Choose Your Immigrants Wisely, Says Coulter

“I don’t think Republicans have an obligation to forgive lawbreaking just because the Democrats need another 30 million voters,” said author Ann Coulter, referring to the number of Republicans who are talking about supporting amnesty for illegal aliens. The polarizing pundit met former Newsweek journalist Mickey Kaus in what was described as a debate this past weekend at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

Kaus agreed that “the Republican leadership still presses ahead for amnesty,” even though Obama has proven to be “untrustworthy on immigration,” a reference to Obama’s governing through executive order. In the free-ranging conversation moderated by Jonathan Garthwaite of TownHall, the two talked further about the unconstitutionality of legislating from the White House, with Coulter noting Obama has been “most egregious” in doing this on immigration laws. She said, “This is the issue Republicans should be screaming about.”

Regarding entitlements, Coulter took the conversation back to immigration. “Everything always comes back to immigration,” she said. “We are talking about bringing in 1.2 million poor people per year here. That’s going to be sustaining Social Security? That’s going to be sustaining Medicare?

“And on top of that … it is going to be people who are not from America who are going to be – in theory – funding older white people who are getting to their Social Security-Medicare age. I don’t think that can last. At some point, they’re going to say ‘screw it.’”

The discussion turned to why the Republican party is failing to be tough on immigration. Coulter said it’s “baffling,” but suggested that part of it is due to a failure of the media. “You do not hear the truth about immigration or amnesty anyplace in the media,” she said. “There is no issue of as much importance to America and Americans that is so hidden from public view as immigration – you’re talking about who votes.”

Coulter made the point that CAPS has made repeatedly – that amnesty will hurt low-wage workers. And she questioned the overall Democratic stance on amnesty, since Democrats have traditionally held themselves out as representing workers. “Why don’t we raise the minimum wage the way New Zealand and Australia do it? They have $14, $15 minimum wages.

“You know why? They choose their immigrants wisely. They give you points on the basis of youth, skills, education – what jobs do we need – and the minimum wage naturally rises.”

Both Coulter and Kaus agreed that there are no amnesty do-overs; once you let people in, they’re here. “That’s why it’s more important than Obamacare,” said Coulter.

Concluding, Coulter said that with both Democrats and Republicans failing to represent Americans on the immigration issue, the best hope to stopping amnesty rests with the American people.

Coulter is spot-on about immigration.