Wish Trump had continued his comments about Pelosi and the others who live behind their own personal barriers with a "Tear Down your wall, Nancy".
I wish he would have given an ultimatum, such as "I will give Congress 30 days and if there is not an agreement I will use my Constitution Powers to declare a National Emergency..." That would not have been presidential, but the political game here is getting very old.
Going to be interesting to see how it plays in the heartland.
How many other democrats are only in congress due to illegals counted in the census?
I wonder where they found two wooden puppets that look like those silly folks Schulosi and Pumer.
The Dems still can't believe Pres Trump addressed the Nation and hasn't given up.
If the records are not in Interpol or another countries data base shared with the US and we can't necessarily ID the person committing the crime (assuming they are even caught and charged), how can one even draw up such a graph? Granted about 1/2 of the people here illegally have overstated their visas but until their immigration issue court hearing date comes up (1-3 yrs) they can pretty much do whatever they want and their movements are not tracked. In the meantime, we hear plenty of stories such as the one the president shared last night. When you really think about it the rate is really irrelevant as we are looking at reducing all crimes, aren't we?? We need to take close look at the visa system (there are some strict requirements for getting one in the first place) and better processing those who overstay, AND if you come in without one.
Historically US residents have always worried about the new immigrants and the possibility of crime issues. The difference is law enforcement and Congress would team up from time to time to address it. Appears the current Democrat leadership doesn't care would rather argue about their facts vs his facts and partisan agenda.
By the way how many other people on this forum get asked during a job application or business entry point if you are a US citizen, have work visa or other paperwork stating you can work in this country?? As a consultant I see it all the time.
It's real simple......if you broke the law to get here, then GET THE **** OUT! Even a Democrat should be able to understand that if you REWARD bad behavior then THAT'S WHAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO GET!
Anyway, happy he went public with this and hopefully it'll resonate soon.
A lot of truth to what you said, but personally I can watch him read a teleprompter a lot more than I could Obama. Obama's smugness just always showed, at least to me. I took Trump as awkward, but sincere about the message. My bias probably showing thru, LOL!
That all said, the whole thing affirmed two things to me.
1.) The President absolutely blows at doing a formal, teleprompter style speech's. He goes into robot mode and as someone alluded above, it seems cold, disinterested and insecure. As he gets close to the end, you can see he gets looser and the "Campaign Rally Guy" starts to show and it improves - it's like he "lets the guard down" when he is sprinting for the finish. People always remember the feel of the end... So the finish is big.
2.) Sweet mother of God. The Dem's "Road Show" of Pelosi and Schumer could not have looked worse. How they didnt have a person telling them that their set up was epic - in it's ridiculousness - I do not understand. They may have said something good, I dont know. I was so focused on the Schumer scowl and Pelosi's "Wholly crap who just jumped out of that closet and scared me" expression that the message was lost. For people "used" to public speaking... Wow. Just WOW! If they want to get a legit message about a reasoned and sensible approach to consider with the President, they need to improve the delivery exponentially. Ugh.
I dont think anything changed. MSM "fact checks" show the same stuff one would assume in response, as do the RSM (Republican Stream Media). So in the end, it feels like a net "zero". If you like it, or love the idea, you woke up thinking "that was good/great and this is going to happen"... If you dont, you woke up thinking "Ugh".
Hard to admit he some how managed to come off better than Pelosi/Schumer, but their delivery was so bad, I think at least optically, he did.
Obviously a troll, just wanted the snot nose to pipe up.
Okay, this isn't really what Donald Trump proposed in last night's 8-minute address to the nation about the need to fully and immediately fund security for our southern border, as well as the President's intent to continue the government shutdown as the only possible method of getting the Democrats to take part - however unwillingly - in our nation's defense.
The President spoke eloquently of the high costs of our current inadequate security. A flood of illegal drugs, weapons, and gang members bringing suffering and death to Americans, as well as devastating the job market for African-Americans and Hispanics, and costing taxpayers untold billions for support services for our uninvited guests.
But as frightening as the President's statistics were, they can't compare to the terror we experienced when our TV screen was suddenly filled with two soul-sucking faces that put the "butt" in rebuttal...
Schumer and Pelosi glowered into the unblinking camera and lied their shriveled rear ends off about what Trump had said only moments before. They characterized his statements as lies and hate, and claimed that Democrats are actually wildly enthusiastic about funding border security as long as Trump just ends the shutdown so the matter can be (ahem) "debated" separately until a bipartisan solution can be reached. Because the last 50 years or so of debate haven't quite been enough yet.
They claimed that Trump's wall - or any physical barrier - would be expensive and inefficient. Not terms we remember them bandying about in regards to other Democrat programs, let alone Obama's disastrous "shovel ready jobs" program which cost over 100 times what Trump is requesting for security measures. As a jobs program alone, this could be characterized as a success for Democrats if they'd just allow it to happen.
Interestingly, Schumer and Pelosi didn't bother to address how to stem the ongoing flood of illegals into our country, nor how to eliminate the direct threats to the lives and well-being of Americans. They stared into the camera like a nightmare version of the couple from Grant Wood's "American Gothic" painting, interested only in stoking fear and hatred.
Bottom line: the point-counterpoint speeches reaffirmed our belief that the wall needs to be built, and that a continuing government shutdown is the only way to get Democrats to do remotely the right thing.
Steady on, Mr. President.
Meanwhile, from IOTW Report comes the Chuck and Nancy Meme:
Even the uber-left WashPo thinks Trump made a great case and blew the two phony Dems away!
"Opinions | Trump won the night. Schumer and Pelosi lost.
President Trump did something Tuesday night that he has rarely done since taking office: He used the presidential bully pulpit to reach beyond his hardcore base of supporters to make his case to the American people as a whole.
Speaking from the Oval Office for the first time during his presidency, Trump embraced our country’s tradition as a nation of immigrants, declaring “America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants who enrich our society and contribute to our nation.”
He then offered a cogent explanation why he believes we face what he called “a humanitarian crisis — a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul” along our southern border.
He pointed out the human cost of our broken system to illegal migrants themselves, expressing compassion for the “children [who] are used as human pawns by vicious coyotes and ruthless gangs” and the “women [who] are sexually assaulted on the dangerous trek up through Mexico.”
He shared heartbreaking stories of Americans killed by criminal aliens who had no right to be here — including a police officer in California who was murdered, a 16-year-old girl who was brutally stabbed in Maryland, and an Air Force veteran who was raped and beaten to death.
“I’ve held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers,” Trump declared. “I will never forget the pain in their eyes, the tremble in their voices, or the sadness gripping their souls.”
And he laid out his solution, which he explained was “developed by law enforcement professionals and border agents” and includes funds for cutting-edge technology, more border agents, more immigration judges, more bed space and medical support — and $5.7 billion for a “physical barrier” that he called “just common sense.” Without naming her, Trump responded to the absurd charge from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) that a wall is “immoral.”
"Democrats voted repeatedly for physical barriers until he was elected president, he noted."
" If a wall is immoral," Trump asked, “why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences and gates around their homes?
They don’t build walls because they hate the people on the outside, but because they love the people on the inside.” emphasis mine.
OUCH!!!!
The president did not unilaterally declare a national emergency. Instead, he called for compromise and said, “To those who refuse to compromise in the name of border security, I would ask: imagine if it was your child, your husband, or your wife, whose life was so cruelly shattered and totally broken?”
He was, in short, presidential.
Democrats insisted on equal time, which is highly unusual for presidential addresses other than the State of the Union. It was a mistake. In contrast to Trump, Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) came across as small and intransigent.
While Trump spoke calmly and rationally from behind the Resolute Desk, the Democratic leaders accused him of “pounding the table” and having a “temper tantrum.”
While Trump told human stories, they complained about process. They accused him of arguing that the women and children at the border were “a security threat” when he had just explained to the American people that they were victims, too.
They charged him with using the “backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration.” They were partisan and petty, while Trump came across as reasonable and even compassionate. To normal Americans watching in the heartland, and who are not steeped in Trump hatred, the president must have seemed like the adult in the room.
And, most important, Pelosi and Schumer failed to use the one word that millions of Americans were longing to hear — compromise.
But Trump did.
That is why the president won the night. Schumer and Pelosi appealed to their base, while Trump made an effective appeal to persuadable Americans.
Until now, Trump has owned the 18-day government shutdown that prompted this address, because he’s the one who started it. But if Democrats continue to attack him, and won’t entertain any compromise, soon the shutdown will be all theirs — because they’re the ones who have refused to end it."
But I think "we the folks" can get past that. and look at the words and ideas presented by each. We have an American issue with people waltzing into our land and taking our stuff. All the other good and bad too aside. We all get that. But you're saying his calling it out from the Oval office to all Americans has no effect? You may be right about those of us who pay regular attention but for the bulk of folks, it is a moment that puts the issue in their lap ... right on the couch that they sit on nightly. It is now in their homes. Many don't watch the news. Now they have it laid out.
"it feels like a net "zero". If you like it, or love the idea, you woke up thinking "that was good/great and this is going to happen"... If you don't, you woke up thinking "Ugh".
If the undecided were not paying attention before ... they are now and President Trump clearly took the Win On points. They just bitched. When folks get past the terrible deliveries they are left with two impressions of the issue. One had reasons and facts ( maybe not perfect ones but sounds reasonable) . The others just Bitched and attacked his character and mental state. He was way out in front of the pitch. That will add to the public support. It will work in His favor.
This week and next He will "ground and pound" the points into magic dust, then blow it over the other side for them to gag on. ( don't worry its only toxic to insanity )
NANCY--TEAR DOWN YOUR WALL! You botoxed senile hypocrite...
Yet that same proposal was awesome when Obama, Pelosi and Chuckie advocated FOR it.
I swear, you can't make this stuff up!
One other thing to question, how many of our missing children do you think are trafficked through the holes in our southern border? Do you think a barrier and secure border would aid in preventing that?
But when a million illegals jump the border every year, and there is the occasional murder, rape, dui killing.... the Dems cry 'fear mongering' because it's just a few bad apples among so many generally good people.
Such political tripe.
And the State of Nevada will back me up 100%.
Occupational hazard!
According to the libs, they have a right to be in your house...it's cruel to keep them out...we're all human beings and have rights!!
The wall does not block where most heroine/fentanyl/drugs etc come through - which are LEGAL ports of entry be they literally checkpoints on the southern border or via our seaward ports. So, we can build a wall which may or may not work to slow the tide of illegal entrants but we are going to sure need to figure out strategies that actually target the areas where most of the damage happens.
I do not know if the Presidents talk really shifted the minds of people in middleville on the issue. I know it changed nothing among the polarized factions on the left and right, and I am very confident the lightening rod the President has been does little to help him on this "sale".
I also know we, as a nation, have a legit issue with illegal entry and that things need to be done to stop it. I just am not convinced that spending 5B + over the long term, when a "trade deal" still unapproved, is going to cover it, while we sail past 22T in debt, and other options could work to stem some of the biggest issues he tried to present last night.
As I said on the other thread though, I've been worn down, by the dang thing, and lets get on with doing great things for this country that have NOT been done in 20-30 + years in terms of fixing the infrastructure, further securing all ports of entry and the "grid", and doing positive environmentalism so that all of our kids can have amazing places to be outdoors, but people can still run very successful businesses. If building the wall lets those sorts of things occur, go buy the concrete. Ill help pay come April.
Is there a sudden surge of undocumented immigrants crossing the border? No! In fact the numbers have been reduced significantly.
So why is it so urgent right now at this very moment?
Look it up on the border patrol website, apprehensions FY2019. The last two months published (Oct and Nov 2018) are near record high arrests over 60,000 a month and higher than any time in the prior 23 months.
So no.... not "reduced significantly". Liar.
He said Trump was being disingenuous to claim the wall would significantly reduce the flow of drugs into our country. He pointed to the fact that most of the drugs that make it across our land border do so in vehicles thru legal ports of entry, not by people sneaking it across on foot. Furthermore, he said the amount of drugs that come across our land border pales in comparison to the amount that comes by way of boats in the Gulf and up both coastlines.
Finally, he expressed disgust with the federal government over the fact that the Coast Guard is one of the departments that is affected by this shutdown. They are expected to still work, but they don't know when they will get paid next. He said the average Coast Guard member's salary is less than poverty level, so most of them live paycheck to paycheck. He was concerned that the already understaffed Coast Guard would start losing personnel, thereby contributing to even more drugs entering our country. He was clearly pissed about that.
Matt
Annony Mouse's Link
"...
In the last two years, [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] officers made 266,000 arrests of aliens with criminal records – including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes and 4,000 violent killings. Over the years, thousands of Americans have been brutally killed by those who illegally entered our country, and thousands more lives will be lost if we don’t act right now. [Emphasis added]
In the last year alone, ICE agents arrested more than 6,600 convicted murderers and convicted sex offenders who were in the United States illegally.
Of that total, 4,975 of the illegal aliens arrested were convicted sex offenders. The other 1,641 illegal aliens had been convicted of homicide. Another 1,913 illegal aliens that were arrested by ICE had pending sex offense charges against them, while 387 illegal aliens had pending murder charges against them.
For each one of these crimes, there are at least one or more American and legal immigrant victims.
Trump also touched on the country’s vast drug epidemic that has crippled regions of the U.S., the vast majority of which has been the direct result of an open border:
Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs – including meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl. Every week, 300 of our citizens are killed by heroin alone – 90 percent of which floods across from our southern border. More Americans will die from drugs this year than were killed in the entire Vietnam War. [Emphasis added]
Indeed, drug overdoses in 2017 killed an unprecedented 72,287 U.S. residents, nearly three times the number of individuals killed by global terrorism. Nearly 50,000 of those deadly overdoses were caused by either heroin or fentanyl..."
From AOS:
CBS "Fact-Check" Finds That Trump's Claim About Women Migrants Being Raped Wasn't Exaggerated But Was Understated, But Then Deletes Its Own Fact-Check as Insufficiently Helpful to the Cause —Ace of Spades
Trust your betters.
CBS decided to help Democrats by fact-checking in real time President Trump's address on the need for a wall.
CBS reported, "Fact check: Number of women sexually assaulted on trip to border.
"CLAIM: The president claimed one in three women have been sexually assaulted traveling to the border.
"FACT CHECK: Between 60 percent and 80 percent of female migrants traveling through Mexico are raped along the way, Amnesty International estimates."
But then they deleted that.
Ice agents seem to want it. No one denies the drugs are coming through in many ways. The wall addresses illegal immigration more then any drug. So, think how much better we could concentrate on border crossing areas when we have control of the unprotected spots. More agents at these known crossing areas, better screening, more funds to spend on the coastal issue of where the drugs are coming from, etc.... This wall is a win-win anyway it is spun. Yet, the people that supported it no longer do. Politics at play.
It is so easy and convenient for some people to fog the topic with reasons why we are here as a country. And, it isn't this one or, any other presidents fault due to policy. Some seem to forget that when they get a wad in their panty's over this president. While chanting checks and balances. The check and balance people are OUR problem. And, not the saving grace claimed by some people.
Oh boy they we are getting more of their best and brightest............
slade's Link
Though the details of the Oregon and Washington cases have not been released as publicly, the Washington outbreak was traced to an unvaccinated child who had traveled to the state from another country. ""
The Dems were saying that Trump was fear mongering. Yeah, like the Dems started with the whole "Coast Guards isn't getting a paycheck". Let me know when the Coast Guard actually doesn't get their checks mailed. Foreboding hysteria aside...
Everything gets put off till its done. Seldom do we fix things immediately but we should when possible. He is going down the "Money-do list" darn fast. This is next and he is getting on it. Why not before? don't know. Maybe an attempt at healthcare reform was in the way. Then judge appointments, some ISIS stuff, Talking shop with world leaders, Undoing the red tape all over the place, defending his political life against the attack ... dunno, maybe he was busy.
Will, thanks for the thoughtful reply. Lotta words there. We shall see if he had an effect, on those sleepy folks ... keep your eye on the trusty polls. I agree let's get it done and move on.
Call Schalosi and Pumer a Doctor... they look a little sick.
And why was that? I can only conclude it was political. The Rs thought the bill would add to the D's base. And now the Ds are reciprocating. Sad.
Matt
THUS all the new bills that have been squeezed out of our countries greatest orifice since then.... people said fine..... lets seal the border.... THEN we talk about some fast track to citizenship or something.... suddenly they back out and say no deal..... wonder why.....
People forget history and how they were lied to and bent over before. Yes sir may I have another...
NO talk about ANY kind of amnesty or path thereof..... until border is sealed. FIRST. Fool me once.... shame on you.... fool me twice.... You'd have to be a total idiot to even consider it.
The question must be pondered. How does a 174,000 dollar a year salary lead an otherwise asset poor Senator, to a life of $25 million dollar rich? Investments in markets won’t do it. Real estate won’t in today’s world. So, how do our elected senators get so filthy rich on a $174,000 a year salary? Therein lies a clue as to the problems facing the American people on the wall. And all the other unsolved “hard” problems we face.
The President also has input, where he says he wants the annual budget to include 5b dedicated for a wall. Or he has the right to Veto the legislation, and now you need 67 Senators to agree on something to override him. I don't see how that is likely.
I wish Trump had this fight earlier and demanded the whole 25b for a complete wall. The 5b doesn't solve the problem. It just shows who is willing to side with illegals over Americans.
Straight from the epicenter of the issue, the U.S. Border Patrol outlines a single day of captured illegal aliens from countries other than Central America and Mexico.
Just yesterday alone over 113 illegal entry apprehensions from Pakistan, India, China, Ecuador, Romania, Nicaragua and more. This CBP data is just from one border state in one day. WATCH:
No doubt of his respect for the president - both the office and the man who currently occupies it.
Nancy...tear down YOUR wall!!
