Despite overwhelming public support for immigration reform, both parties continue to bungle the issue; proving once again that incompetence is the only true bipartisan value.
In 2004, when George W., had just won re-election, he gave a major speech imploring Congress to pass a humane immigration bill. At that time, his own party held both houses of Congress. The 2006 midterms brought the Congress back to the Democrats. The GOP own this issue going back at least 20 years. And look what they have created, alligator Alcatraz, etc. Mitch McConnell, what say you? Do we have to wait till you publish your memoirs to find out why the GOP sat on their hands year after year refusing to even debate immigration. Not to mention the immigration bill that was ready for vote just last year when Biden was still in office. The GOP is rotten to the bone, they are opposed to an organized civil society. The depravity of the GOP created Trump now they are enslaved by him.
Remember that the Democrats had a bipartisan immigration bill that even conservative Senator James Langford supported but Trump didn’t want it passed before he became president. Democrats may be stuck in the mud at times but everything they want to do is stopped by these Republicans. Hopefully when they win the Congress in 2026, real change will come. Right now Republicans hold hearings on Biden’s use of an auto pen and other BS. Real top priorities
How can democrats legislate when they don’t control the house or the Senate? I am hoping they are actively working on plans to put into effect as soon as the midterm elections are over. My deepest concern right now is that 47 is purposely provoking people to protest so he can declare Marshall Law and not hold elections if any of those protests get rowdy. This week he had ICE agents in military garb and masks going into American cities (e.g., LA’s MacArthur park) and shut down a summer camp for children. ICE agents also approached children at a baseball camp on NYC’s upper west side in Manhattan in Riverside Park, see https://abc7ny.com/amp/post/nyc-youth-baseball-coach-says-ice-agents-approached-members-team-practicing-riverside-park-manhattan/17060854/
How much can American people take as American citizens are now being rounded up and/or detained without any reason except for the color of their skin? How can democrats safely fight against insanity?
Exactly right, Michael. Couldn't agree more. What Americans REALLY need to understand is that The United States is one of the biggest polluters on the PLANET. Only China, I believe pollutes more. So, when many of these migrants are forced to look for a new place to live because their land is no longer farmable due to drought or flooding brought on my climate change, or their businesses and homes have been destroyed by climate changes, The United States has to stop for a second and know their part in this migration issue. Trump refuses to do anything about climate change, so he can't have it both ways. He pulled The United States OUT of the Paris Climate Agreement. Americans need to understand the geopolitical consequences for doing NOTHING about climate change. Trump refuses to help feed the hungry. Trump refuses to address human rights issues around the world. So what does he expect? Bitching about immigrants trying to feed their families or find safe shelter for their families, is not going to help our economy, and it's not going to help future generations...eat. No clean water? No clean air? No farmable land left? Don't think the earth is becoming uninhabitable because it wants to be. We're destroying it. Don't blame migrants and inhumanely throw them in concentration camps. Blame us. Lady Liberty is indeed...crying.
What is happening to our immigrants is heartbreaking. I do not believe that we will have any kind of change until Trump is gone. We know that nobody is going to stand up to him and get anything changed. Yes, you hear voices saying that this isn't right, but that's the thing - they are just voices with no action. Without action you can't have change and that seems to be where we are at right now. I wish that Trump and his regime would have to spend one week in Alligator Alcatraz being treated as the immigrants are. Since we are all immigrants it would only seem fair. They should be the test vehicle and see if they survive. I hope that the Epstein files will be the one that will break the camels back and we will be able to get him out of office. I love that maga are questioning the whys and burning their hats. What else will they start questioning?
Michael you seem to be forgetting about the bipartisan immigration bill that was ready for a vote while Biden was still president. It was stopped by Trump in order to keep it as a wedge issue which the Republican party has been doing for decades. This is 80/20 on the Republican party... Not quite both sides
As you may recall, we had a bipartisan border bill, until Trump quashed it. Trump opposed the bill for political reasons, preferring to campaign on the issue rather than allow the Biden administration to claim a win on border security during an election year.
We had a perfectly good bipartisan immigration bill up for a vote in Congress with a President in office who would have signed it. Who tanked that? Not the Democrats! Trump - threatened all the GOP reps and insisted they kill the bill so he would have that issue to win him the election. So let's place the blame where it belongs - on Trump and the MAGA spineless GOP Congress that continues to placate him when - they could end this nightmare tomorrow if they would honor the oath they took and listen to their constituents.
Hey Michael - I just signed up - and I have always liked you. Thank you for this post - it's right on. Thanks for the readable narrative - I don't like the audios most of the time - anyway, keep going! I'm in and reading and applauding.
I agree! America needs the immigrants. I have never had a problem with the US being the melting pot of the world. Bipartisan support is great but what is the solution for immigration? Does anyone have any good suggestions?
I live in California and to see the mistreatment of our immigrants make's me sick. Without these people, and yes they are people, our economy can't survive. Aside from the monetary value, they are a wonderful culture. They're bright and colorful and friendly. Lots of music and singing. Go to one of their birthday parties, you'll see what fun they have. They're great family people and very religious. Also, hard workers. I don't believe God only put white men here on earth as his only children. The immigrants are his equal children also. God bless them and keep them safe.
So many issues.. If we nit-pick and argue over all of them we will sink further. Obviously, racism and cruelty openly displayed by non-Lincoln Republicans are serious and illegal, but Dems can acknowledge they used to openly own those same evils. No one is beyond reproach if we examine historical facts instead of myths. As Michael wrote in this Substack, we cannot "let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Congress used to function through compromises. Are there specific leaders in either party we can tap into? (Ex-Republicans maybe? Anyone quitting because they don't meet perfection tests from either side?)
In 2004, when George W., had just won re-election, he gave a major speech imploring Congress to pass a humane immigration bill. At that time, his own party held both houses of Congress. The 2006 midterms brought the Congress back to the Democrats. The GOP own this issue going back at least 20 years. And look what they have created, alligator Alcatraz, etc. Mitch McConnell, what say you? Do we have to wait till you publish your memoirs to find out why the GOP sat on their hands year after year refusing to even debate immigration. Not to mention the immigration bill that was ready for vote just last year when Biden was still in office. The GOP is rotten to the bone, they are opposed to an organized civil society. The depravity of the GOP created Trump now they are enslaved by him.
Remember that the Democrats had a bipartisan immigration bill that even conservative Senator James Langford supported but Trump didn’t want it passed before he became president. Democrats may be stuck in the mud at times but everything they want to do is stopped by these Republicans. Hopefully when they win the Congress in 2026, real change will come. Right now Republicans hold hearings on Biden’s use of an auto pen and other BS. Real top priorities
How can democrats legislate when they don’t control the house or the Senate? I am hoping they are actively working on plans to put into effect as soon as the midterm elections are over. My deepest concern right now is that 47 is purposely provoking people to protest so he can declare Marshall Law and not hold elections if any of those protests get rowdy. This week he had ICE agents in military garb and masks going into American cities (e.g., LA’s MacArthur park) and shut down a summer camp for children. ICE agents also approached children at a baseball camp on NYC’s upper west side in Manhattan in Riverside Park, see https://abc7ny.com/amp/post/nyc-youth-baseball-coach-says-ice-agents-approached-members-team-practicing-riverside-park-manhattan/17060854/
How much can American people take as American citizens are now being rounded up and/or detained without any reason except for the color of their skin? How can democrats safely fight against insanity?
Exactly right, Michael. Couldn't agree more. What Americans REALLY need to understand is that The United States is one of the biggest polluters on the PLANET. Only China, I believe pollutes more. So, when many of these migrants are forced to look for a new place to live because their land is no longer farmable due to drought or flooding brought on my climate change, or their businesses and homes have been destroyed by climate changes, The United States has to stop for a second and know their part in this migration issue. Trump refuses to do anything about climate change, so he can't have it both ways. He pulled The United States OUT of the Paris Climate Agreement. Americans need to understand the geopolitical consequences for doing NOTHING about climate change. Trump refuses to help feed the hungry. Trump refuses to address human rights issues around the world. So what does he expect? Bitching about immigrants trying to feed their families or find safe shelter for their families, is not going to help our economy, and it's not going to help future generations...eat. No clean water? No clean air? No farmable land left? Don't think the earth is becoming uninhabitable because it wants to be. We're destroying it. Don't blame migrants and inhumanely throw them in concentration camps. Blame us. Lady Liberty is indeed...crying.
What is happening to our immigrants is heartbreaking. I do not believe that we will have any kind of change until Trump is gone. We know that nobody is going to stand up to him and get anything changed. Yes, you hear voices saying that this isn't right, but that's the thing - they are just voices with no action. Without action you can't have change and that seems to be where we are at right now. I wish that Trump and his regime would have to spend one week in Alligator Alcatraz being treated as the immigrants are. Since we are all immigrants it would only seem fair. They should be the test vehicle and see if they survive. I hope that the Epstein files will be the one that will break the camels back and we will be able to get him out of office. I love that maga are questioning the whys and burning their hats. What else will they start questioning?
Michael you seem to be forgetting about the bipartisan immigration bill that was ready for a vote while Biden was still president. It was stopped by Trump in order to keep it as a wedge issue which the Republican party has been doing for decades. This is 80/20 on the Republican party... Not quite both sides
Exactly, @Michael Cohen. I look forward to your roadshow with Nance and Parnas to get this resistance going.
As you may recall, we had a bipartisan border bill, until Trump quashed it. Trump opposed the bill for political reasons, preferring to campaign on the issue rather than allow the Biden administration to claim a win on border security during an election year.
We had a perfectly good bipartisan immigration bill up for a vote in Congress with a President in office who would have signed it. Who tanked that? Not the Democrats! Trump - threatened all the GOP reps and insisted they kill the bill so he would have that issue to win him the election. So let's place the blame where it belongs - on Trump and the MAGA spineless GOP Congress that continues to placate him when - they could end this nightmare tomorrow if they would honor the oath they took and listen to their constituents.
Right on, Michael! Thank you for speaking up and speaking out!
Hey Michael - I just signed up - and I have always liked you. Thank you for this post - it's right on. Thanks for the readable narrative - I don't like the audios most of the time - anyway, keep going! I'm in and reading and applauding.
I agree! America needs the immigrants. I have never had a problem with the US being the melting pot of the world. Bipartisan support is great but what is the solution for immigration? Does anyone have any good suggestions?
thanks
I live in California and to see the mistreatment of our immigrants make's me sick. Without these people, and yes they are people, our economy can't survive. Aside from the monetary value, they are a wonderful culture. They're bright and colorful and friendly. Lots of music and singing. Go to one of their birthday parties, you'll see what fun they have. They're great family people and very religious. Also, hard workers. I don't believe God only put white men here on earth as his only children. The immigrants are his equal children also. God bless them and keep them safe.
So many issues.. If we nit-pick and argue over all of them we will sink further. Obviously, racism and cruelty openly displayed by non-Lincoln Republicans are serious and illegal, but Dems can acknowledge they used to openly own those same evils. No one is beyond reproach if we examine historical facts instead of myths. As Michael wrote in this Substack, we cannot "let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Congress used to function through compromises. Are there specific leaders in either party we can tap into? (Ex-Republicans maybe? Anyone quitting because they don't meet perfection tests from either side?)
Now the GOP is too afraid of Trump's retribution, to vote against him on anything. We are approaching an authoritarian regime.