by John M. Curtis
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Copyright May 15, 2006
All Rights Reserved.

crambling to raise his flagging poll numbers, President George W. Bush prepares to address the nation on the sticky border issue. His liberal immigration policies have infuriated his GOP base, seeking tough measures for the estimated 11 million undocumented workers believed working inside the United States. Conservatives want mass deportations and felonies for employers hiring illegal workers. Liberals want blanket amnesty, granting citizenship to millions of undocumented workers. With midyear elections next November, conservatives worry that Bush's immigration policies will fuel a Democratic landslide, losing control of Congress. Years of neglect has left the borders in shambles, unable to enforce Ronald Reagan's 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, granting citizenship to 2.7 million undocumented workers, calling for more compliance and penalties.

      Bush's problems stem from his close relationship to Mexican President Vicente Fox developed while Texas governor. He doesn't have the stomach or desire to build a Berlin-like wall or order mass deportations. His new token plan calls for deploying limited numbers of National Guard along the porous Mexico border. Beyond symbolism, a few thousand troops in a “supportive” role to the Border Patrol won't deal with the illegal alien establishment entrenched in smuggling, forgery and skirting U.S. immigration laws. “The president made it clear that the United States considers Mexico a friend and that what is being considered is not the militarization of the border but support of Border capabilities on a temporary basis by National Guard personnel,” said White House Spokeswoman Maria Tamburri, exposing Bush's plan as a publicity stunt to placate his conservative base.

      Building fences and militarization is precisely what conservatives believe addresses the current threat posed by the Mexican Border to U.S. national security. Why conservatives don't take an equally harsh view of the Canadian border is anyone's guess. Picking on Mexico raises discrimination, especially when considering the role of Mexican workers in supporting U.S. businesses and the economy. Bush finds himself in no-win situation: If he does nothing he's criticized, and if he recommends using the Guard he's criticized. Short of building fence, which he opposes, Bush sees the Guard as a quick-fix heading into midyear elections. “We have to be very careful here,” said Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.). “That's not the role of our military. That's not the role of our National Guard . . . That's a short-term fix, and I'm not sure that's a very wise fix,” concerned about spreading the Guard too thin.

      Hagel's an ardent Iraq War critic where he already sees the National Guard stretched to the breaking point. There's nothing inherently wrong with finding new missions for the National Guard where it involves national security. Border control issues certainly rise to the level of national security when there are reports of Al Qaeda infiltration from the Mexican and Canadian borders. However the Guard was used in the past, there's nothing inappropriate, including defending the border, of finding new applications. Hagel raises a legitimate point when he talks about how Iraq has spread the Guard too thin. With no end in sight to Iraq, the Guard already serves as a backdoor draft, with many troops doing multiple tours. Blaming the White House for Iraq doesn't address what must be done to secure the Southern border, including deploying troops and building a security fence.

      Bush seems more worried about negative fallout with Mexico than whether Republicans fair better in November. First Lady Laura Bush discounted her husband's recent polls showing his approval ratings dipping below 30%, the lowest since former president's Lyndon B. Johnson at the height of the Vietnam War and Richard M. Nixon during Watergate. While Laura ignores the polls, Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff and key strategist Karl Rove attributes bad ratings to the Iraq War where mounting casualties and violence has generated public pessimism. Diverting attention to the border actually helps the White House redirect frustration away from Iraq. “This is not about militarizing the border,” said National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley, sending a mixed message that's bound to boomerang. Bush can't have it both ways: Placating Fox and cleaning up the border.

      Bush finds himself putting out too many fires to help bolster his polls. Diverting attention to the border won't cover up the chaos in Iraq. Rove's right that Iraq represents Bush's Achilles Heel, without admitting he once thought it would be his boss's crowning achievement. Staging publicity stunts promising to deploy a few thousand Guard to the border won't slow down illegal immigration. “We've got to secure our borders,” said Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), agreeing with the president's plan to deploy a few thousand troops. Frist knows that a few thousand troops can't prevent the waves of illegal immigrants crossing the Mexican border. Extremists like Rep. Charles Whitlow Norwood Jr. want 36,000 to 48,000 troops. Bush hopes to reassure Fox that his plan placates enough conservatives and paves the way to citizenship for 11-million illegal aliens currently on U.S. soil.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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