Rather than making them – or talking about putting up a fence, why don’t we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit and then while they’re working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back, they go back. And they can cross – and open the border both ways by understanding their problems.

Ronald Reagan - during a 1980 Republican presidential primary debate.

The immigration debate, circa 1980 - Ben Smith

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STOP TAKING RONALD REAGAN’S QUOTES OUT OF CONTEXT, LIBERALS!!!

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Source: politico.com

Former NY Governor George Pataki May Seek GOP Nomination

Former Governor George Pataki, who served as governor of New York State from 1995-2006, appears to be considering a presidential bid in 2012 after deciding against a run in the 2008 election. Pataki’s organization, No American Debt, has been running a commercial in New Hampshire attacking both President Obama and Republicans for failing to address the deficit, hinting at possible presidential aspirations.

According to the most recent PPP poll, Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney currently lead the GOP field.

[NBC New York.]

8 Republicans Running for President…. Maybe….

The Republicans are providing an intensely diverse field of candidates looking ahead to the 2012 Presidential elections. Incumbents are generally tough to dethrone, and the G.O.P. knows that, unless he majorly screws up over the next year, President Barack Obama will be particularly difficult to remove.

Extensive coverage has been given to business magnate Donald Trump. Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin has also been a media favorite for coverage. However, as has been noted by many news organizations, political pundits and involved citizens, the Republican Party is rather short on declared candidates.

Click through for the full story by future Opinion Editor Jen Novotny.

Rep. Gerry Connolly Wants to Rename H.R. 910 "The Koch Brothers Appreciation Act"

Or “The Protecting Americans from Polar Bears Act.” Or “The Head in the Sand Act.”

For those who aren’t aware, this particular bill (officially/misleadingly named the “Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011”) strips the EPA of all regulatory power. As Daily Kos reports, nowhere in this so-called tax prevention act does the word “tax” appear. Don’t believe our Grand Old Party would be that deceptive? Search the full text of the bill on OpenCongress for yourself.

A thousand points for Rep. Connolly and the wonderful names he proposed, but… is this seriously a thing? Will the Republicans ever stop blowing my mind?

The Trump Candidacy: How it Happened

I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that Donald Trump of “The Apprentice” fame is considering a run for president. Well, now that his face has replaced Scott Walker’s on Newsmax pop-up ads, it’s pretty much official.

Although not many people think he can actually win, there is a lot of interest in his campaign. Okay, it’s not so much interest as it …is curiosity, but people are still paying attention. For those of you who are curious about why Trump is running, I came up with a few possible explanations for why Trump thinks this is a good idea.

Click through for the full column by Columns Editor Trevor Christian.

Newt Gingrich Blames History of Adultery on "How Passionately [He] Felt About This Country"

There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate. [TPM]

By “things happened in my life that were not appropriate,” of course, he means cheating on his former wife (who had recently been diagnosed with MS, according to TPM).

Because, you know, that’s a completely normal and acceptable way to deal with stress. Especially when you’re trying to force the President of the United States from office because he had an affair of his own.

Mike Huckabee Needs to Shut Up

Mike Huckabee has found an interesting issue to kick off his 2012 campaign on: Natalie Portman’s pregnancy. In a rant about Portman, Huckabee claimed that the Oscar-winning actress was “glamorizing” life as a single mother.

He went on to explain that “Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can’t get a job, and if it weren’t for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and never have health care. And that’s the story that we’re not seeing.”

Portman’s story doesn’t read anything like that. She’s an Oscar-winning actress who can probably afford food and health care. In fact, the ‘single mother’ is engaged to Benjamin Millepied, the child’s father.

Leave it to a Republican to think that those women are in that situation because they want to be. Or that single mothers are somehow more of a strain on the system than deadbeat fathers.

Click through for the full story.

New Hampshire's Republican House Speaker Doesn't Want Students Voting

At a Tea Party event this past January, New Hampshire’s Republican House Speaker Bill O’Brien was caught on tape describing his issues with young voters, presumably to explain the reasoning behind the state’s GOP-sponsored measures to disenfranchise young voters:

They go into these general elections, they’ll have 900 same day registrations, which are the kids coming out of the schools and basically doing what I did when I was a kid, which is [vote liberal]. They don’t have life experience and they don’t have life experience and they just vote their feelings and they’re taking away the town’s ability to govern themselves, it’s not fair. [TPM]

…Oh.

Well, let’s take a look at what some adults contribute to the political process:

yes,obamas aunt zunuti,lives in ny where she,s been liveing for 30yrs.sucking off welfare and disability illegally.they sent her letters to leave the us twice but she ignored them and of course no one did anything about it.then obama got in and they gave her immunity,now she continues to bleed america dry like millions of other illegal immigrants.african,and mexican.got a love it.working to support a bunch of lazy turds.uh oh,there i go useing that bad word again liberal,white trash ho.better check my spelling too since thats all you idiots focus on,not the truth of things,and on welfare or a gov,t worker.lowest kind there is.can,t wait until 2012.by by obama lovers.no more sucking off the federal titty.your al done bleeding america,ha ha. [InsideOswego]

Yeah, we students are definitely the ones everyone should be worried about.

Texas legislation would criminalize hiring undocumented immigrants... unless they're doing housework

It’s not shocking that Texas state Rep. Debbie Riddle, a figure embraced by the Tea Party, has introduced legislation into the state House that would make hiring an “unauthorized alien” punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of $10,000. What’s a bit more surprising is her loophole that would exempt people hiring undocumented immigrants as housekeepers or gardeners from the law.

The reason for the loophole? If a version of the bill lacking the exemption was passed, “a large segment of the Texas population” would be vulnerable to prosecution, says fellow Republican state Rep. Aaron Pena. “When it comes to household employees or yard workers it is extremely common for Texans to hire people who are likely undocumented workers. It is so common it is overlooked.”

…Okay.

The staff of The Onion had best watch their backs. These Republicans are going to put them out of business.

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