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The day the immigration president didn’t come to Georgia

This week, Republicans in Washington took a gamble. GOP leaders in Congress dropped an agreement on immigration as an achievable, pre-election goal. Instead, they decided, the party mantra would be national security.

They rolled the dice, and hoped that no one would notice. But Sonny did.

In his Wednesday morning press conference, Governor Perdue announced a plan to make it harder for illegal immigrants to use fraudulent documents to get government IDs and driver’s licenses.

Not a big event, but something to show what side of the issue he’s on. Something to separate the Republican governor from those other Republicans in D.C.

This is what Perdue said about illegal immigration, on the day before he was to introduce President Bush to a crowd of supporters in Cobb County:

“People who don’t address the concerns that are important to people really don’t deserve to govern. That’s why we’re here. I don’t need a poll to tell me the people of Georgia are anxious and concerned,” the governor said.

To whom are you referring? reporters asked. What people don’t deserve to govern? Perdue didn’t answer.

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By deegee

September 6, 2006 10:09 PM | Link to this

I saw a Republican strategist being interviewed today that said that the Republican party is backing away from immigration as a national issue and is leaving it up to the individual candidates to use it as a hot-button issue as they see fit. He indicated that it would likely be used in close races in the southwest. Apparently Sonny is using it to whip up the base as Mark Taylor gets ready to go on the airwaves in the next few weeks.

I am baffled by the positions of Sonny Perdue and Saxby Chambliss because I saw a group of south Georgia farmers on a taped show that aired at 6:30am last week and they were telling some bureaucrat that immigration reform must be acheived soon. They all agreed that without a plentiful supply of immigrants from south of the border agriculture in south Georgia would be dead. Go figure.

By GLC

September 6, 2006 10:53 PM | Link to this

Sonny used the flag in his last election. He tried to use the gay marriage issue in this one but that attempt was taken away by the State Supreme Court. Now he’s attempting to exploit passions surrounding the Illegal immigration issue. The reason his exploitation strategy won’t work this time around is because he has a record of non-performance on pocket book issues to account for.

The immigration law being touted in the “Sonny did” re-election campaign ad has done nothing to slow the stream of illegal immigrants pouring into the welcoming arms of employers. As a matter of fact, the problem has become so severe in Georgia that the Washington Post recently referred to Dalton, Georgia, the nation’s carpet-making capital, as a kind of “border town.” In a survey of the immigration problem, the Post noted the population of Dalton now is 40 percent Hispanic. More than 60 percent of its public school students are Hispanic, and so are 50 percent of the Dalton region’s carpet workers. Moreover, a recent U.S. Department of Homeland Security reports an estimated 470,000 illegal immigrants have moved into Georgia in the past five years. The report also indicates that the number could be twice that amount. Gov.

Perdue recently staged a “free” photo op visit (at taxpayers expense) to the Mexican boarder where some Georgia National Guard troups are stationed, along with the Minutemen, a high-profile group of activists who want to seal the Southern border. Perdue says he made the visit because, “I wanted to make sure the Georgia National Guard were out here making a difference and not just doing something to make everybody feel good.” Was that the real or good reason? Today’s announcement is just another part of his campaign drama. Sonny is making all of these moves in the face of his stated support for a guest-worker program, which, on its face, is a contradiction. Plainly and simply Sonny didn’t!

By Hunter

September 7, 2006 6:46 AM | Link to this

Well, at least Gov. Perdue is saying SOMETHING about it unlike any democrackkkks!!!

We are hosting Congressman Tom Tancredo in WNC on Saturday, hosted by Congressman Charles Taylor and William Gheen of Americans for LEGAL Immigration !!! Please support of this group that has grown into a national voice fighting the INVASION.

www.alipac.us THanks for your support!

By Debbie

September 7, 2006 8:42 AM | Link to this

Sonny is very courageous speaking out on the inaction of the President and some of the Senate on illegal immigration.

Perdue knows what Georgians want and he is representing their interests. He knows the Whitehouse and RNC might look unfavoribly on him speaking out, but he is putting Georgians first.

The President and Congress need to know that we want action not inaction. Both of our Senators are fighting for border security first and against the Kenndy-McCain Immigration Bill that grants amnesty to illegals.

I hope that the House forces a vote on the issue.

By Captain Freedom

September 7, 2006 9:45 AM | Link to this

How dare the “ex”-Dumbocrat Sonny boy criticize our Glorious Leader? This is the second time Tubby Sonny has maligned our Leader and Protector in recent months. I suggest a visit from some Gitmo Persuaders are long-overdue.

Sonny should be ashamed of his anti-American actions. The splitter.

By Brendan

September 7, 2006 11:16 AM | Link to this

It is absolutely not unAmerican or unpatriotic to disagree with the president. If so, then there were a lot of unAmerican, unPatriotic people during the Clinton years! No one is falling for that bully tactic and GOP members who use it only lessen themselves and look desperate. I wonder why Republicans think it will work to their benefit to call 60% of the US population fascist and unAmerican, because that’s the percentage of voters in this country who are fed up with this administration. Yeah, keep that up! It will get you far! Idiots!

By Frankly My Dear...

September 7, 2006 11:17 AM | Link to this

Our so-called glorious leader is dumber than a douche bag.

By Val

September 7, 2006 11:20 AM | Link to this

Bush is in Atlanta today? I thought the air smelled of dumb 5hit!

By Rawena

September 7, 2006 1:13 PM | Link to this

Captain Freedom, You should write for Jon Stewart. Your 5hit is FUNNY!

By lil ting

September 8, 2006 12:57 PM | Link to this

Good for Sonny implicitly to diss Bush on illegals, as local RNC toadies will take notice. But we’ll see 7/2007 whether he enforces SB529; Sonny’s not famous for keeping promises. Nor is he conservative. He doesn’t even know to brag about his budget surplus was to brag he over-taxed us by more than half a billion over a 4 year that saw working Georgians barely surviving. Viva econocide? Not for me!

 

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