The following is Rivera's entire final commentary:
Geraldo Rivera: "One of the reasons that I’ve always admired President Bush has been his open-mindedness on the issue of immigration. But now it seems as if the President is caving in to the most strident voices on this divisive issue. The President’s dispatch of the National Guard along the 2000 mile Mexican border is pure politics, likely to achieve no practical results. Now theoretically the civilian soldiers will have no law enforcement powers but would perform a supportive role according to the White House counselor Dan Bartlett."
Dan Bartlett: "It is filling an immediate need to free up more border patrol agents so they can do the arresting and detention there on the spot."
Rivera: "This is a dumb idea that in the real world has no chance of meaningfully affecting the reality on the ground. As his popularity falls to a new low of 29 percent according to a Harris poll the President has apparently chosen to appease his conservative base rather than maintain the admirably even-handed approach to this incendiary issue that he’s held since his days as governor of Texas, and that’s too bad. And doesn’t the National Guard already have enough to do? Remember hurricane season is just around the corner. This is Republican Senator from Nebraska Chuck Hagel."
Sen. Chuck Hagel: "We have stretched our military as thin as we have ever seen it in modern times. And what in the world are we talking about here sending a National Guard that we may not have any capacity to send down to protect borders. That’s not their role."
Rivera: "And what if the Guard does the impossible and stops those illegals in their tracks? Who will mow our lawns, pick our apples, patch our roofs, sew our garments? You can bet it won’t be those screamers demanding the National Guard. What we need is a sensible and humane approach to immigration. What we need is what the President has advocated up until now. The deployment of the National Guard is political baloney. Get ready everybody for $10 artichokes."
