Rep. Charlie Norwood of Georgia, in a Washington Times article today, makes some reasoned arguments for more manpower at the border with Mexico. He wants President Bush to deploy 50,000 troops to the southern and northern borders:
“For those who say that deploying tens of thousands of soldiers to secure our 7,000 total miles of border is unrealistic, please explain our posting 37,000 troops for 50 years to secure 155 miles of South Korea’s border,” Mr. Norwood said.
Mr. Norwood…said Mr. Bush’s deployment in May of 6,000 National Guard troops on the southwestern border is a “weak response” to the flood of illegal aliens….
Mr. Norwood’s staff helped in a House investigation last year that found the government could sustain the Minuteman Project’s success by deploying 36,000 to 48,000 National Guard troops or state militia on the border to work with the U.S. Border Patrol. He said Mr. Bush “could make it happen” with an executive order.
And can we please stop hearing from the “fence won’t work” red-herring specialists who act like immigration reformers play only that single note?