In something rarely seen on ABC, NBC, or CBS, two prominent conservative commentators, Laura Ingraham and George Will, appeared on Fox News Sunday on February 9th to discuss the future of the Republican Party as it related to immigration reform.
Appearing alongside panelists Juan Williams and Julie Pace of the Associated Press, Ingraham argued that, “The middle ground on immigration I think is enforcement. Right now we're not really enforcing our laws uniformly. The president as John Boehner just realized apparently is not trustworthy.”
At issue between Will and Ingraham was what direction the GOP should take regarding immigration reform, a fascinating debate that would never see the light of day on the other Sunday shows. Ingraham fervently claimed that President Obama:
Has deferred action for a million and a half people who are here illegally. Just basically changing law with the stroke of a pen and allowing people to work here and stay here would are legally present If you want to know why people don't have trust in the rule of law today applying evenly, is because of things like that.
In contrast, George Will seemed to support a much more comprehensive immigration reform package, rather than just focusing on border security:
With three needs the country has, the welfare state needs its workforce replenished. As the elderly retire, 10,000 baby boomers everyday becoming eligible for Social Security and Medicare. Second, there's an intense global competition for human capital and we're losing out on that. Third, to emigrate is to make an entrepreneurial act, to uproot yourself and perhaps your family and take a risk. And those are the kind of people I want more of.
After questioning liberals and some conservatives’ unwillingness to adequately secure the border, Ingraham continued to reiterate the need for border security:
If it's just about people as widgets who come in and workers without really a concern about assimilation, without concern about how it affects people in middle America, I mean a lot of people who are in favor of this don't send their kids to public schools, are not affected by illegal immigration at all.
But I would submit that there are people watching this show right now who are screaming at the top of their lungs going who in Washington is representing my interests? The labor shortage argument that Paul Ryan is making that we have an impending labor shortage I don't-- I think is transparently it is ridiculous to most people today. We don't have participation in the workforce as it is.
Ingraham concluded the discussion by pointing out that:
There is no will to enforce the border. There is no faith in this administration to do it and the Republican elites and Democrat elites agree and the people are revolving around this country.
Such a lively and spirited debate between two actual conservatives rarely occurs on the network Sunday shows, but Fox actually brings on real conservatives to discuss policy issues affecting more than just liberals. ABC, CBS, and NBC should take note of what a Sunday show looks like when actual conservative commentators are invited on. Instead, the networks prefer to invite on pseudo-conservatives who spend more time criticizing the GOP than actually promoting conservative principles.
See relevant transcript below.
Fox News
Fox News Sunday w/ Chris Wallace
February 9, 2014
9:45 a.m. Eastern
WALLACE: I must say we also need to point out that none of the people that would be legalized or given a path to citizenship are going to be on the voting roles for a decade. In any case, the conservative editorial page of "The Wall Street Journal" which has been very pro-immigration said that Boehner's retreat, and that was the word they used, on immigration reform will hurt growth. I want to pick up on their editorial. The result of doing nothing will be a de facto amnesty in which 11 million illegal immigrants will continue to work using fake documents. Mr. Obama will look for ways to grant more of them legal status using executive power and the GOP will look even more unwelcoming to minorities. We have asked all of you to send us questions and we got one on Twitter from someone named Nando Samoza. Why can't the GOP move towards the center a little bit? Let the Dem’s stay extreme. Laura, how do you answer Nando?
LAURA INGRAHAM: Let me talk about the "The Wall Street Journal" first then I’ll get to that. “The Wall Street Journal” attacked in that editorial talk radio and is kind of the people rising up against this and John Boehner cowering. As far as I can tell, "The Wall Street Journal" is on the side of Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Barack Obama, Pat Leahy and La Raza. Talk radio for the most part is on the side of yes, Heritage, probably other Tea Party type groups, most Republican Senators and Congressmen and I think the lion’s share of the American people. So I'm going to frame that editorial from "The Wall Street Journal." I think they should put down the dog-eared copy of Fountain Head and live in the real world where people’s wages are flat lining. The middle ground—
WALLACE: Strong message to follow folks.
INGRAHAM: The middle ground on immigration I think is enforcement. Right now we're not really enforcing our laws uniformly. The president as John Boehner just realized apparently is not trustworthy. He has a deferred action for a million and a half people who are here illegally. Just basically changing law with the stroke of a pen and allowing people to work here and stay here would are legally present If you want to know why people don't have trust in the rule of law today applying evenly, is because of things like that. And apparently the Republicans don't have a problem with it.
WALLACE: No. Wait. Because I think this is so interesting. Because what we're seeing here is the split inside the Republican Party between two staunch conservatives. Wait. Let me finish. And I'd like you and George to explore this. George, how do you respond on this issue of whether immigration reform is good or bad for the country?
WILL: With three needs the country has, the welfare state needs its workforce replenished. As the elderly retire, 10,000 baby boomers everyday becoming eligible for Social Security and Medicare. Second, there's an intense global competition for human capital and we're losing out on that. Third, to emigrate is to make an entrepreneurial act, to uproot yourself and perhaps your family and take a risk. And those are the kind of people I want more of.
INGRAHAM: Do we care about American workers at all and their jobs and their wages and their dreams?
WILL: Laura, you're the one who is arguing the AFL-CIO argument, which is--
IGRAHAM: They’re for it.
WILL: They’re for it with so many caveats they nullify it. You're arguing—
INGRAHAM: Why have borders?
WILL: You're arguing the zero sum game.
INGRAHAM: No-
WILL: When, in the lives of our children and grandchildren, there are 500 million Americans and they're all going to be working because we're going to have economic dynamism aided by immigration.
INGRAHAM: So the argument though, however, leads to why have borders at all? Why have a border? If it's just about people as widgets who come in and workers without really a concern about assimilation, without concern about how it affects people in middle America, I mean a lot of people who are in favor of this don't send their kids to public schools, are not affected by illegal immigration at all. But I would submit that there are people watching this show right now who are screaming at the top of their lungs going who in Washington is representing my interests? The labor shortage argument that Paul Ryan is making that we have an impending labor shortage I don't-- I think is transparently it is ridiculous to most people today. We don't have participation in the workforce as it is.
WILL: It's not a shortage, it's growth we want. We don’t—
INGRAHAM: Then we can talk about legal immigration. Not illegal immigration.
WILL: You talk about the borders. As you know, 40% of all the people here illegally overstate the Visas.
INGRAHAM: Visa overstays. Then why don’t crack down on that.
WILL: Go ahead and crack down. But that is still compatible.
INGRAHAM: We don't want to crackdown on that. There is no will to enforce the border. There is no faith in this administration to do it and the Republican elites and Democrat elites agree and the people are revolving around this country.
