NPR Political Director: 'The President is Exactly Right' About Immigration Politics
On Wednesday afternoon's Talk of the Nation on National Public Radio, NPR political director Ken Rudin told host Neal Conan that of course, President Obama was "exactly right" in his El Paso speech to say Republicans are never satisfied on immigration, and want a moat with alligators in it:
CONAN: And this is not likely to pass as a piece of legislation but likely to be pretty effective as a piece of campaign rhetoric.
RUDIN: Well, remember, every moat counts. We always say that in November. But actually, that also was a very good Boehner impersonation.
CONAN: Very good, yes.
RUDIN: But you know something? I mean, the Democrats still have no legislation. The president didn't propose any new legislation. It
really was a campaign speech.
But again, you know, he's exactly - the president is exactly right. Every time the Republicans say the administration is not doing enough on immigration, so then the administration deports 400,000 illegal immigrants a year, or they build higher fences, and yet the Republicans keep pushing the goalposts further.
CONAN, smelling victory: And this could wrap up the - well, help the president solidify his already substantial lead among Hispanic-Americans.
RUDIN: And we saw that in California in 2010. Perhaps Meg Whitman could have been elected governor. Maybe Carly Fiorina could have been elected to the Senate had they had slightly more percentage of the Hispanic vote. But anti-immigration rhetoric coming from some conservatives really hurting the Republicans in states like California and Texas.
While we're on the subject, Conan and Rudin also thought the Democrats were backing a "very popular idea" in taking away standard business tax breaks away from Big Oil:
RUDIN: Right, exactly, and so he - the party is just dead set against any kind of new taxes. And so obviously the Democrats are saying: Okay, well, you want to cut some of the deficit, let's cut some of the special tax breaks for the oil companies.
CONAN: And this is a very popular idea, at least according to the opinion polls. They say: Tax the big oil companies. Get rid of their oil depletion allowances, which are tax breaks written into the law. Hey, there's $21 billion right there.
RUDIN: Well, it makes sense because - I mean, it certainly makes sense at least in the public's mind because here you have the oil companies making billions and billions of dollars in profits, and yet gasoline prices keep going up, now approaching $4.50, $5 a gallon. Something is not working somewhere.
CONAN: So Republicans are suddenly put in the position of saying...
RUDIN: Having to defend, or not, the oil companies, right.
NPR staff are really terrible at hiding their enthusiasm for and agreement with liberal Democrats.
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Comments
The Good Words
Submitted by ThisnThat on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 7:48am.
What do liberals cheer?
I haven't heard a single MSM person say that any of these are wrong, or demand proof from anyone who says them. Have you heard anyone say "build a moat and put alligators in it"? Has anyone ever said they want to kill social security? Or they want to remove medical benefits so old people can die? The only people who say that, are democrats (Re: Robert Reich, obama advisor, who said "No need to keep old people alive for a few more months and no high technology and drugs for the elderly"). I am sick and tired of these liberals telling lies and making things up -- and then (in the case of NPR) telling us they are the only people responsible enough to earn our trust!
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
A moat with alligators in it.
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 7:47am.
They say that as if it were a bad thing.....
The Dems and the President
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 8:10am.
The Dems and the President start out on a false premise. The thing I want and most people want I the illegal flood to stop. We did not say is any specific method. We do want a fence and enforcement the entire length of the border.
You're Wrong Sir!
Submitted by Bourbeau on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 8:21am.
Where Republicans want a moat is around the headquarters of NPR; then, once we've isolated you to preclude causing any further harm, we'd arrange for alligators your board room to encourage some real change.
GOP defund NPR before 2012
Submitted by Red Jeep on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 8:24am.
Do it now.
Do as you say
Submitted by DontFeedTheTrolls on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 9:57am.
Dear leftists;
Please lead by example. Run your household budget just like you keep telling us to run the US budget, and, please, open your home (and leave your car keys in the car) to any and all comers while offering them 'amnesty' to live there as owners, without paying the bills.
P.S. Give the intruders free health care too.
NPR is just as insane as the
Submitted by jessieH on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 10:34am.
NPR is just as insane as the rest of Soros's gang of thugs, including our so-called President.
How much did NPR sell that one for?
Submitted by Slyrr on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 10:34am.
How many arab terrorists did it take to buy THAT little speal from old Rudie-boy?
Sorry NPR - your mask has fallen. EVERY story I hear about you now is looked at, listened to and doubted through the prism of the fact that your organization was trolling for money from people they thought were islamic terrorists.
You didn't care where the money came from - or how anti-american the doners might be. You didn't care about truth or decency or objectivity or virtue. All you wanted was the money. You wanted it so bad you went grovelling and snivelling to America's enemies to get it. You've proved once and for all that you're on the take and that you'll hate this country and do everything you can to wreck it - for the right price.
So how many terrorists did it take, and how much money did they have to cough up for you to vomit out THAT little gem?
Obama is "Exactly Wrong" and here's why
Submitted by Blonde on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 10:36am.
Obama is obtusely and wantonly ignoring the elephant in the room.
The drugs trade and resultant drug crime (gangs) now make up a significant portion of the illegals coming into the country. Look at the horror stories in Mexico these days. And along the length of our southern border. It's like some futuristic Wild West on the Mexican border.
So not only is Obama encouraging basic law breaking (illegal residency) with his lunatic policy, he's also encouraging gang banging (hello poetry reading), via immigration policy. Swell. Lay it on the taxpayer to fund everything for illegals, including $50K per inmate incarceration for how many illegals?
How many dead citizens and Border Patrol agents is it going to take to get the democrats' attention? When does it stop? When we reach 9/11 death tolls?
The Republicans need to shine a light on the importation of drugs and violence as well as the basic problem of illegal aliens. To do anything else (i.e. try to pander like a democrat) is sheer insanity. We need to win this issue on its merits, period.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
All part of the plan
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 2:02pm.
It's all part of his plan to destroy America from within.
One thing I haven't heard too much of is how we don't seem to hear too much from Southern California or New Mexico since both are on the border. Just Texas and Arizona. I'm not surprised that there's nothing mentioned much of California, what with Gov. Moonbeam, but New Mexico has a Republican Governor. I guess it's that way because she hasn't raised any fits with the Chairman like Govs Brewer and Perry have.
-Jon
NPR is right in one regard . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 2:05pm.
. . . They are never satisfied with Obama's illegal immigration enforcement. Where they are wrong is assuming that because Obama cites are few numbers, the illegal immigration problem has been solved. They are fully complicit in his numbers scam.
I go back to the government claims --
1) Secretary of HS Napolitano regularly claims that our SW border 'has never been more secure.'
2) A GAO report finds that only 46% of our SW border is under operational control.
Both may be right, but the GAO finding is what matters. The threat on the other side of the border is far greater now than ever before, and Americans should not be satisfied until 100% of that border is under operational control.
Yes, they tell us the borders
Submitted by ant on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 8:06am.
Yes, they tell us the borders have never been more secure and enforcement is up, but everyweek when I buy coffee in the morning there are more and more 4-foot high Spanish speakers on their way to work (unemployment for Americans only, I guess). So despite my unwavering faith in BO and Nappie [sarc.], I'll believe my own eyes first.
NPR, and it's selective use of polls
Submitted by Gary Hall on Sat, 05/14/2011 - 2:16pm.
So Conan and Rudin are interested in opinion polls on Big Oil tax breaks, but we all know they have no interest in polling when it comes to President Obama and the country's mood on illegal immigration - and what needs to be done:
Last spring during the loud and angry rhetoric, over the Arizona bill, from the WH, the national MSM, the left, the Democrats, the liberal the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press conducted a national poll. The results:
And the national media is pounding on the Republicans for not endorsing Obama's so-called immigration reform effort?
Does anyone remember anyone in the national media challenging the Obama administration, Democrats, or various boycotting city councils around the country, on how they could proceed with their attacks on Arizona, when the 70%, a super majority, of the people supported what Arizona was up to?
Folks, the Republicans are the populists here. They have the strong support of the voters - would someone tell them, please. They do not have to compromise with Obama and the Democrats here, in any shape or form.
Also, the poll actually spelled out the two most contentious measures in the AZ Law, asking respondents if they approved of them:
NPR's Conan surely must have had Rudin on, and quoted the poll in their push for Obama to back off and listen to the people - right?
Last summer, a CA Field Poll found that 58% of Californians would support an Arizona like bill here in CA. Needless to say, the media kept that off the table for release. An unknowing public is the best friend the liberal left has.
(;~/ gary
In One Regard He Is
Submitted by JustAl on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 10:01am.
While I've never proposed a "moat," I've often pointed out the need for a nice, wide, navigable, canal to replace the one Carter the First gave away. . . and I know exactly who can dig it. . . on their way home.
NPR is lying, again. I can
Submitted by jessieH on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 11:12am.
NPR is lying, again. I can tell by the way their nose is growing around obama's butt.
jessie
Submitted by Radical1979 on Sun, 05/15/2011 - 11:14am.
I thought you could tell because the on air personalities lips were moving.