The Day Sandra Miller Socked it to Senator McCain

GUEST COMMENTARY

The Day Sandra Miller Socked it to Senator McCain

By Sandra Miller
April 20, 2006

After attending Senator McCain's morning Town Hall yesterday, I was so disgusted at the way the local politicians censored citizen questions that I abandoned the idea of attending the evening session. The Tempe mayor laid down the ground rules: only questions and no "speeches" (which obviously included statements that disputed McCain's claims).

It was a royal sham from the word go, just like Bush press conferences. I'm sure it was packed with McCain toadies, because they started a standing ovation when he walked in and of course most people joined in (with a few exceptions like me).

Thanks to my friend Annette, who encouraged me to accompany her to the evening session, where the McCain held a real Town Hall rather than the stage production choreographed by Hizzoner the Tempe mayor.

But the Tempe experience revealed the one-liners and sound-bytes McCain used to promote his amnesty and discourage any disagreement. In promoting his bill (that he carefully avoided calling an "amnesty"), he said there were only 3 options (1) maintain the status quo, (2) allow them to stay or (3) a mass roundup, which he dismissed as impossible claiming the busses needed would stretch from San Diego to Alaska. Twice in the morning at the Tempe session and at least three times in the evening, he challenged the audience, "If you have another solution, give it to me and I promise to take it to the Senate for review." Of course that was just another of his ill-advised challenges used to condescendingly dismiss anyone who disagrees, secure in his arrogance that no one will dare to call his bluff. The recent "$50 per hour lettuce-picker jobs" are just another example.

In justifying the need for amnesty, he cited that the dictionary defined amnesty as "forgiveness" that required allowing them to remain in the US, dismissing any disagreement with the one-liner "Then you're reading a different dictionary than I am."

It was a real achievement to even get a turn at the mike, because the country club ballroom at Sun Lakes retirement community was jammed, at least 1500 people. Thanks again to Annette and two elderly ladies who kept poking the aide with their canes to remind him he promised me a turn at the mike.

Finally my turn came. I took a deep breath and jumped in, determined to keep going even if he tried to interrupt and talk over me:

"Senator, I'll begin by answering a question you've asked several times this evening, and then I have a question of my own." You've asked for an alternate plan for dealing with the 11 million illegal aliens in the US, and that plan has been documented by Mark Krikorian of Center for Immigration Studies in D.C. It's called "Attrition through Enforcement," and it sets out a 'comprehensive' strategy well known to Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado and the House Immigration Reform Caucus. The plan has been summarized very succintly and clearly by Mike Cutler, retired from 27 years' service in Treasury, Customs and INS, who often says "Nobody breaks into the amusement park when the rides are closed."

"So Senator, you close down the rides--crack down on the employers as you promised to do 20 years ago when you voted for the "one time amnesty," end the publicly-funded benefits to illegal aliens and their families as we did with Prop 200, end the government grants to agencies who help illegal aliens like Catholic Charities and Arizona Interfaith, and end the "anchor baby" citizenship nonsense that enables illegal alien families to "piggy-back" on their U.S.-born children. And Senator, that won't require a constitutional amendment as you claim--we need only to pass HR 698, introduced earlier in the session by Congressman Charlie Norwood of GA. If you're not familiar with these provisions, I know that Congressman Tom would welcome the opportunity to outline the option with you. So that leaves you to show whether you're a man of your word and will take the option for Senate consideration as you've promised."

"Now for my question, Senator. The agencies that will be responsible for administering and enforcing your McCain-Kennedy Amnesty (and it IS an amnesty, Senator)..."

He then interrupted with a condescending one-liner that he used at the morning session, "..then you're reading a different dictionary than I am..." to which I replied, "Senator, I don't used dictionaries to read laws. I read this law in United States Code Title 8, Section 1324."

Although I wasn't watching McCain, my friend Annette told me he'd been pacing up to then, but when I didn't back down at his dismissive comments, his face began to get red and she commented that it was obvious he was mad. She also said that the room went dead quiet; perhaps the audience was eager to see how McCain would react. I'm amazed that he didn't continue talking over me, but perhaps like most bullies, they back down when they find someone who isn't intimidated by them.

But I knew that stooping would mean losing control of the mike, and continued on:

"And Senator, Section 1324 defines illegal presence in the U.S. and prescribes only 1 penalty for illegal presence in the U.S.--deportation."

"The two Dept of Homeland Security agencies charged with insuring compliance are CIS--Citizenship & Immigration Services and ICE--Immigration & Customs Enforcement. Their historical incompetence and non-performance of their job is well-documented by the GAO back to 1995, they were charged by Congress to eliminate the three-million applicant backlog by the end of FY 2006, and their report last November plainly stated that new laws, such as a guest-worker plan, would seriously hinder accomplishing that objective. Corruption was added to bungling and incompetence when the CIS Security Chief resigned, blowing the whistle on bribes to CIS employees in the form of money, gifts and sexual favors."

"Senator, these are the same people who mailed automatic renewals of student visas to flight schools for students killed in the 9/11 Islamic terrorist attacks on New York and D.C. Senator, how do you expect Americans to believe that your promises of enforcement will be fulfilled by such people?"

When I finished, I was dry and had to find a water fountain. I heard just enough of his reply to hear him say he was familiar with "my" plan and wasn't going to take it back to the Senate. He diverted the subject by telling how the Irish had difficulties when they first came to America but eventually assimilated. He never answered my question of how agencies that can't and won't enforce current laws can enforce new ones.

Several people slapped me on the back as I left the room looking for water, one had even attended the morning session in Tempe and said, "You said exactly what I wanted to but couldn't."

I returned to the room just as the meeting ended, and met Annette out in the lobby. But the best part was to come: a couple approached me and the man asked, "Do you work in immigration because you know about the subject?" When he learned I'm a computer analyst, he asked where I learned what I know, I told him I grew up in Southern California--the best classroom there is.

I learned he was a former ICE chief for their Phoenix office, so it was a real compliment when a front-line professional says something like that.

On the drive home when Annette told me how mad McCain had become when I didn't back down from his condescending treatment, the effort in attending that night became worth it.

During the meeting, about 90 percent of the questions/comments were on immigration, maybe even more. Any supporters of McCain's amnesty bill were quiet that night, because everyone speaking on immigration opposed his amnesty. It's clear that despite the overwhelming voter opposition, it didn't change McCain's determination to shove this down our throats, just as he did in 1986.

Arizonans can't vote him out of the Senate for another 4 years, but he has other plans--the GOP presidential nomination in 2008. Americans in other states don't know the real John McCain like Arizonans do, but we have two years to educate them. I'm sure his stubborn insistence on this illegal alien amnesty will raise his visibility with Americans on an issue that he probably prefers would have remained "low-profile."

When McCain originally took his "pro-illegal alien amnesty" position several years ago, I'm sure they expected this amnesty to sail through Congress easily. I doubt he expected to have the issue become the hot and visible issue it is today.

Let's hope every pro-illegal alien senator experienced similar confrontations during their recess.