Tanks on the Rio Grande
Bush to Call for Guard Troops on Border
President Bush will call for thousands of National Guard troops to be deployed along the Mexico border in support of patrols aimed at keeping out illegal immigrants, a White House official said Sunday on the eve of an Oval Office address announcing the plan.White House aides worked into the night Sunday to iron out details of the proposal and allay concerns among lawmakers that using troops to man the border would further burden the an overextended military.
My first reaction was “Is this even legal?” I don’t like the idea of deploying the military domestically. But none of the MSM articles nor any of the Moonbat blogs I checked have raised the question of legality. I suppose that border defense is a legitimate, wholly legal function of the military (I’m not distinguishing between the National Guard and regular forces).
Another question is, “For how long?” Is this a permanent deployment?
Update: from James Joyner: OTB - Military May Augment Border Patrol
It is a bedrock principle of American politics that the military does not get involved in domestic policing under any but the gravest of conditions. Peacetime standing armies were anathema until necessitated by the enduring Cold War. We even have a provision in the Bill of Rights precluding quartering of troops in private homes.This reluctance to politicize the military stems from the abuses seen in Europe and domestically during the Colonial era and has been reinforced time and again by observation of the developing world, where professional militaries are the only trusted institution and not infrequently assume the reins of power.
Short of an armed invasion from Mexico, it is simply bizarre to consider militarizing the border.
That was my first reaction. And James Joyner is no Moonbat.
From Diggers’ Realm: Bush To Try And Fool America Into Thinking That He Wants To Secure The Border
Apparently President Bush will have a “big” speech on immigration Monday night. Speculation is that Bush will announce the Pentagon will look at sending some token National Guard units to the border to help in “securing it”.This is a total shell game to fool the American public into thinking that he is listening to us and that he now wants the border secure. The reality is Bush and his handlers hope that this little placebo will make the American people roll over and start agreeing with his guest worker amnesty.
This idea is going the way of the $100 gas rebate. The immigration “hwaks” like Digger are skeptical. Other conservatives, like James and I, find it dangerous and bizarre (if not illegal). And tomorrow morning, the Dems will go all-out on to attack it.
Bush now seems to be in a “can’t do anything right” situation. From the Miers nomination to the Dubai ports deal to that stupid $100 gas rebate to this, it seems that every one of his proposals split the GOP (and of course, the Dems attack any proposal as a matter of partisan tactics).
How do you lose 15 tanks?
Old Soviet tanks for new Iraqi army
Florida: Mitt Blitz, as Huck tanks and Fred dead
More Rovian Skullduggery
Trouble in Paradise