Ross Douthat On Immigration

Ross Douthat is excellent on the immigration box into which Trump has placed himself:

Across the decade that preceded Donald Trump’s election, American politicians of both parties consistently tried to pass big, sweeping immigration bills that would legalize most of the country’s illegal population and increase immigration overall. These bills failed because of populist opposition, at first bipartisan (the resistance of a certain socialist senator from Vermont helped doom the 2007 effort) but increasingly simply conservative, and over time the conservative opposition developed a well-founded suspicion of Republican elites, whose plans on immigration always seemed to require ignoring their own base.

This sense of betrayal was fertile ground for Trump, who used bigotry and bluster to sell himself to immigration hawks as a Republican who wouldn’t, indeed couldn’t, sell them out. 

Do note the reference to Bernie Sanders, who even recently has insisted on the obvious: a generous welfare state can not co-exist with open borders. "Medicare For All" can't mean "All who can show up, legally or otherwise". Not even Mitt Romney's grandkids AND Jeff Bezos can afford that, which is common sense to everyone except ardent progressives. (Even Paul Krugman admitted this in 2006 and again in 2010, but if has risked the wrath of his base since then I've missed it. Those books don't sell themselves!.)

However, Trump's impasse: Public opinion had swung in favor of stricter border control but "The Wall" was not the right tool to keep out asylum seekers. For that Trump would need to negotiate Congressional support to amend current laws, and stricter border control by the Mexican government. However...

For a different president these tasks would be challenging; for Trump, they seem impossible.

 

Which leaves Trump flailing and Democrats free to point accusing fingers:

The flailing also absolves the Democratic Party, currently torn between radicalism and evasion on immigration, from actually having to propose a coherent alternative to the White House’s approach. If this sort of crisis were happening on President Hillary Clinton’s watch, it would create all kinds of political problems for the Democrats; as it stands, they can point at the man who once boasted of Washington that “I alone can fix it” and say, well, why don’t you?

Oh, my.

All that said, I am still curious to see how Bernie Borders plays out in the primaries.

 

Comments

[James D.]

With all respect, Ross Douthat can take his blathering and shove it where the sun don't shine.

[Narciso79]

Douthat like morbos relatives gives me gas,

[Another Bob]

James D, from the last thread, call your damn congressman already.

Their offices live for exactly that kind of “constituent service”.

[Narciso79]

I actually got some attention from Rick acotts office re our powerlines I know appealing to McAuliffe is a losers bet.

[Another Bob]

Netanyahu wins nail-biter election.

Supporters wave Trump flags.

https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1115762568822439937?s=21

[James D.]

First thing tomorrow, AB!

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--"The Wall" was not the right tool to keep out asylum seekers--

Um, why?
If they can't get here they can't claim asylum.

--The flailing also absolves the Democratic Party, currently torn between radicalism and evasion on immigration, from actually having to propose a coherent alternative to the White House’s approach.--

This why we shouldn't read Ross, TM, because he's an idiot.
There is zero chance, regardless of what Trump does or who is in the White House or even what the polls say, that the current Dem party will ever propose anything remotely non-treasonous because they are committed to importing a one party state.
Unless someone can demonstrate to them something clearly false, that they will attain their one party state power by opposing illegal immigration, they will never change their tune.
Hence; Douthat is a dipshit. Q.E. Frickin D.

[Jim Eagle]

JamesD,

Forget if you don't agree with your congresscritter. Use them. You are paying for them and guess what, if it is Connoly, then his guys would love to hoist the VA up.

[Beasts of England]

'This sense of betrayal was fertile ground for Trump, who used bigotry and bluster to sell himself to immigration hawks...'

Such an imaginative slur!!

[D]

Immigration box?
No according to the panel on FoxNews, there are policies Homeland Security canput into place and will in the future.
HHS is going to help by providing more holding centers and use some closed schools to shelter some.
Also can bring more pressure on Mexico to keep them there.
In addition don’t fall for phony persecution-stories and toughen up overall.

[Narciso79]

Hes Exeter and Harvard (like Louis Winthorpe) and still doesn't get it,

[sbwaters]

The flailing also absolves the Democratic Party

TM, you have been reading too many Associated Press reports ... ah ... opinion pieces masked as news articles. They impose the same words on readers that you posture.

What you/they see as flailing actually exposes both sides of the congressional problem: that neither the GOPe (the disloyal opposition) nor the Democrats (the overwhelm the Constitution crowd) is dysfunctional, subversive, or both -- take your pick -- a view somehow "overlooked" by the MSM.

Did I leave anyone out?

[Narciso79]

Umcay:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/world/un-to-help-human-rights-training-of-mexicos-national-guard.amp

[Narciso79]

I know consider the source:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.haaretz.com/amp/israel-news/elections/.premium-bennett-tells-voters-not-to-give-up-hope-after-first-exit-polls-say-party-is-out-1.7107163

[MissMarple2]

MUST SEE: "Every 4 years, the black community is offered handouts and fear." @RealCandaceO absolutely shreds Democrat representatives. pic.twitter.com/aJvMyJyB8h

— The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 9, 2019

Viceo at link has Candace Owens' opening statement today. It's quite good. The democrat reps look like they have been hit between the eyes by a two-by-four.

[Jim Eagle]

JOM as a website is a POS. I am on Chrome, or Safari and have to sign in every time I leave for more than 5 minutes. Just a complete waste of time.

[James D.]

I have no problem contacting my Dem congressman, I just hadn’t thought of it yet.

[Jim Eagle]

Candace Owen can speak for me any day. Of course, she will never be able to speak for Blacks.

Off to bed. Slaap Lekker, Tot Morgen.

[henry]

Seems Russ is firmly in the open borders virtue signaling club. How many illegales does he provide free bed & board to at his home?

[sbwaters]

JiB, on Safari, I have the browser remember my login credentials so they will automatically fill in when the login screen appears.

When I am logged out, I hit Login by the comment box and let it auto fill in.

After I am signed back in, I need to get back to the page I was last on so I go to the < back page button at the upper left of the screen. If I hold it down I can go to the last JOM page before the login and be right back where I need to be.

[MissMarple2]

Russ Douhat is simply clueless.

I am betting on Trump, who seems to always find a way to get stuff done.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
3m3 minutes ago

“The underlying issue remains the same without a single American being indicted for Collusion with Russia, & that is a stunning end considering we were led to believe (Fake News) that something much more dramatic would happen. Why did people fall for this?” @TuckerCarlson Molly H

[Narciso79]

Douthat had a blog at the Atlantic where I coversed for a time, a scat throwing nazgul forced him to shut it down

[MissMarple2]

POTUS_Schedule
‏ @45_Schedule
1m1 minute ago

Kevin McCarthy, Jim Jordan, & Mark Meadows will be holding a press conference tomorrow, 11:00AM ET.

[sbwaters]

JMH, VDHanson quotes Kissinger on the value of Trump:

Kissinger: mark the end of an era and force it to give up its old pretense.

[Narciso79]

Quote by frantzman who is not a bibi partisan
https://mobile.twitter.com/Sam_Schulman/status/1115778716427325440

[Beasts of England]

Is Candace married? Asking for a friend... ;)

[lyle]

Dinner at Bern’s Steakhouse on Thursday for our wedding anniversary. Our pre-anniversary meal tonight is pan-seared beef tenderloin w/veal reduction, potatoes maxim, asparagus and a bottle of ‘10 Spottswoode Cab.

(Yes, know. I’m preparing something one would order at Bern’s. But I’m having the veal there...😎🍷)

[lyle]

Well, carp. Hope this massive rain storm blows over so I can do my tenderloins on the grill.

First world problems.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2019/04/09/netanyahu-declares-incredible-victory-as-revised-exit-polls-show-his-clear-path-to-winning/

[Another Bob]

Yes she is Beasts.

Tell your friend 'sorry'.

[Beasts of England]

Pre-congratulations, lyle!!

[Momto2]

That sounds yummy, Lyle! Congratulations - which anniversary will it be?

[lyle]

Just watched Candace Owens blowtorch the fun king dems. Glory be!

[Beasts of England]

lol, Another Bob!! :)

[Narciso79]

Nuke from orbit, or use the power blaster from captain marvel.

[Captain Hate]

Such an imaginative slur!!

He was on a roll for once, after getting the GOP leadership selling out the base pitch perfect. Then he remembered who he is.

[lyle]

16 years. We’ve been together 20. I know many of you chuckle at that short period of time but she’s the best thing to ever happen to me and I’m eternally grateful. Cheers!

[MissMarple2]

Tom Fitton
‏Verified account @TomFitton

Newly released testimony from former FBI top lawyer further confirms that the FBI and DOJ engaged in coup effort against @RealDonaldTrump. For the life of me, I don't understand why Mr. Rosenstein is still at DOJ.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
12m12 minutes ago

The Democrats must end the loopholes on immigration. So easy to solve!

[Narciso79]

Congratulations lyle.

[Threadkiller]

Fitton would really be surprised to find out that Jordan and Rosenstein were reading from a script during what appeared to a contentious moment during a congressional hearing.

[MissMarple2]

For the life of me, I don't know how Candace Owens got in that hearing to testify.

I can only assume none of the dems had never heard her or paid attention to her writing.

She absolutely nuked them.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

In Crazy Central (Sacramento) today & tomorrow for mental health meetings.

The CPCA wants to implement 99 taxes this session and are completely out of control, but the one area where they are paying lip service is mental/behavioral health.

I think a lot of it is kabuki, but the intersection of addiction, homelessness, mental illness and incarceration is a very expensive mess.

Meeting with representatives from @ 30 other counties I still don't see that meshing of law enforcement, the hospitals, the behavioral health agencies, the homeless service providers and others to gt the worst and most expensive cases into true wraparound care.

It costs the state $140,000/year for incarceration and it would cost @ $40K/year for housing and services. Seems straightforward to me.

So will be meeting with SacTown Mayor Steinberg among others tomorrow and see what they are doing. Not enough communication or cooperation.

[lyle]

This red wine is utterly sublime. Thanks all. Florida, here we come!

[Beasts of England]

Here's an MFM preview of the next Big Lie for the Dem's 2020 campaign, re: Nadler's agitprop this afternoon:

'It was supposed to be a hearing on white supremacy and the faltering efforts of the Trump administration to quell violent expressions of white nationalism. But that's not quite what took place on Tuesday morning at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee, which gave short shrift to issues like the defunding of programs meant to combat white extremism, and the promotion of hatred on social media, and instead featured Republican witnesses disputing seemingly basic facts about history both recent and distant.'

The author of this slop must purchase logical fallacies in bulk.

[jim nj]

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/04/elites-share-common-interests-changes-conventional-wisdom/

VDH, rather scathing.

[Narciso79]

Heh:

https://mobile.twitter.com/MattWolking/status/1115784671567204352

[MissMarple2]

Trump Job Approval Jumps to 53% - Seven Points Higher Than Obama https://t.co/cv40yIrU2M

— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) April 10, 2019

Link goes to Breitbart article. This was retweeted by President Trump.

[sbwaters]

The Associated Press report includes this paragraph:

A congressional hearing on online hate turned into a vivid demonstration of the problem Tuesday when a YouTube livestream of the proceedings was bombarded with racist and anti-Semitic comments from internet users.

... and this one ...

There were 1,020 known hate groups in the country in 2018, the fourth straight year of growth, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors extremism in the U.S. Hate crimes, meanwhile, rose 30 percent in the three-year period ending in 2017, the organization said, citing FBI figures.

The article then conflates all hate groups with white nationalism: "But controversy over white nationalism and hate speech has dogged online platforms such as Facebook and Google's YouTube for years."

Neither does it suggest whether the comments were real or seeded by false flags.

And it certainly inserts the laughable piece about the SPLC, as if they are somehow objective.

Oh, and AP failed to mention what all Twitter saw as Owens hung both Nadler and Lieu out to dry when both misrepresented what she had said.

Welcome to the latest Astroturf.

[MissMarple2]

As seen on Twitter:

[Captain Hate]

Here's how Candace Owens was treated later by idiots Lieu and Nadless. Patterico wasn't sympathetic to her and how she was treated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGmFQfKTkFc

[Beasts of England]

I hope you saw my 9:44, sbwaters. I was thinking about your frequent editorial re-writes when I posted it... :)

[Narciso79]

So that's what happened to him, they do a great blank oages.

[sbwaters]

Indeed I did, BoE. What was the source of that bilge?

[Narciso79]

Three Shirley's

https://www.dailycaller.com/2019/04/09/aclu-florida-travel-warning/

[MissMarple2]

Retweeted by President Trump. 7-minute video at the link with Martha McCallum, Tammy Bruce, and Donna Brazile.

.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump has "delivered on his promises...He has a background in delivering economically. He's promised to do certain things. He did them." @HeyTammyBruce @IWV joined @marthamaccallum to weigh in on Bernie Sanders vs. Trump #Election2020. #IWpol #economy pic.twitter.com/shjgV6uv46

— IWV (@IWV) April 9, 2019

[Beasts of England]

I saw it at Ace of Spades and the commenter didn't provide a source, sbw, but the verbiage syncs to a Yahoo! news piece.

https://news.yahoo.com/white-nationalist-hearing-capitol-hill-195936617.html

[MissMarple2]

https://nypost.com/2019/04/09/jeopardy-contestants-massive-payday-breaks-single-day-record/?utm_source=NYPTwitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow&__twitter_impression=true

[D]

Lyle:
Congratulations to you on your 16th anniversary.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
3m3 minutes ago

Everybody is now acknowledging that, right from the time I announced my run for President, I was 100% correct on the Border. Remember the heat I took? Democrats should now get rid of the loopholes. The Border is being fixed. Mexico will not let people through!

[Another Bob]

I do believe Nadler and Liu were, um... racist in their treatment of Owen.

Imagine if the party affiliations were reversed.

[MissMarple2]

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/438136-the-single-sentence-russia-bombshell-that-attorney-general-barr-delivered

Most of this article we have already learned, but this paragraph stood out to me:

"He didn’t offer much more, although he told Rep. Aderholt that if there are additional issues to investigate when former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes sends the department a criminal referral, he will expand his probe."

[MissMarple2]

I have hit my limit, so am heading to bed.

If President Trump tweets later tonight, I will get it in the morning.

Nytol!

[Manuel Transmission]

Well, crap left some dead ones on the old thread.

For narc: I wonder how Israeli eva green and Carolyn glicks party faired.

I may have mentioned this before, but I had a lovely chat with Caroline’s dad years ago. At one point I volunteered that she would do great in their politics and he recoiled like I had slapped him. Heaven forbid! That will never happen! Heh.

[jim nj]

https://defensemaven.io/warriormaven/air/air-force-f-16-gets-f-35-sensors-weapons-radar-uHz4bVom_EiIztCPrSWE0w/

"A fleet of F-16s are now getting new F-35 Active Electronically Scanned radar, and other upgrades including upper wing skin and fittings, upper and lower bulkhead, and canopy sill longeron."

“This upgrade provides greater bandwidth, speed, & agility enabling F-16s to detect, track, & identify a greater number of targets, faster and at longer ranges,”

"The new AESA radar can track up to 20-targets at one time."

[Narciso79]

Yes she's a little twi sharped edge I remember the aatyrical new review program she had

[Catsmeat]

lyle, so jealous of your Bern's date--my favorite place to eat which I get to once a year at best (so upscale nineteenth-century bordello in its accoutrements, but the best, best food). If you ignore anonomom for a night, you can go to the Dessert Room afterwards (I presume you've already had the wine tour). Happy anniversary!

[Manuel Transmission]

Willowed:

Sitting in the bar at the top of the Snowbird Resort on my second GreyGoose looking out at the total whiteout on the ski slopes. Glad I gave that up long ago.

So there’s a young Italian prof (Naples U) I met a year ago in Pittsburgh. Talking him home with me at the end of the week the hard way (plane still in the paint shop). We are chatting tech stuff, which is hard due to his marginal English and my non-existent Italian. He starts explaining a new thing he is working on: rail hole destressing. I say I know all about it because I got my buddy to corner the RR market for this tech from the originators in Seattle. It was developed for large aircraft and the outfit contracts to Boeing. He says no way! He’s working with some guy in the U.K. and it must be different. Pulls his phone out and brings up his contact info. The contact is a young guy who worked for my buddy for a year or so in Pueblo before going back home to join his dad in a small supplier outfit that in fact holds the exclusive on this tech after my buddy set them up. I love how small the world is.

[Manuel Transmission]

Willow II:

BTW re the Weeguns, in my years at Ginormous Research, I came to understand that kids who went off to prep school wore various loafers as part of their school uniforms (many were Catholic, which was outside my prior experience). I adopted that style as I hated lace up shoes so it was the only alternative to boots. I also noted that some guys, particularly smaller guys wore wingtips, which I came to realize were supposed to be an indication of POWER and you’d better stand back and LET THEM THROUGH! That became a standard phrase amongst a select few of us: “Let em through, he’s got his wingtips on.”

Once my sailing days took precedence, I started wearing deck shoes — but NEVER without socks!!! That was waaay too preppie. :)

[Narciso79]

Small world mt

[clarice]

Congrats, Lyle. No woman in her right mind would ever leave a cook as good as you are.

Owens ate Lieu and Nadler's lunch today. Seems their staffs are even dumber than they are.

[Neo]

NYTimes: The inspector general is also scrutinizing another early source of information for the Russia investigation, the people said: Mr. Horowitz’s investigators have been asking questions about the role of Stefan A. Halper, another F.B.I. informant, and his prior work for the bureau.

Agents involved in the Russia investigation asked Mr. Halper, an American academic who teaches in Britain, to gather information on Mr. Page and George Papadopoulos, another former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser.

[clarice]

It's about time Halper faced the music..Nytol

[jimmyk]

Happy Anniversary to Lyle and spouse.

Googling the Israeli election results, somehow the NYT stories keep saying "no clear winner," where everyone else is saying Bibi has won. Funny how that works.

Unfortunately it seems like the Shaked/Bennett right wing party (I think that's Caroline Glick's party as well) didn't make the threshold for a seat, or at least that's what they're saying now.

[Narciso79]

Isnt it, it's like when they waited two weeks to call Missouri in 2008. Bibi has a certain something which is rare in the liked he has served nearly as long as Ben gurion if I counted righr.

[Narciso79]

Snorfle:

https://mobile.twitter.com/WinterLions/status/1115750530591133698

[jimmyk]

narc, the latest I read was that Shaked's New Right was at 3.14%, they need 3.25% to get seated. She'd have my vote just so I could see her picture more often. The problem is there are already four of five right wing parties. It's like the old line among Jews: "Two Jews, three opinions."

[Narciso79]

They say the same about my people, well many parties dont win the first time around, they were kind of a niche faction.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

And now a little logger pron before I call it a day;


Ooh, baby.

[Narciso79]

Oh snap:

https://mobile.twitter.com/alimhaider/status/1115808597961838594

[jim nj]

https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-is-talking-about-scrapping-kuznetsov-its-only-aircraft-carrier-2019-4

Makes sense to me. The ship isn't worth the effort. Fix it and it still is the world's worst aircraft carrier.

[Dave (in MA)]

congrats mr. and mrs. lyle!

And Happy Birthday to Stephanie!

[jimmyk]

Didn't realize it was Steph's birthday. Happy Birthday!

[Narciso79]

Happy birthday stephanie

[Narciso79]

What's with that weird flight deck, it must make launching aircraft awkward

[Narciso79]

Well this is interesting

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6904123/Chinese-woman-caught-Mar-Lago-four-phones-malware-multiple-entry-U-S-visa.html

Maybe this is another veselnitskaya special

[Manuel Transmission]

Matt, Tucker had on that black dude from NRA on this evening. He had a video that Tucker was going to post that covered you situation wrt Frisco. The quick conclusion was that there was so much money that was churning through the homeless-government complex that it was never going to be fixed.

The guy also said he saw more drug activity in a couple hours there than he’d seen in his entire life.

[jim nj]

Mt,

A lot of that available money is wasted on bureaucracies. Many serve only one purpose.
A typical un-impaired homeless person has to visit many agencies that communicate by mail only. No fixed address - no communication.

Matt and I gave written about this before. You have to get a homeless person into a temporary shelter that can coordinate the whole aid getting process for them.

And don't waste time on the free-loaders and substance abusers unless they accept treatment and then stay clean.

[Narciso79]

Dont they get tired of being wrong:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/09/modi-no-longer-certain-win-indias-mega-election/

[jim nj]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/08/health/alzheimers-dementia-stroke.html

Alzheimer's is often accompanied by other pathological problems.

Some think all of them may be related to reduced blood flow to the brain and mini-strokes.

[Manuel Transmission]

jim_nj, I definitely get that, even though I’m pretty isolated for the hard realities of the overall mess. Without seeing the video mentioned, I’m presuming that there are so many players churning the scam, no one is really looking for the actual fix, even for the handful who are willing to step up and get cured.

[Narciso79]

That would make sense. There would need to be structural damages in the synapses

[jim nj]

via Insty,

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6900449/Secret-Service-agents-say-good-riddance-director-proposed-no-protection-Trump-family.html

Why do I have to read a UK paper to learn that Secret Service agents are OK over the firing of their director?

[Manuel Transmission]

Regarding the Chinese word pronunciation difficulties, years ago I was in Shanghai on a bus tour. The very accomplished tour guide was explaining some of the many ways certain symbols could be pronounced. So he goes into this story about the famous basketball player, Yao Ming. When his fans are waiting for him to come out onto the court at the beginning of a game, they start chanting Yao!! Ming!!, Yao!! Ming!! Like the tomahawk chop. He cringes every time this happens because when his name is spoken that way and repeated, it means ‘I want to kill you, and kill all your family’.

[Narciso79]

That was often true in the Clinton era as well notably with the telegraph under conrad black, occasionally they got something wrong but not habitually.

[Narciso79]

I'm sure there a twist here:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/04/04/the-folly-russiagate/2t2maC8Lg6MFBJVvMO56kI/story.html?event=event25

[jim nj]

MT,

I think different states have adopted what I would call a "rational" response to homelessness. Find them and triage them. Get them the help they need to become productive again.

Other states, like California, seem to see it as a lifestyle choice that has some kind of "rights" attached to it that can't be interfered with.

I think climate has something to do with state's thinking. Politicians in areas where we have harsh winters get screwed in the media when homeless people die in cold snaps. The local police are told to scoop them up, regardless of any rights they may have.

[jim nj]

Narciso,

That NYT article was the first time I've ever heard of the reduced blood flow to the brain theory.

I guess I was thinking of Jane and the insensitive diagnosis she got.

It might be Alzheimer's. And the way some medicos jump to conclusions without considering other possible causes is malpractice.

Memory loss may be a constellation of things going on at the same time.

Maybe inversion therapy isn't just good for getting kinks out of your spine, maybe it's also a good idea to increase brain blood flow in the elderly.

[jim nj]

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/The-Trickle-Down-Economics-of-Trash-Picking-13747019.php

From the streets of San Francisco, a story about junk pickers earning some extra money.

I used to do the same thing in my late teens through mid-twenties. Amazing what you can find and recycle or re-purpose. Other people's "junk" if easily found creates a second-tier economy.

"Yard sales" are often the result of trash-picking.

Nowadays you have to be careful of bed bugs, but that wasn't a concern many years ago.

You could run a small country's economy off our non-organic trash. We'd have to agree to back the bad stuff for proper disposal, but still.