VOLuntarilyConservative

First of all, I want to reiterate where I see immigration falling as a policy issue. I believe it to be extremely important, right below the right to life, religious liberties, reducing the size of government, and the right to keep and bear arms. In the pantheon of policy issues, that is an extremely high place in the pecking order. Last summer, Grover Norquist told me that he believed eminent domain would be a voting issue that would sway voters - a future version of Roe, if you will. With all due respect to Mr. Norquist (one of the great political minds of modern American times), I must disagree (and I did even at the time last year). Immigration is the issue rising in importance in the American consciousness. My personal feeling is that it could make or break my support of a candidate.

Secondly, I have little reaction to President Bush's speech last night. Like many conservative bloggers, I was forwarded an advance copy of speech excerpts, facts and figures, and the speech in its entirety via RNC e-mail.

The rhetorical parts were very strong, but the actual solutions did not go to near the extents needed. Of course, I am one of the few in the American political debate that believes it possible to deport all of the illegal aliens. Even libertines like Neil Boortz believe President Bush to be right in this respect. I respectfully disagree. As Congressman Bill Jenkins recently stated, "It is time that we started acting like Americans." Senator George Allen and the late President Ronald Reagan also spoke along those lines about different issues, but the sentiment is the same. We did not emerge as the world's sole superpower by being defeatists. The American spirit is one of optimism, and that translates into how we deal with our problems. To throw up your hands, as this President has done, does not translate into the American philosophy. To say that we will fix the problem by jailing new illegals is akin to plastic surgery on a terminally ill cancer patient.

Given the night of the speech, I'm not sure which President I prefer -

This one...



Or this one...