Hutchison on defensive over border fence
January 12th, 2008 . by TexasFredWASHINGTON - In an uncharacteristic display of public frustration with party colleagues, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Friday sharply criticized two Republican congressmen who had accused her of a stealth effort to derail the fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Conservative blogs and pundits have attacked Hutchison ever since Reps. Peter King of New York and Duncan Hunter of California accused the Texas Republican of essentially repealing Congress’ mandate to build 700 miles of fencing.
“This was a midnight massacre,” King said of an amendment Hutchison shepherded into law last month. “It was absolutely disgraceful.”
After being labeled “Panderer to the Criminal Invader” and called a traitor to border security, Hutchison fought back Friday.
“There is misinformation, and I think the congressmen who should know better exactly what has happened have been a little loose with the facts,” she said in an interview.
“I am a little frustrated that Rep. King and I guess Rep. Hunter are feigning surprise,” Hutchison said, noting that both men were notified as far back as September 2006 that she intended to amend the law ordering 700 miles of double-layer fencing.
The controversy is over an amendment that Hutchison inserted into a $555 billion spending bill that President Bush signed into law the day after Christmas.
The measure repealed the parts of the 2006 law that dictated both the fence’s location and design to the dismay of King and Hunter, who advocate the use of double-layer fencing to halt illegal crossings.
Full Story Here:
Hutchison on defensive over border fence
I guess Hutchison isn’t too happy, but you know, the truth hurts and she’s gonna have to face it, she has ruined her once upon a time almost ‘holy’ reign in Texas.
Traitor is one of the nicer names she has been called.
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Well Fred, I didn’t expect this from ANY Texan or for that matter any border state representative.
Oh wait that’s racist to want our border secured and our population to obey the law of the land.. I forgot.
First she says it was misinformation and then she says she told them back in 2006 she intended to amend the law ordering the fence. I bet her and Bush were in on this together.
OUCH… straddling that 15′ tall double fence is gonna’ leave a nasty scar.
Putting the whims of local farmboys and democrat mayors ahead of national security for the other 47 mainland states is treason.
Build the fence then un-elect KBH.
Let’s consider this for a moment.
The government representatives on border states such as Tejas, New Mejico, Fornicalia, Arizonja.
D’ya think they MIGHT have some kind of INVESTMENT on CHEAPER LABOR with various BUSINESSES.
Whereas before, ol’ BZ might have been KIND to businesses — in 2008 I suspect you can kiss that shit GOODBYE.
F*** businesses and corporations.
THEY are the source of our sovereign demise.
BZ
BZ, of course that cheap labor is one of the main reasons. Why should a contractor pay his American laborers $20 per hour when he can pay Illegal Mexicans $7 per hour while still charging his customers the same. You’ll notice they’re not passing on the benefits of the cheap labor on to the rest of us.
And, when you hear them yell, “who’ll pick the fruits and vegetables”, just remember your history when back in 1860 they yelled, “who’ll pick the cotton”.
You guys have got to quit pointing out her minor discretions or KayeBee may have to shed a tear or two in order to garner enough sympathy to keep her in office.
I propose that all federal legislators and their staffs be conscripted to work on the border fence. We are already paying them more than $7 an hour, and if we keep them busy doing real work, there will be no time for them to continue to pick our pocketbooks.
We could probably sell enough pay-for-view of the fiasco to offset the federal deficit.
As for the quality of the work…well, if past performance is any measure…’nuf said.
Are we sure she’s actually a Texan (or southerner to be honest)?
ot: Murder interesting (sick) story from Mobile
3 or 4 years ago, in another political forum, KBH was the topic of discussion and I stated, and I did NOT bite my words then, KBH wants to finish her career in DC and come home to Texas and run for Governor…
Well, I was called a fool, I was laughed at, I was made fun of and told I didn’t know my ass from 3rd base where politics was concerned…
I was told that there was NO WAY she would EVER do that, I heard “Why would she leave the Senate to become Governor?? That’s a lesser position and you are an idiot’…
I wonder if any of those that castigated me would have the BALLS to come forth and say they were wrong??
Rumors have been floating for quite some time that KBH does indeed look to retire and come home to make a run at the State House…
Well, KBH has cut her own throat here in Texas, she was once the ‘Belle of the Ball’ and the toast of Texas, but those days are long over, she’ll be doing good to get elected dog catcher after this bullshit…
Excerpt from Article:
“Hutchison, caught between a national demand for border security and Texas constituents fearful that the fence will destroy their way of life, said she is trying to steer a careful course that achieves both objectives.”
“What the new law does, Hutchison said, is require that the government consult with landowners and local elected officials, many of whom have felt bulldozed and ignored by the federal government as it moves ahead with its plan to build 130 miles of fencing in Texas.”
——
If that’s all there is to it, what’s wrong with that? If my livelihood were being threatened I, the “threatenee”, would certainly want the opportunity to consult with the “threatener” to see if a compromise could be reached. She was trying to help those people along the border whom she represents. She didn’t vote against it. I think Senator Hutchison has done a pretty good job overall. I am sure I don’t need to ask this question for I surely will be told anyway but … where am I wrong in my analysis?
I love this blog… thanks, Texas Fred !
Sue, I’m glad you like it here, but I think this story has spelled out pretty well what KBH has done, how she did it and where she stands, and I agree with you, she has done a pretty good job, until NOW!!
By the way, the border between the USA and Mexico is a distance of 1,254 miles, that 130 miles of fence is about 1,124 miles TOO short…
I don’t give a damn WHAT gets disrupted, we MUST have a definitive, strong and well defended border…
We can dam up the mouth of the Rio Grande and back that thing up deep and wide all the way to El Paso, we can build a wall, or a fence, we can put troops on the border with ’shoot to kill’ ROEs, I don’t care HOW it happens as long as it happens…
What Sue and Hutch fail to realize is that the border between the 2 countries lawfully ends your property.
The US can put a fence on it’s border without your permission, legally.
She is still claiming that her legislation does not kill the fence. When I see a double fence with a nice road in the middle all the way up and down the border, I might think about forgiving her.
Now is your chance Fred, anybody could beat her in the next primary.
BWH, I’d run but I would alienate at least half the folks right away, they wouldn’t like MY solution to the ILLEGALS, and they damn sure wouldn’t appreciate MY version of the unvarnished truth…
Thanks to all for your feedback. I’ve been trying to check this out and found her speech before Congress. It was good. However,in reading the amendment, I see what you guys are talking about.
In her speech, the Senator says, “Last year, the House put in the Secure Fence Act specificity about exactly where the fence would go. There was no requirement that the local people, private property owners, cities that are right on the Rio Grande River would have any input whatsoever. I do not think Congress can say that the priority fencing is 15 miles on either side of the port of entry of Laredo. It might be 10 miles. We might be spending billions of dollars that are unnecessary putting in 15 miles. It might not even be possible to put it in certain places because of the geography and the topography. We have an amendment in the underlying bill that does require local input so that Congress is not mandating, but, instead, the Border Patrol chiefs, who have been designated by the Department of Homeland Security, will make these decisions.”
http://www.senate.gov/~hutchison/speech562.html
For the record, I am definitely in favor of the fence and sacrificing for the good of Texas and the country, but I am also definitely against the government running roughshod over the citizens if something else can be arranged.
Was there ever a time when those that were elected to office could be fully trusted to say what they mean and act accordingly? Maybe George Washington?
The fence is a matter on National Security, not a luxury. Thousands of men have died in order to defend this country from its enemies. I would think when it comes to the defense and security of the United States, landowners having to part with a few feet of their land is a very small price to pay. After all, these same landowners are probably the same ones complaining of the damage the Illegals do on their property.
Here is the big price that’s been paid for our security.
http://www.lbeh.org/moh/arlington/