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Show The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION A7 Tuesday, February19, 2002 Debate of Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants Continues Despite 9/11 WASHINGTON After 9/11, the again the country would have no idea whoall these people are. GEORGIE ANNE GEYER nation was filled with new “truths.” So much change was in the air that no one dared even question the basic as- Infact, this is already a miniature amnesty. But 245(i) is also, in what sumption. “The nation will never be passes for eloquence onthe part of the immigration advocates in Congress the same again,” echoed from coast to coast. “We must rethink all of the and elsewhere, not only a way of get- propositions on which so)much of our ting cheaplabor,but a calculated and cynical money-raiser. Sen. Edward “Teddy” Kennedy, one of the major actions have been based. One of those newtruths was the assurance that our out-of-control immigration would finally be addressed; authors of earlier, destructive pro- UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE that citizenship would be strength- ened and respected; and that, above all, amnesty(and thus,full American citizenship) would not be wantonly (a disease that one could not say is wholly unknown in Washington policy-making). given to millions of illegal aliens. Well, wake up, my fellow citizens — it's now the morning after! Thefirst indicator that nothing has changed since 9/11 in immigration reform is the ongoing bitter debate over The stunningfact isthat, since 9/11, the Bush has quickly an extension cadSection 245(i) of the Act, which was pata up in the Congress and revertedto its original intention. The prospect of giving amnesty to up to 9 pushed by immigration advocates to million illegals is on the table again. Indeed, even while the FBI searches allow illegal i its who are al- ready here but who have family mem- bers or an employerto pay $1,000 to the U.S. government. This would allow for upward of 120,000 men here illegally from Middle Eastern countries that sponsor terrorism, the administration is moving to bring into the American polity as many unknown illegals as possible. Psychiatrists would call this craziness a form of political schizophrenia them a green card so that they could wait in America, instead of having to zo home to reapply formally, until whenever their number would come up. There would be no background checks during this period, so once immigrationlegislation, has said that because otherwise illegals would have to go homeandreapplylegallyfor entry to the U.S., “rather than the airlines i joney, the government should makeit.” was angry. It would have gone through had henot beenthere the next morning to fight successfully against it. “T had just come back from Mexi- co,” he told me recently in an interview in his office. “I had met with all kinds of folks on the border. Our agents told me, "We've been given the job of holding back a flood with a sieve.’ And every one of them begged me, ‘Just don’t do anything to make our job harder.’ Theysaid that,if there newgroupofillegals had entirely re- rect amnesty for those millions of to America as were theterrorists of 9/11. In particular, President Bush, who Mexico, where he was investigating border and immigration controls, he seems to have some kind of strange found that the administration had President Vicente Foxto takein all the Mexicans that the country refuses to personal pushed immigration advocates in Congress to tag 245(i) onto another bill that was being heard the very next commitment to Mexican care for, is pushing for movement on amnesty before he visits Fox in morning. He washorrified — and he the poor, crass intentions of the proamnesty people. : The last amnesty, for 2.7 million people in 1986, was heralded as a onetime event that would end illegal im- people who are just as unregistered, unchecked and essentially unknown immigration control advocate whois nowhead ofthe Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus in the House. Whenhereturned last Dec. 21 from worker program. Evenin the wake of9/11 anevent whose true outcome and resolution are still far from evident there is not a proper wraith of hypocrisy to clothe would simply becomeimpossible.” But in fact, while 245i) is only a step toward an amnesty — and a way intentions are leading us toward a di- outspoken — and truly eloquent — here illegally from terrorist-exporting countries) to a new and related guest were to be an amnesty, their jobs of sidestepping public concerns about immigration — other proposals and Typical of the fight that has been going on behind the scenes of the new America is the story of Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, the is taking different forms,from an allout amnestyfor all illegals (except, apparently, those Middle Easterners Monterrey, Mexico, on March 22. This migration forever. Instead, by 1997 a placed the former group — and surged aheadofit in numbers,until today the figure of 8 million to 9 million illegals is accepted as the norm. But the in- tentions of the siteSskeigt ey remain the same: From the right, they want cheaplabor, and fon the multicultural left, they wantto destroy American citizenship as we know it. Our country, anybody? “9/11 occurs,” Rep. Tancredo summed up.“Al the action stopped on immigration and everything was refocused on national security. I'd like to be able to claim that we'd made major steps toward immigration control — but we've only stopped the momentum.” Public Funding Is Key to Campaign Reform ‘Then I Would Have Said...’ I do not doubt the honesty of the reformers, nor the legitimacy of their zeal. When your workplace is the go-along, get-along labyrinth of corridors and hideaways that is the U.S. Capitol, you do not become any- There is one thing you can say about the epic struggle that consumed the House of Representatives into the night. It was not Armageddon. That is the provocative word that doors of the House Republican cau- cus a few days ago. It is the term Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-IIL, used Shays-Meehan bill to regulate thefinancing of campaigns: The legislation, which would shut the spigot of NEWSDAY unlimited and unregulated “soft money” to campaigns, could bring an end to Republican controlof the House, the speaker warned. So he and his lieutenants set about to stop it. Hastert can thank that most generous congressional friend, Enron’s ex-chief Kenneth Lay, for giving the reform measure its final push forward. Thursday night, the legislation was struggling to survive the gauntlet of amendments offered to weakenit. There is much talk of what a breakthrough it would be to get the unlimited soft money given by corporations, wealthy individuals and unions out of the political system. Courageous is one word the politi- cians are applying to themselves. Moral is another. Even in a city of overstatement, these are whoppers. I have nothing against the reformers. But there’s nothing they've proposed that will get specialinterest money out of politics. It is not only because the crafty will exploit new loopholes from whatever regulations replace the old. A recent study by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group shows,for example, that nearly two-thirds of thepolitical donations given by En- ron and Arthur Andersensince the 1990 election cycle weren't soft money at all. They were “hardmoney” contetoaions — the sup posedly good Underthe eee legislation, the limits on “hard-money” donations, now $1,000, would likely be doubled to $2,000. Congress would curb its unhealthy habits by cutting out the ice cream, while taking twoslices of pie. With the higher limits, Ken and Linda Lay would have been able to give $975,000 in hard money to vari- of action, plenty of bumps, and sometimes you want to vomit.” He paused, then tooka pen from hisjacket pocket. pols back home were so thankful for the national attention and measure of respect he broughttheir state that “Throw up,” he murmured.He scribbled the new words onto thefirst of several sheets of paper sitting before him, then adjusted his microphone. they threatened, for a time, to redistrict him rightout ofhis seat. It is not their fault reform is more He turned backtohistextas if he had of an eye tuck than a facelift. It is more to say, then stopped and slowly shook his head. His next words were directed not to the absent throng,but to himself. ours. You cannotreada poll or sit in on a focus group of average voters and not hear the disgust. Voters, correct- “You would've nailed him, Cipher. You would've nailed him good. ly, blame the campaign-finance system for Congress’ perennial failure This would be Wally T. (“Flip”) Cipher, debonair heir to the styling-gel to get the people’s business done. 1990 cycle, according to U.S. PIRG. That's about $100,000 more than the still, for the millions with no health couple actually did give through a combination of hard- and soft-money insurance atall. They knowit is why donations. of unemployment benefits in the Higher limits would mean the highly paid Enron executives and their spouses who were not-so-gently pressured by Lay to give to George They know moneytalks. But the only way to silence it is to get the corporate interests completely out — W. Bush in 1999 at the start of his presidential campaign — whenearly money was urgently needed — could be dunned for twice as much. Who And whatabout that Sen. Fitzgerald from Ilinois? “I've concluded that you're perhaps the most accomplished confidence man since Charles Ponzi,” roller-coasterride,” he declared.“Lots that are the precision weapons in a party leadership's arsenal. As for Rep. Marty Meehan, D-Mass., the Theyknowit is whythere is no bill of rights for HMOpatients. They know it is why there is no Medicare prescription drug benefit and no relief, ous candidates andparties since the man glanced into a small mirror, large but empty room. “A congressman's life is like a dened by the quiet acts of retribution the real danger of enacting the tor after senator, Democrats and Re- ceed his throat and addressed a Shays, R-Conn., will forever be bur- to describe whathis party believes is over the newscasts that night? Lay sitting there stone-faced, while sena- across the street, a perfectly groomed one’s hero by blowingthe place up. The career of Rep. Christopher leaked out from behind the closed BY RICK H( HOROWITZ The winter sun sunhad barely cleared the horizon, sending a golden light streaming toward the Capitol dome. in a marbleencrusted building just millions and mid-level musketeer in midstof recession. among them would refuse to pony up? And who, among you, would have a spare $2,000 to kick in and even up people have to pay the bill. Otherwise, the favors will flow right back to those who've actually picked up the score? the tab. Cipher couldn’t count how many times he’d heard that one replayed. He'd written it down, and then he'd sat right down and written out some zingers of his own. Short, punchy things with plenty of bite — that’s whatthe networks wanted to hear. Andso,of course, did his constituents. There were angry voters out there, and they needed to see that their elected representatives were every bit as angry as they were. They'dlike to give Ken Lay a piece of their mind (mostof them had already given hima neverget close enough to him todoit. But Congressman Cipher could. been cancelled. unfortunate bump: The hearing had angeronhim in his next campaign. He certainly didn’t need that. The Ken Lay hearing. Sad, but true: Until just a few hours ago, the Soundbite Subcommittee of those campaigns? Absolutely — fatal the more reason for Cipher to get out the House Insinuations and OverCongressman Cipher was ready for him. Readyto shine. Not that anybody figured Ken Lay nancing of campaigns. If you want a governmentby the people and for the people, then the Fitzgerald had told him. “I’d say you were a carnival barker, except that wouldn'tbe fair to carnival barkers.” Andif he didn’t, they might turn their to hear from the formerhead ofEnron. only one way to do that: public fi- “Cash-and-carry government,” Sen. Hollings hadcalled it. grappling with a new and especially sights Committee had been scheduled and the public interest in. There is with the most memorable attackline? piece of their retirement), but they'd Armey’s Army. On this particular morning, Congressman Cipher was there has not even been an extension publicans alike, competed to come up would say more than he'dsaid earlier in the week over on the Senate side: Had Enron ever contributed in front of the posse and swear that he'd seenthe error of Lay’s ways. Besides, with those campaign-finance lawsjust around the corner,lots ofthe big money was going to dry up anyhow. Going after one rotten-apple corporation wasn't thatbig a risk. Apple. Fruit. Pits. Congressman sorry about the collapse, eager to testify, lawyer’s advice, agonizing decision, Fifth Amendment,gotta go. But that hardly meant a hearing Cipherscribbled a few more words. 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