A Barack Obama administration would be a "nation killer" if Democrats attain a "supermajority" in the Senate, a leading conservative figure on immigration warned Tuesday. Obama also has said he wants to make the 12 million illegal aliens in the U.S. citizens as soon as he can — an amnesty program that would make them legally entitled to full government benefits, including Social Security and health care. William Gheen, president of the Raleigh, N.C.-based Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC), says Obama's plan would make it politically impossible to secure America's borders. He describes Obama and a new Democratic Congress as a "worst-case scenario" for border and immigration security. "I would paint that scenario as a nation killer," Gheen, a former campaign consultant and an outspoken advocate for stronger border control policies, tells Newsmax. "I would expect amnesty to pass within a year. That means in the next presidential election, you will have a new voting bloc of 15 million illegal aliens who turn into voters. "And that voting bloc," he says, "especially in the Southwest United States, would be enough to take full control of most city, state, and county governments, thus destroying any future hopes for immigration enforcement or border security." Although GOP nominee John McCain has rarely confronted Obama during the campaign over immigration — presumably to avoid alienating Hispanic voters — Obama's record reflects a clear focus on expanding entitlements to undocumented workers. As a state senator in Illinois, for example, Obama co-sponsored that state's version of the DREAM Act, which allowed youngsters in the country illegally to receive in-state tuition. He later supported similar legislation in the U.S. Senate. During a September campaign swing, Obama told the North Carolina Public Radio station WUNC that the children of illegal immigrants should have an opportunity to attend community colleges. "For us to deny them access to community college, even though they've never lived in Mexico, as least as far as they can tell, is to deny that this is how we've always built this country up," Obama said. According to the NewsObserver.com, the McCain campaign reacted to Obama's remark by issuing the statement: "John McCain does not support amnesty or benefits for undocumented immigrants. He has consistently opposed giving amnesty or public benefits to undocumented immigrants." Obama, who tends to dismiss discussion of his pro-immigration positions as politically motivated "distractions," has demonstrated no such reticence to expand entitlements for illegals. Specifically: Obama's plan for universal health care would include coverage for illegal immigrants, according to political strategist and Newsmax columnist Dick Morris. Morris has warned that covering illegals "adds dramatically" to the cost of universal health care. In March, Obama voted to table a Senate amendment that would support the withdrawal of federal assistance "to sanctuary cities that ignore the immigration laws of the United States and create safe havens for illegal aliens and potential terrorists." McCain did not cast a vote. Obama supported the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform legislation that was defeated in 2006. Since then, McCain has taken the position that securing the borders must precede immigration reform. Obama continues to support a process to "bring people out of the shadows" and eventually obtain legal status (at which point they would be eligible for the federally mandated benefits available to anyone, such as Social Security). Obama also calls for enhanced border security. The Democratic candidate for president supports, in principle, providing state-funded welfare benefits to legal immigrants. While a state senator, Obama supported allocating state funds to provide Medicaid coverage to some legal immigrants, according to OnTheIssues.org. Obama has supported increasing the number of work visas issued each year, such as the H1-B visa, especially for applicants with specialized skills. According to OnTheIssues.org, Obama co-sponsored, along with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, a bill that would provide federal funding to help states provide health care and education to non-U.S. citizens. Obama strongly supports encouraging American children to become bilingual and, at one point in the campaign, appeared to suggest it should be mandatory. In June, he voted against a Senate provision that would declare English the national language of the United States. McCain voted for it. Edward I. Nelson, the chairman of the nonprofit U.S. Border Control organization, warns that "Welfare and in-state tuition are powerful inducements to illegal immigration, as are free medical benefits." Nelson says his organization has awarded both Obama and McCain an "F" on their immigration and border control policies. Gheen says Obama and McCain both would ultimately favor amnesty for illegals, albeit differently. "Obama would give in-state tuition and driver's licenses to illegal aliens, then make them legal," Gheen says. "McCain would make them legal, and then give them in-state tuition and driver's licenses." © 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved. |
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