Many despise the famous economist-turned-NYT-op-edster for his fanatical hatred of George W. Bush, but I feel that it’s generally useful for America if the President, with all his powers to mold opinion, is relentlessly confronted by an individual as smart and hostile as Krugman. I certainly wouldn’t want every pundit to imitate Krugman, but his intense specialization in figuring out ever possible way Bush has blundered plays a valuable role in the media food chain.

Yet, there’s one set of people that Krugman hates even more than Bush, and that’s us immigration realists. So, we’ve recently been treated to the bizarre sight of Krugman intentionally pulling his punches against Bush on Krugman’s own topic of expertise, the economy, because Krugman refuses to mention the I Word. In “Summer of Our Discontent,” Krugman writes:

For the last few months there has been a running debate about the U.S. economy, more or less like this:

American families: “We’re not doing very well.”

Washington officials: “You’re wrong - you’re doing great. Here, look at these statistics!”

The administration and some political commentators seem genuinely puzzled by polls showing that Americans are unhappy about the economy. After all, they point out, numbers like the growth rate of G.D.P. look pretty good. So why aren’t people cheering?

Some blame the negative halo effect of the Iraq debacle. Others complain that the news media aren’t properly reporting good economic news. But when your numbers tell you that people should be feeling good, but they aren’t, that means you’re looking at the wrong numbers.

So far, so good. Now, you’d think that at this point Krugman would bring out the Big Gun in punching a hole in Bush spin about economic growth: the fact that, as Edward S. Rubenstein has relentlessly documented for years at VDARE.com: jobs, indeed, are not going to American families. Instead, they are going to immigrants, especially illegal immigrants. Rubenstein wrote:

As usual, the government makes no serious effort to measure immigration’s impact. Hispanic employment is the best proxy we have for the month to month increases in the immigrant workforce, since about 40 percent of all Hispanic workers—and an even larger share of new Hispanic workers—are immigrants…

Since the start of the Bush Administration (January 2001), Hispanic employment has risen by 2.585 million, or 16.0 percent. Non-Hispanic employment is up by 1.720 million, or 1.41 percent.

But, for anybody familiar with Krugman’s prejudices against immigration skeptics, it’s no surprise that he instead lets his latest column dribble off into anti-climax. He’d rather let the Bush Administration off the hook than admit that immigration realists have a point.
(more…)

The news that California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) continues to urge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a border emergency is good for three reasons and bad for one.

[“Governor Urged to Call Border Emergency,” Nancy Vogel, Los Angeles Times, August 26, 2005]

First, something positive might actually get done about illegal immigration in California. Schwarzenegger insists that there is no “emergency.” But anyone with eyes in his head can see that the state is buckling under the weight of illegal aliens.

Second, Nunez’s support for strong steps to control illegal immigration is a move in the right direction toward building a Republican-Democrat coalition that will ultimately make it impossible for one party to charge the other with “politicizing” the issue.

Third, with Arizona and New Mexico on record that their states are in an emergency and with California and Texas approaching a similar announcement, those of us who have predicted for decades that illegal immigration would ultimately end in social chaos and financial crisis are publicly vindicated.

But on the down side, Nunez’s coming out included a trip to Mexico for a meeting with President Vicente Fox.

But why? We already know what Fox wants… a “migratory” accord! And why should we care what he thinks anyway?

Must the taxpayers foot Nunez’s traveling expenses just to give Fox the opportunity to pontificate again?

While visiting the Arizona - Mexican border last year, I vividly remember the brave American Border Patrol Agents in Douglas [America] warning me:

“Watch for flying rocks from the other side” they said… meaning the ten foot aluminum fence not ten yards away. “They throw them when you aren’t looking”.

The other side?

Mexico, Fox, and more than 100 million desperate “willing workers”…the Third World.

Now, I read that American helicopters are being brought down by the future “willing workers”.

With rocks.

Sound familiar?

Wanna go for a Republic?
Me neither. And I don’t care who knows it.
I can’t help but wonder - again - what my twentieth century Detroit cop grandfather would do…or say.

Rule of law? Secure borders? Common language? Equal protection under the law?

I think I know.

Enough!…If I clean it up, I imagine.

Sorry Grandpa. [Note to Morris and MALDEF: ... he is gone now, no action here, move on.]

When is the next election again?