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Policy Debate Game, Set, Match

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June 8, 2008

It may not quite be theFrench Open,but James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation and I have beendiscussing the pros and cons of the virtual fence in a seriesof blogs.At least I thought that was what we were discussing. In his , Carafanodoesn鈥檛 mention the virtualfence once. Instead he takes a potshot at me for 鈥渃ondemningtheUnited States.鈥

Here鈥檚 a goodrule of thumb forpolicy debates: when your opponent can鈥檛 argue for the policyinquestion on its merits and tries to change the subject,you鈥檝e wonthe argument.

Nevertheless, the 老澳门开奖结果 isnever one toshrink from a fight when it goes below the belt. There is littledebate out there about whether we are succeeding in securing theborder. The Border Patrol is certainly not to blame for this: AsCarafano and accurately, Congress hasrepeatedly failedto recognize the challenges dedicated Border Patrol agents face onthe ground and fund border security initiatives that will actuallymake their jobs easier. The virtual fence is a perfect example ofthis disconnect 鈥揳 fat cash payout to Boeing Corp. for aprogramproven to be a miserable failure.

On human rights, we have along way togo. In the 14 years since pushed the bulk of bordercrossing into theharsh Arizona desert, more than 5,000 migrants have died fromexposure. That鈥檚 an statistic for both the United States and Mexico. Again, this is notthe fault of the men and women who go to work on the border everydayand approach their jobs with professionalism and compassion.It鈥檚the underlying national policy, courtesy of Washington, that isputting at risk the lives of migrants and Border Patrol agents alike.

In Carafano鈥檚world, criticizing afailed Washington policy that endangers Border Patrol agents istantamount to 鈥渂ad-mouthing the Border Patrol.鈥 Ifthat soundslike a bogus argument to you, that鈥檚 because it is. Carafanostillfails to answer my original point: that the virtual fence is a fiascothat not only threatens civil liberties, but is also indefensiblefrom the fiscal conservative philosophy that the Heritage Foundationclaims to promote. By questioning our patriotism, he is notfurthering an open, responsible discussion about policy 鈥揾e鈥檚trying to the discussion because he鈥檚 out of arguments.

The 老澳门开奖结果 and the HeritageFoundationoften disagree, and we like to engage them when we do becausethey鈥檙eknown and respected for defending conservative principles withpassion and intellectual rigor. Needless to say, we鈥檙edisappointed.

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