Latino Issues, A Conservative Blog

For those still coming by, I am no longer keeping this blog updates. I am now at http://josue.townhall.com and staying on top of the latest conservative news, opinion, and blogging. Drop on by and make sure to update your blogroll and links -- http://josue.townhall.com

I have been tracking this blog by Dutch Martin, a great writer, who articulates without aplogies many of the cultural issues affecting the African American family. Check out his blog here . Dutch Martin: A Sorry Baby Momma Men's and fathers' issues columnist and radio talk show host Glenn Sacks recently co-authored a column criticizing the Philadelphia Daily News for unfairly stereotyping noncustodial fathers. He takes reporter Dana... technorati tags: black , minority , Family , Fatherhood , African-American , Dutch , Martin

Hi everyone, Just wanted to let old and new readers know that I am now blogging full time at townhall.com, as part of my duties as the Townhall.com Associate Editor and Online Community Manager. I have a couple posts on the news of Castro's hospitalization. Check it out. Go to http://josue.townhall.com

Robert Myers will be writting a series on Honduras , and is traveling in that area. Head on over to PubliusPundit.com to check it out, and make sure to note the tip jar at the bottom--this is independent journalism at its best. It's so sad. I lived in Honduras for over 14 years. There is so much potential. The Honduran people want something better, but corruption and injustice kills their hope. This was the one story that illustrates Hondurans much to well--a unhealthy facination with brands and looks and apperances. Liike I said--its sad. We arrived at the entrance, ready as ever to eat. But, again, there was a problem. We were underdressed. T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers didn’t impress the bouncer and he was refusing to let us in. This was apparently one of the more exclusive, ritzier night clubs in Honduras; a place for young millionaires and the children of the country’s wealthy elite to blow their allowances. There was no way we’d get in. But Phillip has a big mouth and would...

This is what has kept me so busy, I have not been able to post to the blog once! The Revolution Begins July 4th Newsweek has the story I'll be moving my blogging over there officially, but I'll have more on that once I actually have time to blog... Come on by and check it out on the 4th. And a Happy Fourth of July to everyone--specially to our service men and women.

Worth a read.

Coming from Focus on the Family, and knowing how cautious they are about appearances of endorsements, this is what I would call a strong endorsement. Here is what Citizen Editor had to say about Godless : There'’s plenty of this sort of sauciness in the 281 pages that make up Godless, too, but this is the first of her books where it isn'’t the stuff you'’ll remember most after you'’ve read it. I'm not sure if that means there are fewer cracks about Michael Moore's weight, Ted Kennedy's driving and Bill Clinton's sexual indiscretions than in her previous works, only that there'’s a lot more meaningful meat to her other observations and arguments -- and a lot more personal revelation, too. Here, for the first time, Coulter comes across not just as someone who'’s not in their camp, but as someone who is in ours. Sure, she doesn'’t defend the pro-family cause exactly the way we would. But she is defending it more unapologetically than any other p...

Sorry blogging has been very slow in the last week. I have been on deadline working on a project for my employer. But, for now, here is a good quote I got in my in-box from CitizenLink . "All power is inherent in the people." - Thomas Jefferson, 1824

This is just plain wrong. Francine Busby, the Democrat candidate in the California 50 special election, was caught on tape speaking to a Latino audience “You don’t need papers for voting.” This was in response to someone in the audience who asked in Spanish, "I want to help, but I don't have papers." I hope America is getting the message loud and clear. This is what the Democrats have to offer--more corruption, more of breaking the laws, and more of power plays with no regards American citizens. Listen to the audio . Full article link here . Sounds to me like "mano peluda" like people would say in Honduras.

Cross posted at TownHall.com C-Log: I've been lazy about blogging all this week since I got back from the Memorial holidays, but this is a story I could not let pass. This is just mind-boggling news coming via a press release from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. This is the same Ricardo Alarcon, of the Cuban Communist party and part of one of the deadliest regimes in our hemisphere! Washington, D.C. - The National Association of Hispanic Journalists will hold “A Conversation with Ricardo Alarcón,” the president of Cuba’s national assembly , via satellite from the Caribbean nation to open the association’s 24th Annual Convention and Media & Career Expo to be held June 14-17 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Are they insane? What conversation? What they need to do is ask some tough questions about the firing squads, the gulags and the jailed independent journalists rotting away in castro's prisons. Here is what castro's internet nemesis, blogger Val Prieto, h...

I'm blogging and working from under some evergreen trees, enjoying the breeze, and the amazing fresh air. The in-laws neighbours, who go to the same church as they do, have a wireless connection I can reach only from the front yard picnic table. Tomorrow morning its off to church, and then camping for the rest of the day and evening. Let's not forget the heroes who make our celebrations possible through their sacrifices. Take a moment to remember and pray for our men and women in combat--for the safety and continued success.

Publius Pundit gives us something positive that can result from the mushy immigration bill that came out of the Senate. If you have been following the news of Vicente Fox's visit to the US, you might have heard that he is taking credit for the passing of the immigration bill. A.M. Mora y Leon had this to say . Go on, let him take credit. Vicente Fox’s center-right, free-market PAN party, and its candidate, Felipe Calderon, is likely to reap big. This is good news for everyone, including us in the U.S. The PAN party is running on a platform of job creation, and of opening Mexico’s closed energy sector to put Hugo Chavez out of business and provide more oil for us since the clowns in U.S. Congress still don’t get it about offshore drilling. Mexico’s gains in transparency, in better market regulation, in sound stable currency, in fiscal discipline and in a rising stock market - and believe it or not, job creation - will continue apace and not be rolled back by an inward-looking H...

Diminishes due process? They are here illegaly! The bill is meant to secure the borders, and yes--enforce the LEGAL (due) process of immigrants. Hidden traps --thats what they call enforcement...hmm. The legislation approved by the Senate yesterday would offer many illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship. But advocates of expanded immigration rights complain that "hidden traps" woven through the bill's 300 pages erode significant due-process protections for all foreign-born people living in the United States. A coalition of civil rights, religious and legal groups says the legislation would make it easier for the government to detain or deport immigrants -- whether in the country legally or not -- while making it more difficult for them to prove they deserve asylum or naturalization. Well, if you have a hard time proving you deserve asylum or naturalization, perhaps it will make others consider immigrating legaly...now thats a novel idea!! Tags: Politics , MEXICO , Bu...

Whatever it is that passed in the Senate yesterday is NOT what will be law. Thank God! But it is yet to be seen what comes out of conference. One thing I know HAS to stay there is a good solid fence--physical and electronic. The question of the year is--at what cost? Like all good politicians, this bill has turned into an entitlement giveaway and in its present state, it is full of large holes! Spend, spend, spend--even if we don't have enough to go around. But, what else is new? And never mind about the details of how we are going to enforce the specifics of the law... The Senate approved a wide-ranging overhaul of immigration laws Thursday, voting 62-36 to bolster security at the Mexican border and to grant many illegal immigrants a path toward citizenship. But the inclusion of that path sets the stage for a battle with the House of Representatives, which passed a stricter bill in December. Several senators said after the vote that President Bush's participation in the polit...

Here is what the vote came down to . Click a party to list individual members. Party Yes No Not Voting Democratic 41 2 1 Independent 1 0 0 Republican 31 23 1 Total 73 25 2

UPDATE: I got to sit in on the show during the start of the second hour, so I missed this . He's right--to many talking heads doing a lot of talking, without having read what they are talking about. This is why I have not talked about it. You owe it to yourself to know what this guy is saying, and about the looming confrontation we're facing as a nation, and what the next two elections here will say about whether we're going to face up to it or not. RadioBlogger has the audio file . But, during the second segment (I think) of the second hour, Hugh made a striking comment on the similarities Iranian's expatriates are feeling these days--seeing how Mahmoud Ahmadinejead is destroying Iran,--and what Cuban's feel about what castro has done to Cuba. It's not very often you hear that sort of comparison. Mahmoud Ahmadinejead and Castro--two monsters of the same kind. Af...

Truth can be found in the simplest of statements . "Three groups spend other people's money: children, thieves, politicians. All three need supervision." Dick Armey

The headline: Q1 GDP growth fastest in 2-1/2 years . Don't get to carried away with all the doom and gloom talk on the mainstream media. This was the second reading of economic growth for the first three months of the year. The government revises the data twice after each initial estimate and its final tally of first-quarter performance will not be available for another month. Somewhat surprisingly, spending on housing was moderately stronger than had been initially thought, growing at a revised 3.1 percent rate instead of 2.6 percent estimated a month ago. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress last month that one of the reasons economic growth was likely to moderate in coming months was that housing markets were showing signs of softening. But of course, no one is going to give credit where credit is due--less taxes among other things. Remeber those words come election: "Reduce the taxes" Democrats won't do it. Republicans will. Its a choice.

Diario La Prensa , Spanish language Honduran newspaper, reports that approximately 150 Cubans have arrived in Honduras escaping castro's prison island. Four women and 13 men where the last to arrive on the 20th, taking them 12 days in open seas due to bad weather. A married couple, Rodyn Brito and Eslen González said their objective was to get to the US, as "they could no longer live in Cuba." Would you be willing to risk your life and spend 12 days in open seas in bad weather to find freedom? What sort of country would cause such desperation? Think about that next time you read some pro-castro propaganda in the papers.

Enforcement becomes more and more urgent. Half-baked enforcement will only continue to endanger lives, and enrich coyotes willing to risk human life for a buck. I'm glad to hear about more use of technology, improved detection methods, etc. Read this story . The stocky 28-year-old from Oaxaca had followed the smuggler into a vast labyrinth of drainage pipes under Otay Mesa, a booming commercial area of San Diego 15 miles southeast of downtown. The 23-mile network leads to about 500 manholes scattered across about three square miles. From those openings into the bowels of the city, mud-covered migrants crawl out into streets, busy intersections and parking lots, creating a dizzying guessing game for U.S. Border Patrol agents. "They're popping up all over the place," said Joe Perez, the agent in charge of the area. The migrant traffic below truck-clogged streets and new office parks underscores the persistence and desperation of people faced with crossing one of the mos...

This from Vicente Fox : Mexican President Vicente Fox said Wednesday that immigration is the most pressing challenge to the relationship between his country and the United States, but is also their greatest opportunity. Oh, ya--he left out the part about how embarrassing it is that so many Mexicans can't find work, and don't want to live there. How about the embarrassment that US dollars sent back by families is higher than the total profits from oil sales to the US! He is an embarrassment to his people--him and all corrupt government officials that line their pockets and sink their people further into poverty.

Sometimes, I wish I had the powers of the Joshua of Biblical times, who in need of a few more hours to defeat their enemies, called out to the sun to stop on its path. Scripture says the sun stayed in its place--I forget for how long--allowing Joshua and the Israelite armies to defeat their enemies. Now, I'm not fighting any war--other than the war of ideas--but I sure could use a few more hours! This is all just to say sorry for the lack of posts today. I'm on deadline to code some major sections of a new site, and was not able to even take a short break to comment on the events of the day. I did want to mention that I am now blogging over at TownHall.com's C-Log , under the leadership of Steve Muscatello. Steve and I are now co-workers, since my employer aquired TownHall.com (I know there is a press release somewhere, but I can't find it). Today, to start off, I just reposted some comments already posted here. I hope you will make me look good, and head on over and...

I'm going to join Hugh , Rightwingsparkle , and Abigail in focusing efforts in retaining or gaining in red seats. As I said here, we can over-focus on the problem , or take action and be a part of the continued effort to find effective solutions. Here is the question , "Are you willing to invest $500 in the future by contributing to the nine GOP Senate candidates that are best positioned to either retain their seats or take a blue seat red?" ...no matter what the problem is, the answer can't be more Democrats. I'll second what Hugh said --more democrats in congress is certainly not going to offer a better alternative. And from Abigail : We can argue about all the things that Republicans may be doing wrong, but at least we can agree that the Democrats won't be doing anything more right. In case you are having a hard time remembering what are the issues at stake: ...the stakes are incredibly high, including success in the war and the ability to confirm good j...

Got an email from Carl McGill. Here is the clear call to action. Again, this is the first time I have ever endorsed a Democrat , and I don't expect it will happen again. Here is McGill's link to put in your support. He wants $1000 to $2000 -- piece of cake for a couple hundred supporters. I'm inviting other bloggers to join me--copy and paste the donate button below and get your readers involved. It's a couple missed Starbuks visits--no big deal! $25.00 My opponent Maxine Waters is finally spending money in the primary, for the first-time in her 16 year congressional career. At this point, the best fundraising activity would be through my website. On the homepage of www.carlmcgill.com , there is a fundraiser page link,which leads to credit card or atm (with Visa or Mastercard logo) able donations from $5 to $1,000. If I could receive donations totaling $1,000 - $2,000 in the next couple of days, it would help me with some signs. For example, If could get 200 or mor...

For the regular readers who may have been wondering where I was over the weekend, I spent it with family, and went on Saturday evening to the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, DE. We enjoyed Beethoven Symphony No. 9, directed by David Amado and performed by the Delaware Symphony Orchestra . It was magnificent, and an enjoyable time with my wife and the in-laws. I'm making serious attempts to ensure I prioritize and spend the necessary time with my wife and away from the computer. Since internet is spotty at best at my in-laws, I just relaxed, worked on a few chapters of The History of the American People (by Paul Johnson) and just bummed around! It was great! This sort of thing will happen from time to time, and I think I won't always be letting readers know. But never fear--I'll always be back and refreshed ready for more. I've already posted a couple quick comments about the news from the weekend. Hope you all had a great weekend.

They said it best. I just couldn't believe my ears when I heard. Nagin's incompetence is so evident--why is it that a majority of a city just can't see the facts? What sort of worldview would allow a human being to believe that this major is what's best for New Orleans? It's hard to comprehend--they live in a different dimension! Glenn Reynolds : Louisiana's political class isn't just greedy -- it's greedy and stupid. Louisiana will pay the price. And probably complain of unfairness when it does. Tags: Hurricane Katrina , blanco , flood aid , Katrina , New Orleans , Nagin , News

I was watching the race on TV at a Applebees Saturday night--it's terrible. Everyone in the restaurant stopped talking and eating, and where watching the TV screens when it happened. I hope the horse doesn't have to be put down . Barbaro sustained "life-threatening injuries" after breaking bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness Stakes. "You do not see this severe injury frequently because the fact is most horses that suffer this typically are put down on the race track," said Richardson, the chief of surgery for the center. "This is rare." Tag: barbaro

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman, Ken Mehlman issued the following statement today, in celebration of Cuban Independence Day: “On May 20, 1902, the Cuban people victoriously concluded a long and arduous struggle against oppression and political persecution to establish a freely elected Cuban government. This passion for a free Cuba still lives in the hearts of many Cubans – many of whom have escaped to the United States to pursue freedom. The Republican Party recognizes the accomplishments and contributions Cuban Americans have made to this country, and joins them in their desire to witness once again the end of a dictatorship and the beginning of a Cuban democracy.” Its a nice gesture.

I've written before here that the reason Latin America seems to have a distaste for Capitalism is that what they know as capitalism is really what economist Gary Becker calls "crony capitalism." Glenn Reynolds writes about this in his latest GlennReynolds.com post . Here are Becker's thoughts : One legitimate reason for the opposition to capitalism in Latin America is that it frequently has been "crony capitalism" as opposed to the competitive capitalism that produces desirable social outcomes. Crony capitalism is a system where companies with close connections to the government gain economic power not by competing better, but by using the government to get favored and protected positions. These favors include monopolies over telecommunications, exclusive licenses to import different goods, and other sizeable economic advantages. Some cronyism is found in all countries, but Mexico and other Latin countries have often taken the influence of political connect...

Something to consider . One of the developments that’s recently disturbed me is the growing number of religious organizations in America that are constantly “against something.” Every month, I get magazines and direct mail from organizations and ministries upset about the latest movie, court decision, TV show, cartoon series, or mad at the homosexual community or some other special interest group. For a long time it’s bothered me, because as Christians – of all people – we should be known as “people who are for something.” We have the greatest story in the world to tell, but instead of focusing on that story, we continually get distracted by turning our focus on issues that are peripheral to our real calling. I worked at a large Christian non-profit and have wondered myself. I still look forward to the possibility of working within Christian organizations. It is one thing I enjoy about working for Gran Comision Latin America--they are for action and solutions that ch...

Good article over at FrontPageMag.com reacting to President Bush's speech. Check it out .

Read Chuck Colson's opinion column over at TownHall.com. Instead of litigating over posting the Ten Commandments in public spaces, churches in the future will be trying to keep the state from encroaching on matters of faith and morals. This will certainly become the case if sexual orientation comes to be seen as analogous to race, which is already the view among many elites, including some in the judiciary. If that happens, as looks likely, then all the force of law unleashed by racism charges will be brought to bear against the Church. Schools, health-care providers—even Christian camps and, yes, maybe pastors in the pulpit—will be uncertain if they can do their jobs in a way that is both legal and consistent with their beliefs. The best way to keep the Massachusetts dilemma from spreading is to keep the logic behind the Goodridge decision from spreading. The Marriage Protection Amendment, now pending before Congress, would not only protect traditional marriage, it would also prot...

Today's column from Linda Chavez reminds us again to not lose focus of a key element on this immigration debate. An element that Bush emphasized quite well! I have been writing about that here for months, and I cheered when I heard Bush say it--assimilation is the key. This is another key reason I like the President's speech. To talk about assimilation is not politically correct, and the President did it anyway. Way to go! From Chavez , here are the facts about Latinos and assimilation : Fear that the newest batch of immigrants from Latin America can't, or refuse to, be absorbed into the cultural, social, and economic mainstream of American life drives much of the anti-immigrant sentiment so prevalent today. I've mustered statistics endlessly in previous columns to demonstrate that such fears are overdrawn -- Hispanics are not only assimilating as each group before them has, but at a more rapid pace than many previous groups -- but for the moment, I want to put those ar...

Great resolution . Let's hope for good follow through and evidence of action in poor communities across the country. I realize many readers have had positive experience in public schools, but the anti-moral dogma, and anti-Christian discrimination that continues to grow in the public school is intolerable to many. Whereas, churches can collaborate in providing alternatives to the government school system: BE IT NOW RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention encourages each church associated with the Southern Baptist Convention to heed Dr. Mohler's call to develop an exit strategy from the government's schools; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges that particular attention be given in the development of such exit strategies to the needs of orphans, single parents, and the disadvantaged; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention urges t...

Via World Magazine Blog, concerning news from the The Barna Group 's nationwide survey on Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code : ...the book has impacted millions of lives – but changes few beliefs. One out of every five adults has read the book but only 5% - which represents about two million adults – said that they changed any of the pre-existing beliefs or religious perspectives because of the book’s content. The survey finds that the people most likely to have altered their religious views in response to the book’s content were Hispanics (who comprise 17% of the book’s readers), women (three times more likely than male readers to do so), and liberals (twice as likely as conservatives). I recomend this resources --both in English and in Spanish--targeted at youth. It provides good answers to the questions the Da Vinci Code presents.

*** UPDATE (5/16) *** Via Hugh Hewitt: I have confirmed with a senior White House source this morning that the president is for robust fencing in urban areas --as exists in El Paso and San Diego-- and for vehicle barriers in rural areas. As usual, it seems that a major part of the problem is getting the message out. *** Hugh's sources are saying "that Senator Sessions will move an amendment that provides for 325+ miles of fencing and an additional 500 miles of vehicle barriers. " That's good news. This is not as extensive a plan as that authorized by the House bill, but it gets the Senate bill on to the same page, and if the conference report comes back with immediate construction and full funding, it would represent a significant breakthrough. I agree. Make sure to follow the coverage on the blogosphere, Hugh's radio show, and my own interview on BBC Radio Five Live . Technorati Tags: Bush , Politics , border , Terrorism , Homeland Security , MEXICO , illegal i...

Anchoress makes a great point and addresses a huge flaw on both sides of this debate! I quoted this already, but it's worth its own post. ...I just have to ask all of you people - on every side - who have decided that immigration is one man’s burden , and that every good thing President Bush has done is to be negated because he hasn’t snapped his fingers and done what YOU think is the solution to the immigration problem…what did Clinton do about immigration, what did Bush 41 do? What did St. Reagan do? What did Carter do? What has any president, congressperson or senator done about immigration for the last 30 years, except kick the issue down the road for someone else to deal with? Reagan, if you remember, was the amnesty president. Clinton was the “borders? What’s borders, everyone is our pal” president. Please read the whole post . Its worth it. Technorati Tags: Bush , Politics , border , Terrorism , Homeland Security , MEXICO , illegal immigration , illegal alien , b...

The Anchoress laid it on hard ! I can totaly relate to her fatige with politics and the rhetoric and I agree with her. I was honestly surprised at how many conservatives discounted Bush and the speech even before he spoke. It's just not intelectually sound. I cannot help but notice that a number of conservative bloggers - some of whom I have long-respected - have already decided that President Bush’s speech tonight will be insufficient to the task of undoing 30 years of neglect. They’ve heard a whisper here, an idea there, and decided that if he’s not going to do precisely what they want him to do - and only that - then he needn’t even be listened to. They’ve already pre-empted him. Attention, my conservative friends - please pull back from the edge. Please take a moment to consider what has become of you: When you have reached the point that you will not even allow a man to make his speech and put his ideas out there - if you have already decided that nothing he says can be of v...

Via CitizenLink email , a good quote: "The oddest thing about Republicans and Democrats in power is that they always know the technical facts, always know about fund raising, always know what the national committee is saying about getting turnout. But so often they don't know the message or even have a message. Which is funny, because they're in the message business. They're like shoemakers who make pretty shoeboxes but forget to make the shoes." -- Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2006

Final thoughts on the president's speech: It was a good speech. Bush said mostly what needed to say. Now, the key to the whole thing is to see some action and follow through on the whole thing. Catch and release needs to end--and it should have ended Sept. 11! He needs to do a much better job of getting out there with the message of what is being done! Enough of what we need or want to do--I want to hear about what we are doing. Actions! Real live fences. Real deportation. Real fines and prosecution of employers knowingly hiring illegal labor. I want to hear about solutions being implemented, not just debated and talked about. The administration has a serious credibility problem, and only actions will restore America's trust on our government. Technorati Tags: Bush , Politics , border , Terrorism , Homeland Security , MEXICO , illegal immigration , illegal alien , border fence

*** UPDATES BELOW-- Scroll Down for latest . Comments and excerpts of Bush's prepared remarks below, and updates as the day and evening goes forward. Of course, I'm going to be live blogging the speech tonight. *** BUMPED AND KEPT ABOVE THE FOLD UNTIL AFTER THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH. Fresh content and new posts are below this one. Scroll down for ongoing posts about immigration and the Senate debate on S. 2611. Welcome Hugh Hewitt and TruthLaidBear readers! Scroll down for other posts related to the immigration issue from earlier in the day. Hugh Hewitt will have extended coverage on his show tonight, so you'll want to tune in to that. I have also been invited to share thoughts with the BBC Radio Five Live . You should be able to listen in here (You'll need RealPlayer) . Also, Truth Laid Bear will be tracking the blogosphere's reaction to the Bush speech. Feel free to email me your reactions and thoughts--I'll publish them as I get them. Updates will be publi...

I'm going to slow down a bit while I get prepared for the BBC interview. I'm listening to Hugh. You can listen to his extended coverage on these stations: KRLA 870 in Los Angeles , WIND 560 in Chicago , KNUS 710 in Denver or KSKY 660 in Dallas.

I just printed out a hard copy of the Senate's Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act ( CIRA, S.2611 ) Now, if you are going to blog about it or comment on it, I would hope you would have taken the time to read it. I know...it will take a lot of time. The darn thing is 197 pages long!! We'll see what little tidbit I find in there. Meanwhile, the Heritage Foundation has come out with a report on the effects of S.2611 . I haven't read it yet, so I can't comment on what it says or whether I agree or not. Based on the headline, it does strike me as a bit sensationalist. The headline reads, " Senate Immigration Bill Would Allow 100 Million New Legal Immigrants over the Next Twenty Years " But, generally speaking, I tend to trust the Heritage Foundation. Ad that one to tonight's reading list...my wife is not going to be happy with me. Much attention has been given to the fact that the bill grants amnesty to some 10 million illegal immigrants. Little or no attentio...

I link and quote it in my previous post, but I want to point out this is the must read for the day. Hugh Hewitt has some serious predictions and analysis on the upcoming speech and the immigration issue. National Guard deployments may signal some temporary tightening of the border, but the refusal to embrace the House program to extend existing fencing by 700 miles, and to do so with a crash construction effort, will be to signal unseriousness on border security of a thorough-going sort. The border-security faction within the GOP is not to be confused with the anti-regularization movement, and wants only for the party and president to be serious about stopping the next 11 million illegal entrants, not deporting the millions already here .

Of course, everyone is talking about Bush's pending speach tonight. From the Washington Post : President Bush joins the immigration debate when he lays out his vision for the nation's immigration laws tonight at 8 on national television. The Senate, after weeks of haggling, finally gets back to work on a bill that could grant citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants. The Senate got back on track last week after Republican and Democratic leaders worked out a few parliamentary disputes, but big hurdles remain. Senators will be able to add a "considerable" number of amendments to the bill when the debate starts today. And there is a desert-size gulf between the approach of the Senate and that of the House, which has passed an enforcement-only bill that could lead to illegal immigrants being charged with felonies and deported. "Parliamentary disputes?" Right! Democrat's obstructionism is what they mean. Of course, the WAPO continues to ignore the fact ...

A.M. Mora y Leon has the round up of links and stories from all over Latin America. Its good news for the region, and perhaps this will serve as a wakeup call to the dangers of communism. Like a moving hurricane, a vast unified hemispheric move against the dictator of Caracas has now begun to form among many different nations. His conclusion: All of this says unbelievably a lot about what's happening in the hemisphere. A huge regional movement to oppose Hugo Chavez is beginning to form and take shape up and down two continents. They have never been bolder, something that probably signals that Chavez has never been weaker. Apparently, they all sense the same thing: the time to strike at this predator is right now.

Update: Mehlman had some good things to say, but I hear disconnect between what he says and some of the things happening out there. I know the border patrol is aprehending a lot, and Mehlman says they have stopped the catch-and-release, yet the evidence says otherwise! So, what is it? I'm still listening...will have more later. *** I'm downloading it right now . I'll let you all know what I think once I listen to it. It's a roundup of Republican problems and solutions in today's Glenn and Helen Show. First, we talk to Ken Mehlman, chair of the Republican National Committee, about polls, anger in the base, and issues like immigration, spending, taxes, and judges. We pressed Mehlman pretty hard, and I think it's fair to say that he realizes that action is more important than rhetoric if the GOP is to win back the base before November. Whether he and the White House can deliver on that, especially in the face of the Senate Republicans' foot-dragging, is another...

I'm fine if the mother's life is in danger, but I have yet to see a compelling argument as to how an abortion changes anything in the case of rape or incest. I mean, is the argument that a mother would abort for phycological reasons? How does the trauma of an abortion make the situation any better? It's to bad--it strikes me as a step backwards in the battle for life. BOGOTA, Colombia (UPI) -- A Colombian court has decided to partially lift the country`s ban on abortion, El Tiempo newspaper reported Thursday. The new law will allow abortions in cases of rape and incest and if either the mother or child is in mortal danger. Abortion has long been a hot-button issue in the predominantly Roman Catholic South American country. Anti-abortion rights activists rallied against the decision saying it was a 'moral' issue and not a matter of public health.

Joe Belz has an interesting column this week on the problems with Christian education . Anyone involved either in Homeschooling or in Christian education should read it. But before anyone gets offended, make sure to get to the last part of the article. There are core differences between having problems in Christian education, and the horror stories coming out of public schools. But there are still a couple of profound differences. One is that neither Mr. Wilkey nor any other critics of Christian schools or homeschools have ever been asked to pay one red cent for all the mistakes we've made. That stands in stark contrast to the fact that all of us involved in Christian schools and homeschools have to pay, year after year, for the mistakes and wrong-headedness of public education. Second, any family patronizing any of the programs making the mistakes I've outlined here has the easy option, when they get tired of such mistakes, of just walking away from such a program—with...

They are breaking our laws to find jobs in the US, and yet they riot when a company tries to create new jobs in their own country? Es el colmo!! In a little-reported story last week, Mexico experienced some fearsome riots, with Sweetness & Light reporting that they were about opposition to a new Wal-Mart. The Mexican Wal-Marts are owned by a Mexican, by the way. In Mexico they are called Mal-Mex. I don't understand why any sensible human being would be against more jobs.

A.M. Mora y Leon has more at Publius Pundit . Cuba has secured a spot on the new United Nations human rights council, the board that replaced a previous one, which was intended to keep countries like Zimbabwe and Burma off these boards. Its making Val Prieto's head spin. I agree--this sort of outrage by the UN is enough to make any descent liberty loving, human-rights defending citizen go dizzy! The U.S., wisely , opted to stay off this United Nations board, knowing full well that countries like Cuba could gerrymander the new system to be on it. It’s quite a reflection on the workings of the United Nations that this should be the state of affairs now. The UN is now more irrelevant than ever. What sort of Human Rights are they expecting to be able to defend and protect? The key word for everything related to the UN--irrelevant. How about corrupt? At times, even evil? Feel free to add to the list...

Is this a testament to the power of the Army of Davids. As you can see in the screen capture above, Latino Issues has a higher ranking that MoveOn.org. Now, I am not sure if that is because of in-bound links, or traffic, or a combination of both. But it says something about how the playing field has changed since 2004 that an individual like me can move up the ranks and gain a decent audience. Of course, I assume they have a much higher traffic numbers, but I am enjoying playing a small part alongside millions of other bloggers. This is encouraging.

Promoting tyranny in Latin America--make sure to check out the picture at RedState.com of Carter with the Bolivarian tyrant from Venezuela. It is important that Carter not set a precedent. We do not need, and we do not want, "President Emeritus" meddlers fouling up the plans and policies of the elected leadership of the United States. We need to make it clear to any other aspiring Meddlers In Chief that this behavior is reprehensible. And the way to do that is for the Congress to formally censure Jimmy Carter. This was not my idea. The good folks at CensureCarter.com came up with this, and Tuesday they are beginning a television advertising campaign to drum up support. You can see the ad now, here.

Not all Hispanics got on this pro-open borders bandwagon. Not everything you heard was true. Jose Fuentes speaks out about the facts--the truth--about this important challenge. Let this be a warning to citizens of Latino heritage. The question everyone should be asking is "Can Democrats be trusted?" This the party that lied to America and was willing to use a large segment of our population to further their political ambitions. While we all may not agree on the Republican's proposed solutions, this doesn't mean you should go out and vote Democrat come November. That would be playing right into their hands. By Jose Fuentes Op-Ed May 9, 2006 The immigration issue is one of the most important challenges we as a nation face. And yet, after weeks and months of debate and discussion, we remain at a deadlock. Two simple news items might help to explain why: Item one: Senate Democrats – particularly Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid – backed out of what seemed to be a com...