Guests: Fox News analysts Juan Williams & Ellis Henican; Jonah Goldberg, National Review; John Kasich
"The New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Rocky Mountain News - among others - support moving the National Guard to the border. The San Diego Tribune, Dallas Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle - among others - oppose that action. But the New York Times really opposes it, calling it 'a model of stark simplicity, one sure to hearten the Minuteman vigilantes ... English-only Latinophobes, right-wing radio and TV personalities.' So if you support securing the border, you are either a vigilante, some kind of 'phobe,' or a right-wing whack job media person. But a funny thing happened on the way to that editorial - a CNN poll says 75% of Americans support putting the Guard on the border. That's a lot of 'phobes.' Back in 1986, President Reagan thought he could solve the immigration problem by granting about 3-million illegal aliens amnesty. The New York Times was in heaven, saying the new law would 'slow the tide.' Of course, just the opposite happened, but the Times hasn't learned a thing. That's because the newspaper and many far-left thinkers believe white Christians who hold power must be swept out by a new multi-cultural tide. This can only happen if demographics change in America. An open border policy and the legalization of millions of Hispanic illegal aliens would deeply affect the political landscape in America. That's what the New York Times and many others on the left want. They might get it."
Fox News Video: FoxNews.comPresident Bush's immigration plan came under fire from both sides of the political spectrum. Fox News analysts Juan Williams and Ellis Henican joined
The Factor with the liberal objections. Henican explained why the Times and others on the left are opposed to militarizing the border. "They're not against border security - they're doubting whether 6,000 National Guardsmen will secure the border. They're saying that is not the solution." Henican advocated a "program that involves border security as well as a path to citizenship and some way to deal with the 12-million who are already here." While avoiding specifics, Williams also endorsed a "comprehensive" solution. "We want a secure border so we can have a rational, comprehensive immigration policy. The President is saying the same thing - let's look for a real solution."
Moving to the right, Fox News host John Kasich laid out conservative objections to the plan. "People really wanted to hear the President talk about securing the border. But instead, we heard some 'comprehensive' speech with talk about amnesty. People who broke the law getting here now have the right to become citizens, and the public doesn't want that." Columnist Jonah Goldberg also questioned whether the President will follow through. "Conservatives who are mad at Bush are those who have actually paid attention to the issue of immigration and to what Bush has said. There's not a lot of action behind the nice rhetoric. We have to get control of the border."
The Factor emphasized that mass exportation is unrealistic. "Do we really want the authorities to be dragging people from their homes - children, women, elderly - so the whole world can see this and say, 'it's Nazi Germany over there'? That's what's in play here."