nd term.  They were wrong, and now the relief offered to babies, children and our youth via the Deferred Action MEMO has become  historic immigration news –  particularly for those of us who are legal immigration reform activists.

Bottom line:  I stated that Mexican-American / Latino voters should NOT gamble their voting chips away on Mitt Romney who has aligned himself with protectionists, economic isolationists and restrictionists  via Pete Wilson and Kris Kobach.  It is a calculated risk for Latinos to invest their voting chips on an incoming 2nd term President via President Obama because both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush waited to confront legal  immigration reform related policies until after they were re-elected.  President Obama addressed some partial DREAM Act relief within his first term in an era where anti-immigrant activists have demonized us and made the issue a toxic one.

We have American history to learn from regarding this issue, and it should not surprise anyone that not one single American President over the last 100 years has confronted or taken on immigration-related reform within his first term as President of the United States (aside from continued Cuban Amnesty via the Cuban Adjustment Act).  The one American President who addressed immigration within his 1st term as President was President Benjamin Harris (of Ohio) when he designated Ellis Island as the first federal immigration state that helped Irish, Italian, European, Latin immigrants and etc. from all over the world.   Ellis Island was established in 1890 (over a century ago), and it is time for legal immigration reform to be addressed once again. This nation was founded by immigrants that helped our Nation to become a beacon and a Shining City on a Hill to the whole world.

Finally, it would be advantageous for Latinos to invest their vote on an incoming 2nd term President rather than to gamble our voting chips away on Mr. Multiple Choice Mitt Romney who has flip-flopped so many times we don’t know who is who with him anymore.  Mitt Romney is the same man who was for ObamaCare initially but flip-flopped and now states he is against government health care — even though he created RomneyCare that helped lay the foundation to ObamaCare.

It is my view that it is better to have 4 more years of Obama than 8 more years of Mr. Romney.  If Romney sincerely wants the Latino vote by November Election Day, he would have to round up enough Republican Senators and Republican Congressman to pass a fair, full and comprehensive legal immigration reform bill and have it passed before November 6, 2012.  Latinas and Latinos cannot afford to throw their votes away anymore because this issue has been used as a political football for far too long, and we have no choice but to make the best calculated decision for the sake of all immigrants from all over the world.  Immigration does not affect only us (Mexicans and Latinos), it affects the Irish, the Asians, the Europeans, the Canadians and etc.

A healthy and legal immigration solution will secure our borders, create a safer North American Continent and promote a stronger relationship with our contiguous neighbors.  Enforcement-only initiatives promote a situation that emulates the failed days of Prohibition, which serves only to encourage the underground labor market.  Our government needs the additional tax revenues that new immigrants generate in order to sustain the burgeoning entitlement programs baby boomers require as they continue to retire.  By developing a reasonable legal immigration plan, we create a system where immigrants share American tax burdens as they continue to contribute millions of dollars into our tax coffers.  New immigrants sharing our tax burdens will help discourage our government from increasing taxes, because under the current system these entitlement programs will drain all federal revenues within 15 years.

Talk about a crazy election year.  Here we are witnessing a Hispanic in Texas trying so hard to scrub his Latinoness off in order to win a Texas Senate election.  Current Solicitor General and Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, Ted Cruz, said that bilingual education creates a “language ghetto.”  Why does the Texas Hispanic Candidate Ted Cruz believe Spanish is a language ghetto when he knows damn well the Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Republican President George W. Bush used Spanish in their campaigns for Latino outreach? We all remember the “Viva Bush” campaign.  In fact, the more languages a person

Button made by supporters of the Viva Bush campaign.

knows — the smarter they are, right?

More importantly, how is Cuban Ted Cruz going to convince the Mexican voters in Texas to vote for him when he refused to support the DREAM Act?  Sin verguenza! Hell … both Rick Perry and George W. Bush supported the DREAM Act, so why is Cruz “the convenient Latino” opposing it?  Ted Cruz knows darn well how Cuban immigrants benefit from Cuban amnesty, so why isn’t he supporting a legal immigration plan in Texas?

Perhaps Ted Cruz should take a script from George W. Bush’s 2004 campaign video.  It’s pretty damn sad that Chicanos and Tejanos of Texas trust gringos more than they can trust a “convenient Hispanic” like Ted Cruz.

I was born in Texas, and I personally want to thank George W. Bush for reminding Americans of Texas history regarding the strong Mexican-American influence there.  At the end of this ol’ video by George W. Bush … you will hear him communicate a message in Spanish — something you don’t see Cruz doing.  In fact, we see Cruz  “over-correcting” on the immigration issue even though most Mexicans know that Cuban immigrants benefit from Cuban amnesty.

Que triste y mal.

I am so glad I am no longer a partisan hack.  I am so glad I am a registered Independent voter.  I am not beholden to a partisan organization, yet, I see how Senator John McCain took a jab at Obama with regard to the one year anniversary killing of a dangerous man — Osama Bin Laden.  Obama didn’t spike a football….spiking a football is what President George W. Bush did when Cheney had Zarqawi’s head photo in a GOLD colored picture frame.  No photos have been released on Osama Bin Laden even though Americans like me wanted to see them.

In the old days, George Washington would have embraced a time and every opportunity to capture “unity moments” but these days … we see partisan hacks take every opportunity to make their “team” look better.

Really?

Is this what we have amounted to?  Partisan hacks instead of embracing unity on a ONE YEAR anniversary in the killing of a dangerous man who took down our towers in New York?

That’s what I miss about the military days — we were trained to view one color … the color of our BDU’s (Battle Dress Uniforms), but Vet McCain sees only two colors:  Red or Blue.  Que triste.

As an INDEPENDENT American, and a former member of the Armed Forces who served our country honorably … I say:

HELL YEAH Osama Bin Laden is down! 

Hell freakin’ Yeah! 

A dangerous man has been eliminated, and he should have been the first one eliminated to begin with once our New York towers imploded! 

HOOAH!  Veterans all over the world rejoiced and we continue to do so!  That’s why we volunteer and risk our own lives — to fight bullies who kill innocent non-military civilians.

I appreciated when Dee Evans wrote:

Obama Can’t Use Bin Laden but Bush Could Use Saddam and 9/11 — Really?

Just as I was happy when Bush delivered Saddam and Zarqawi, I am equally stoked about President Obama delivering on the man we should have been after from day one when our towers imploded and killed innocent American civilians.  Terrorists need to be reminded not to F*** with Americans and the United States.

Now how ’bout some real patriotism, Mr. McCain?  Or are you that much of a partisan hack during a key Presidential race?

Bush delivers Zaqawi's head in a gold colored picture frame.

Americans are yearning for UNITY and healing — not political sniping and partisanship during a time of rejoice.

Watch below video flashback from the Bush days:

We are identifying a theme from the Republican Party and we are witnessing the face of the GOP change dramatically. It is unfortunate that the Republican National Committee has failed to view things with foresight as restrictive voting laws continue to be implemented by their own Party lawmakers.

It first began with the state Republican lawmakers who implemented anti-immigrant laws, then the attacks on the 14th amendment came and now voter suppression is coming from the Grand Ol’ Party.

Voter suppression is probably one of the most damaging issues Republicans will have to contend with as Americans will push back on our rights being violated as Americans and American-born citizens.

Can someone please explain to us what Kris Kobach is doing on taxpayers’ dime when he seems to spend more time traveling than doing actual work?

Kris Kobach and the Connection Between Restrictive Voting and Immigration Laws

Brentin Mock on March 21, 2012 – 12:53 PM ET

If you think the metastasizing problem of photo voter ID laws has no connection to anti-immigrant, “illegal alien” paranoia, one need only examine the example of Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach. Not satisfied with the strict photo voter ID bill he helped become law in Kansas last year, Kobach also created a law that would make first-time voter registrants show proof of their citizenship — a law that isn’t slated to kick in until 2013, but which Kobach wants in place by this November’s elections. State senators recently blocked Kobach’s wishes to speed up the proof of citizenship requirement, but it’s clear where the secretary of state is headed with this: a system where anyone who is an immigrant, or even looks like they might be an immigrant, but is eligible to vote will feel discouraged from showing up at the polls to exercise their franchise toward democracy.

As Kobach keeps upping the ante for who can vote in his own state, he’s also traveling around the country kibitzing in conversations around how to make voting and immigration more difficult in other states. Note the recent report from KanVote, which through freedom of information act requests documented Kobach’s calendar and whereabouts for much of the last year. It shows Kobach spending more time lawyering immigration cases in states like Nebraska, California and Pennsylvania than he has been spending time helping Kansas government agencies administer the photo voter ID law he imposed on voters. It also shows him gathering at events sponsored by the controversial American Legislative Exchange Council and with groups that have taken hard stances against immigration.

READ FULL STORY: http://www.thenation.com/blog/167243/kris-kobach-and-connection-between-restrictive-voting-and-immigration-laws

Below is an ooooold opinion I wrote when President George W. Bush tried to push for CIR in his second term as President. I am glad that Dubya is not getting involved in 2012 and wants to be out of the lime-light during the 2012 elections.

Today, Arizona Republicans and far-right wingers are crying about me and claiming I was never a “real” Republican when in all actuality I was a moderate Republican and have pushed back on their extremist and bigotry filled views when GOP state lawmakers were supporting anti-immigrant and anti-Latino legislation. These crazy extremists wanted me to hush up and be a good little Hispanic girl and not say anything about the anti-immigrant laws that Republicans such as Kris Kobach, Mitt Romney, Marco Rubio and Lamar Smith have been for.

Here is proof (in below opionion) of how I used to fight for Bush’s CIR plan when I was a registered Republican voter. The extremists are killing the GOP….keep in mind how they attacked Bush for his pro CIR efforts. You can sense it in this piece I wrote back in 2007. Perhaps this is good thing with regard to the fringe groups…..the light at the end of the tunnel is the rise of the Independents a/k/a The Real American Party that simply wants to get things done without the divisive Party bickering. 2012 is just the year for the Republican Party to be spanked. Wait til we tell more students and our college youth that Republicans are the ones who are suppressing our voting rights. Oh wait … we are already doing that.

I wrote this around June 28, 2007 when I used to be a registered Republican and an activist for the GOP:

Headlines: Bush facing GOP mutiny over immigration

 

The immigration fight marks yet another low ebb for the White House.

Photo by AP

Why are the GOPers wanting to rebel against Bush? Did he not uphold our platform?

How quickly some of the GOPers forget. Aren’t we the party for Enforcing Trade Agreements and Opening New Markets? The comprehensive immigration reform President Bush was very much in support of would have continued to advance the American economic goals. To achieve this goal, we must put the globalism thinking hat on and approve bills that would continue to put us at the economic forefront in global marketplace we live in.

What else did some of those GOPers forget? They forgot that our nation has been enriched by immigrants seeking a better life. In many cases, immigrants of the past fled violence and oppression searching for peace and freedom. All suffered and sacrificed but hoped for a better future for their children in America. Our nation has been enriched by their determination, energy, and diversity. Ensuring the integrity of our borders is vital to ensuring the safety of our citizens, and we must know the identity of all visitors who enter the United States, and we must knowwhen they leave. We could have accomplished this goal by increasing more work visas as a means to better track the entry and exit of foreign travelers.

What else did some of the GOPers forget? They forgot to create economic policies in terms of the incentives we should have created, rather than the goals they declared. Consequences matter more than intentions. What is going to be the consequence of this bill?

1. Millions will continue to live in the shadows of society.
2. Businesses will be put out of business affecting their local/state communities.
3. Prices of goods and services will increase as a result labor scarcity.
4. The republican party will lose more of the Latino swing vote (very important these days).
5. The Libertarian Party will grow to name a few.

 

What else did some of the GOPers forget? They forgot their supposed religious values. It is common knowledge that many in the Republican party are those who are in this party for moral reasons. In fact, many are on this side because of their strong Christian and religious convictions such as pro-life, anti-gay marriage, the ten commandments, keeping God in the Pledge of Allegiance and things of that nature. I think the one thing that I am most let down by is not because we worked for Capitalism ideals and how it related to the immigration issue, nay, it is because several GOP hypocrites have no knowledge nor understanding of their own Christ’s compassion. Do they believe in Jesus, or not? GOPers quote the law but they also forgot that the Slavery Law was once legal, too. The Slave Law needed to be done away with and that vigorous and violent task was championed by our very first Republican President, Abe Lincoln. Many moral GOPers want to turn a blind eye to remember that Christ broke the Sabbath Law to feed the hungry. Ah yes, the hungry. Didn’t Christ instruct to feed the poor and give water to the thirsty? Except in this case, many are too proud to ask for handouts…..they chose to work hard instead.

 

In conclusion, let it be understood by all that there was one GOPer who did have compassion in his heart — good ol’ President George W. Bush. That is one man I would take a bullet for any day. He is a fine, fine President and will go down in the history books as a legend, and as the person who tried to be the champion for those who continue to live in the Shadows of Society. God Bless George W. Bush, and may he live long.