Chris Simcox, founder of the Minuteman Project, took his volunteer troops back to the border for a month-long stay–he is currently in Arizona.

Simcox made an appearance on the FOX News program Hannity and Colmes and told the hosts how many illegal aliens they have encountered so far–and remember, this is only one small area of our very long border with Mexico.

In 72 hours, there have been 308 sightings.

These numbers are staggering but not surprising to anybody who has been paying attention.

While Alan Colmes insisted that the Senate is currently working on the problem and Sean Hannity called their proposed solutions “amnesty”, Chris Simcox had a better word for it:

He called it Shamnesty.

Two relatively boring floor votes today:

Senator Bingaman (D-NM) introduced an amendment (with Senators Kyl and Domenici) to establish a 50 million dollar grant progam that will assist local law enforcement agencies.

Local police agencies will be able to use these funds to address the increase in criminal activity produced by illegal immigration on the border–Senator Bingaman says the federal governement should pick up the tab as they have failed to secure our borders.

Hmm…increase in criminal activity? I thought illegal immigrants were just here to work.

The Bingaman amendment passed 84 to 6.

Next on the voting agenda, Senator Alexander (R-TN) introduced an amendment that would specify citizenship requirements.

It would require (and provide grant money for) immigrants to learn English, learn our history and take an oath of allegiance before becoming citizens.

For those of you who think this should already be the law, it pretty much is–this new amendment is just a way to get American taxpayers to pay for it.

The Alexander amendment passed 91 to 1.

Senate debate and my blogging will resume tomorrow morning (Tuesday) at 9:45 EST.

The New York Times recently ran an article about how
South Korea is making a big push in the area of consumer robotics (doing the jobs no Korean wants to do).

Now, South Korea could follow the example of neo-slavery taken by places like Switzerland and the Persian Gulf states. It appears that instead, they’d rather have things like TV on cell phones–and soon a robot in every home. [
In a Wired South Korea, Robots Will Feel Right at Home, By NORIMITSU ONISHI,April 2, 2006]

Senator Cornyn says that 1986 Amnesty was a failure…you don’t say, Senator.

He is trying to assure Members of the Senate that his bill–co-authored with Senator Kyl–is not amnesty because not all of our 12 million illegal aliens will qualify for a temporary legal status.

If they have a felony on their record, they’re disqualified…but they can have a misdemeanor…or two.

In fact, according to Cornyn they can have up to three!

Excuse me, I’ll be back in a bit–I have an emergency appointment with my anger management therapist.

Let me sum up the floor statement from Harry Reid, the Senator from Nevada:

Blah, blah, blah…we have a whole bunch of casinos…blah, blah,blah…they depend on undocumented immigrants to keep things running…casinos give me a lot of money…blah, blah, blah…we need a guest worker program.

Casinos don’t depend on “undocumented immigrants to keep things running” they depend on cheap labor to keep things running.

People like Reid and Kennedy don’t care about immigrants–they don’t care about anybody but themselves.

Americans are losing their place in the workforce because illegal aliens are willing to work for a pittance and as a result, every social class in America suffers–well, except for the wealthy corporations our politicians strive to protect.

At every level and at every opportunity, they exploit human labor and shamelessly try to pass it off as an act of benevolence–as a civilized society, we should allow these people to stay and experience the American Dream.

Hmm…the American Dream…what is that? I’ll tell ya…

It is a nation where opportunity knows no bounds, success has no limits and every man walks his own path–all men are created equal and they are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

…unless the government smells an opportunity to make money, then all bets are off.

The recent Fox-Bush-Harper summit in Cancun showcased the typical Bush/Fox flimflam we’ve grown quite accustomed to.

The president of the United States, on foreign soil, with Fox at his side, calls on the U.S. Congress to pass immigration legislation. That reminds me of the time Bush, with Fox at his side, slandered the minutemen.

As for Fox, he’s all for security on the border, but says that can only be accomplished “under the framework of a legislation that will guarantee legal, orderly, safe and respectful migration.”

Sounds like a threat.

Fox also made it clear, as if that were necessary anyway, that Mexico would not attempt to prevent Mexicans from illegally crossing into the U.S.A.

“We can’t infringe upon the right of people to move freely within our territory.”

Neither Fox nor any other Mexican president is about to stop Mexicans from crossing illegally into the U.S. Which proves that this talk of “legal, orderly, safe and respectful migration” is a lot of baloney.

It doesn’t matter how many illegal Mexicans the U.S. legalizes, there will always be more who want to get in.

Amnesty, or whatever you choose to call it, is not the answer. Amnesty will only worsen the situation.

And frankly, depending on the Mexican government to help us secure the border – pardon the expression – is like “letting the fox guard the henhouse”.

The U.S. border with Mexico can only be secured when American leaders have the will to secure it.

Our problem is - George Bush doesn’t want to secure it.

Two votes are expected today on amendments to the immigration reform bill floating around the Senate…Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) said over the weekend that he wants a full vote on a complete bill by the end of the week.

Hmm…Arlen Specter is speaking for the leader today. Where is Bill Frist? Yikes! Ted Kennedy wants to speak first…this should be good.

Sounds like Immigrant Hardship Story Competition Part Deux…

Senator Ted Kennedy (D- Chappaquiddik) says immigration reform must include three elements. First and foremost, it must enhance security…ah yes, he is talking again about that “virtual fence.“

Why do we need enhanced security? Not to stop the millions of illegal aliens crossing the border but to crack down on smugglers! In fact, the McKennedy bill creates new federal penalties for those cats.

The bill also works with the Mexican government to deter migration from Central Mexico through Mexico and into the United States…you know, because that’s worked so well in the past.

The second element: It must address the presence of the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. today.

“It is clear that we are not going to send them back.”

And why not?

“Deporting them would rip families apart and rounding up 12 million undocumented immigrants would cost 240 billion dollars.”

And Kennedy says we are not to be fooled by the Kyl/Cornyn bill because it will prevent millions of undocumented immigrants from staying in the United States “just because they failed to comply with a previous order to leave the country.”

Hmm…millions would have to leave? I’ll have to take another look at the Kyl/Cornyn bill!

Kennedy also claims that a recent TIME magazine poll showed 3/4 of Americans in favor of his bill. Personally, I have not encountered anybody who thinks the Kennedy/Mc Cain bill is anything other than unmitigated garbage so where do these people live?

Here’s the catch phrase of the day:

According to Ted Kennedy, immigration reform should not be addressed with “bumper sticker solutions.”

Tell you what…I’ll stayed tuned throughout the day and see how many “bumper sticker solutions” his side of the aisle tosses out…if I have enough room, I will print all of them.

The party of Bush’s buddy, Vicente Fox may be in trouble in the upcoming Mexican election.

The leading opponent of the PAN (think Mexican GOP) is Lopez Obrador.

What I think readers here may find interesting is what Mr. Obrador has said about Mexican emigration to the US:

”That which is depopulating the country, that is leaving women, children and senior citizens in the towns because the younger people must leave, is not what is best. Of course that represents the failure of the economic policy,” López Obrador said during his morning press conference.

The effects of migration are twofold, López Obrador said. On one hand the pressure is removed with regard to zero economic growth, and on the other those who are in the U.S. send about US $17 billion to Mexico annually.

”That helps to reactivate the economy, but clearly it is not due to economic policy,” he explained. [Mayor says immigration keeps Mexico from social unrest, By Manuel Durán, REFORMADecember 28, 2004]

Translation: racists like Vicente Fox(just look at his cabinet and his comments about blacks) can get away with exporting people and delivering little more than some nationalist rhetoric. However, a left leaning candidate like Orbrador has to deliver something real for working Mexicans to be credible.

Wouldn’t it be in the interests of most Vdare.com readers if Mexico were healthy enough economy that there was little need to migrate from there to the US? For $60 Billion/year, all extreme poverty in the north American continent could be eliminated. What may be needed at this point is political allies that will stand against the wealthy interests in the US and Mexico that have made short-sighted profits by US corporate-driven immigration policies.

Generally, of course, the MSM has been shamelssly partisan in its pro-immigration boosterism while purporting to cover the Senate’s rush to amnesty. But slightly further down the food chain, there are some signs of professionalism. Tucson’s KOLD News, for instance in a story Horse Trailer Carrying Dozens Of Illegal Immigrants Crashes By By Jim Becker and Dan Marries KOLD News 13 Reporter - March 30 2006

Agents from US Customs and Border Protection say there were a total of 42 illegal immigrants inside the trailer. Witnesses say there may have been as many as 60…people were likely stacked on top of one another inside the horse trailer.

goes beyond the obvious story to add:

Long after the crash, area hospitals will feel the impact as they absorb the costs of treating the injured. Illegal immigrants are causing a monetary catastrophe in America’s health care system. From July to December 2005, a six-month period, University Medical Center in Tucson treated 681 foreign nationals at a cost of $6.9 million dollars, according to a study by the University of Texas at El Paso.
Hospitals in Pima County absorbed $76 million for treating illegal immigrants in the year 2000.

Most of the time they simply walk out of the hospital once they’re treated and released

The spectacular traffic accident, in other words, is insignificant compared to the spectacular financial disaster caused by mass immigration. Costs borne, via higher medical costs, health insurance cut-backs, and of course taxes, by every American.

But wait! New York’s Mayor Bloomberg has a decisive refutation

NEW YORK, April 1 (UPI) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says golf fairways would suffer if illegal immigrants were returned to their native country.

“You and I are beneficiaries of these jobs,” Bloomberg told his WABC-AM radio co-host, John Gambling. “You and I both play golf; who takes care of the greens and the fairways in your golf course?”

Bloomberg: Illegal immigrants help golfers - UPI April 1st 2006

So there it is: on the one hand border hospitals are bankrupted and the costs of swamping America with low-skilled illegals are dumped on blue-collar and middle-class Americans. On the other, a New York billionaire gets a nicer golf course. Whose interest would you expect a poor US Senator to put first?

Applaud Mayor Bloomberg