California Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Neel Kashkari
Besides taking down Governor Brown’s pandering to unions (which the California media has conveniently covered up for the sake of their star candidate), Republican challenger Neel Kashkari soundly argued for a secure border and sensible immigration laws, including the proper (yet strangely neglected stance) that the governor of California should put the needs of California youth first, and send all the illegal immigrant youth back home.
California residents share this view, specifically the Murrieta residents who prevented federal immigration officials from dumping illegal immigrants in their city’s detention center earlier this year.
The border crisis pushed this issue to the forefront of the
political debate, not just statewide but nationally. House Majority Leader Eric
Cantor lost his seat in an all-but-won primary last July, and US Senate
Republicans (and Democrats) are facing pressure from both sides on their
immigration stance.
Sadly, the immigration problem has only gotten worse in California, and Governor
Brown has contributed to it. In direct contrast to the popularly elected Prop
187, Brown has thrown out the welcome mat to all illegal immigrants to
come to California.
Barely a decade ago, lawmakers passed then repealed a measure which offered
drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Even though the bill passed against
last year, illegals have admitted their reluctance to take advantage of the
measure, and the law still faces legal challenges.
As it should. Brown’s brazen attempt to turn California into a sanctuary
state is a stark violation of federal immigration laws, as well as an immoral
power-grab to broaden welfare rolls (and Democratic enrollment numbers) while
fleecing hard-working Americans.
Kashkari’s remarks on the immigration problem should be the talking points
for all serious political candidates:
I am the son of immigrants. I think that immigration adds tremendous
value to our country. And immigration is very personal for me. My heart goes
out the kids who are coming here from distressed countries, whether it’s
Guatemala or Honduras. My heart goes out to kids around the world. Kids in Asia
who are suffering. Kids in Africa who are suffering.
This statement stood out, the responsible, mature, and compassionate
response to the illegal immigrant youth crisis along the Southern border of the
United States:
But the solution to the world’s suffering kids is not an open border in
America. So we need to treat the kids coming here with compassion and care and
respect, and yes we do need to send them home to their home countries.
Stunning statements from a liberal Republican in California Where’s the Washington leadership with the guts to state these remarks? Has Ted
Cruz pushed for sending all the illegal immigrant youth home? What about Mike
Lee? Apart from Congressman Steve King of Iowa, I have yet to hear key House
Reps demand that the President enforce the immigration laws and send the
illegal kids home.
Kashkari continued:
Then we need to work through the State Department and our aid
agencies to try to improve living conditions all around the world.
But the thing is, kids in California are suffering, too. What about the
kids in California. Nine kids sued in California sued Governor Brown for
violating their civil rights. It’s about the kids in California. We have finite
resources. Whose going to stand up for the kids in California?
If the Governor of California refuses to fight for them, I’m going to
fight for California kids first.
That’s right. Even in more affluent areas, families are struggling to make
ends meet. Individuals wonder if they will have a job at the end of the month
(or the year), and students graduate from high school facing major financial
and resource challenges to find good schools to get the best education.
“California Kids First.” Sounds like the perfect campaign slogan for California Republicans in 2014 and 2016. GOP Presidential candidates should consider “US Kids First” in 2016, too.
One of the debate moderators attempted to shame the Republican into walking
back his statement: “Where’s the compassion?” Refusing to take the
bait, staying true to principle, Kashkari countered:
”Kashkari: “The solution to the world’s problems
is not an open border
I have tremendous compassion. Is the answer to the world’s needy kids an
open border? Of course I have compassion. By the way, President Obama has said,
‘Treat the kids with compassion, and send them home.’ Hillary Clinton has said
‘We need to treat the kids with compassion. We need to send them home.’
In word (though not in deed), the two dueling heads of the Democratic Party are running to the right of Governor Brown on the immigration problem. Brown wants to appease liberal amnesty forces. He is scuttling whatever 2016 President prospects he may be entertaining. Using Democrats’ words against them was a wise move in this debate, where President Obama’s approval ratings have remained relatively high compared to the rest of the country. We can’t simply solve all the world’s problems with an open border. We
need to have sensible immigration laws. We need to embrace immigrants. We need
to enforce our laws. And we need to take care of kids in California, Governor.
They matter, too.
Well said. Instead of running away from the mature policy of
strong borders and sensible immigration policies, Kashkari stood strong and
declared “CA Kids first — no open borders.”
While key members of the California Congressional and state legislature have
pressured Congress to pass amnesty, Kashkari declared on live television his
opposition to open borders, lax non-enforcement of our immigration laws, and
that compassion and enforcement are not mutually exclusive propositions.
Kashkari sounded more gubernatorial in this debate, more like a viable executive regarding the immigration issue.