Political Quotes

“it seems the President has found a new use for the Guard, dealing with his Presidency. On Monday the President announced his intention to send 6,000 National Guardsmen to secure the border. Never mind that his budget cuts the National Guard by 17,000, and that the Guard has been stretched to the breaking point by the war in Iraq. Never mind that the President's own budget this year fails to provide adequate funding for new border agents, and never mind that Michael Chertoff, the head of Homeland Security, thought this was a bad idea just 6 months ago. In December 2005 Michael Chertoff told Bill O'Reilly, ``The National Guard is not trained for the border mission.'' Now it is an election year, the President's poll numbers are down, so the President has decided to deploy the Guard, regardless of what his own budget and the Homeland Security Director has said. This is an election year, of course. Michael Chertoff is now changing his tune. ``What the President did last night was to put on the turbo chargers in dealing with and focusing on this illegal immigration effort that we have got, on a comprehensive basis.'' Mr. Speaker, I have been in politics a long time. I have seen my share of political gestures. Having failed to do anything on immigration for 5\1/2\ years, the President has decided to act with just 5\1/2\ months to go before election day. It is time for a change. It is time for new priorities. ____________________”