Twilight's Last Gleaming: An American Political RP Special

[New Luciannova]

GOP DEBATE QUESTION 1

Moderator: As President what measures would you support to curb illegal immigration? Do you support a pathway to citizenship for those who entered the country illegally but are otherwise law-abiding?

I feel that to curb illegal immigration we need to secure our borders and actually enforce the laws we already have. That's not to say we shouldn't reform these laws to be enforced smarter. I fear a pathway to citizenship could result in generating a moral hazard that encourages more to come here by whatever means necessary, and that's not something we want to occur. I would encourage a guest worker program that allows a pathway to citizenship for those enrolled in the program. This will allow those who are here, working, studying, and paying taxes, who plan to be here for a long time to remain here in a way we can easily manage and handle. This would especially benefit the otherwise law-abiding illegals who have been here for decades to find a path that works for everyone.
I believe that being smarter about how we handle drug crimes could reduce the drug smugglers from crossing the border and the violent gang members who often endanger our people and our country.

[Dentali]

Moderator

We will now have a period of free discussion on immigration

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"I served as Virginia's attorney general from 1998 to 2002. I've been a qualified lawyer since 1967, litigating Constitutional law cases that often involved immigration. As a country, the last thing we need to do is stand by and let immigrants illegally cross the border, which is what they've been doing for years. We need to do more than enforce the laws we already have-- we need to do whatever it takes to secure our borders and make sure that they stay secure. This isn't just an immigration issue, it's a national security issue. Who's to say that Al Qaeda hasn't infiltrated groups of illegals streaming across our border to attack us? We need to heighten our penalties, have more people oversee our screenings, and deport immigrants that are here illegally. If you're approaching the end of your visa, get it renewed or face the consequences. A CHS administration will do whatever it takes to keep Americans safe."

[Sarenium]

GOP DEBATE QUESTION 1

Moderator: As President what measures would you support to curb illegal immigration? Do you support a pathway to citizenship for those who entered the country illegally but are otherwise law-abiding?

---

Deborah Feyrer (R-AL)

---

"The last thing we need is more illegal migrants crossing that border!" Deborah declared, "it's downright unfair on the people who patiently wait in line for their turn to come and share in this great American Dream! So, what we've got to do is increase policin' on our border, increase enforcement on those who overstay their lawful Visas and stop the emergence of these migrants at the source by huntin' down druglords and kingpins who make their home countries unsafe to stay in!"

[Lavan Tiri]

(Image)
FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

Governor Olivia Calalo
R-Hawai'i

And here we see the empty promises and grandstanding come into play. Senator, how are you going to find and deport illegal immigrants? Have federal agents go knocking door-to-door in border states demanding to see papers?

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"If that's grandstanding, I'm Pat Buchanan, and we all know who his protege is," Cassie quickly quipped, momentarily glancing at Helms before turning back to Calalo. "The fact of the matter is that you're saying that illegals should get to stay here despite breaking the law. I'm saying we should uphold the law. The costs of going door-to-door would be outrageous-- and unconstitutional, I might add-- which is why we need to increase the penalties on people, businesses, and places that assist illegal immigrants. When you break the law, you are punished-- you don't get away with it. If you really think the rule of law is important, you'll uphold it and oppose making exceptions to the rules that are in place. There are no freebies."

[Lavan Tiri]

(Image)
FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

Governor Olivia Calalo
R-Hawai'i

Senator, you and I are both prosecutors. We both know that you can't always get the verdict you want, but you can get something that works. Obviously no-one wants to give out a free pass to illegals, besides Tripp Baylor. But what Governor Eriksen and I are saying is that it simply isn't feasible to deport every illegal in the country. We have to recognize reality and what we can realistically accomplish.

As President, I will focus my immigration policy on three things: first, cooperating with our neighbors to the South to cut the flow off at the source. Second, eliminating cartels and gangs that peddle drugs in America and use illegal immigrants as mules and carriers. Third, stricter enforcement, both at the border and in the States. Businesses that hire illegals will be cracked down on, hard. People that aid and abet illegals will face consequences. And so-called 'sanctuary cities' will be outlawed.

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"You're side-stepping the ones that are already here. Instead of punishing people who break the law, you're rewarding them. Should Bill Clinton have been rewarded with the Lewinsky scandal? Should Capone have been given money for committing crimes? Should John Wilkes Booth have been let free for killing Lincoln? A crime is a crime, Governor, and as a prosecutor-- as a governor-- you have promised to uphold and defend the laws of our nation. Instead, you're offering ways to reward lawbreakers. We're Republicans. We stand for the rule of law. You want to throw that out the window."

[Lavan Tiri]

(Image)
FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"You're side-stepping the ones that are already here. Instead of punishing people who break the law, you're rewarding them. Should Bill Clinton have been rewarded with the Lewinsky scandal? Should Capone have been given money for committing crimes? Should John Wilkes Booth have been let free for killing Lincoln? A crime is a crime, Governor, and as a prosecutor-- as a governor-- you have promised to uphold and defend the laws of our nation. Instead, you're offering ways to reward lawbreakers. We're Republicans. We stand for the rule of law. You want to throw that out the window."

Governor Olivia Calalo
R-Hawai'i

When did I say I wanted to reward illegal immigration? I want to end it. But I do support a pathway towards legal citizenship for people who came here illegally--as long as they haven't committed a crime besides that. If they have, we deport them. Senator, you're talking a lot but I have yet to hear you propose a proper solution. Do you have any more soundbites to get out of your system?

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"You are making proposals to reward it," Cassie began, wondering what it'd feel like to take a cast-iron skillet to the governor's skull for a few swings. "I have proposed a few ways to fight illegal immigration-- you'd think a prosecutor would listen better. Thanks to Democrats, the federal government has been unable to take on illegal immigration and all the threats it poses. Until Republicans can control Congress again-- or Democrats accept that we cannot stand for illegal immigration-- the border states are going to have to take the issue into their own hands. I believe that the states must make use of their 10th Amendment rights. The states have the power to do what the federal government fails to do or does not explicitly control, and in this case, it's the former. I am advocating for at least 3,000 National Guard soldiers per border state to be deployed, strengthening the border fence, and increasing funding for the two programs that have done the most to fight illegal immigration: Operation Streamline and Operation Stonegarden. We also need more full-time magistrates to oversee immigration cases in the border states and beyond. Some counties such as Cochise in Arizona have one-- others have none. That's not reliable, and it's not stable. We also need more checks on welfare to make sure that illegals aren't taking money meant for American citizens. Illegal immigrants hurt the working class, and rewarding them for breaking the law with paths to citizenship isn't going to stop it."

[Melovinta]

Rep. Harold Pierce Gunsley (OH-5)

Representative Gunsley spoke up, saying "People! Please! Calm down! We're all Republicans, here aren't we? What we need is a united, strong, and great Republican party, not mud-slinging right out of the gate, and may I remind the folks at home that this is still the FIRST. QUESTION. Do we want to be more incompetent than the Democrats? We have a common enemy and we should focus on THEM, not eachother. I mean, we have St. Cierge who is a dangerous radical who would see our country legalize drugs willy-nilly among other things, and Tripp Baylor who doesn't have any military OR political experience and wants to become our commander-in-chief straight away, and I will remind the voters at home that I served in the marines during Desert Storm and have been a Representative for 11 years. So what I'm saying is both of you should talk about and explain your proposals instead of bickering with eachother as if we're still kindergartners."

[New Luciannova]

I think it's offensive to compare people crossing the border to procure a better life for themselves and their family to be the equivalent of murder or sexual deviancy. I'm going to ask the Senator to say she didn’t mean that.
CHB is a prosecutor, she's great at identifying a crime and prescribing a punishment. I was a defense attorney, there's a reason we both exist. My job is to empathize and understand a crime and to see if other options exist. I agree with securing our border and enforcing our laws. Absolutely. But we also need to find ways to make legal immigration easier and illegal immigration less desirable and find a practical solution to handling the illegals who are already here. Illegals don't just hop the southern border, many come in by a variety of means. That doesn't mean we shouldn't work to secure our southern border, but we need to understand illegal immigration is a more complex problem.
If you're worried about terrorists crossing our southern border, you know what, so am I, but if we shut that down they''ll find other ways in, and we'll just be playing whack-a-mole. Now whack-a-mole is fun, my son, Thomas Aquinas and my daughter Dagny love it, but it is fun because the moles aren't trying to kill you and if you miss a few nothing bad happens and you can play again if you want. There are no mulligans to terrorist attacks or urban crime, and therefore we need a more comprehensive plan.

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"Congressman Gunsley, with all due respect, we're not here to talk about how radical the Democrats on the far-left are. We're here to talk about the issues important to the American people, lay out what we believe in, stand up for it, and explain why we think we're right. That's why it's called a debate, not a tea party. What's best for the American people isn't giving illegals a reward for only breaking one set of laws, our immigration laws, and saying it's okay. That invites more illegal immigration, not less. The crisis on our border is growing worse by the day, and it is going to take someone that has proven they know what they're doing, who understands and practices law, who knows how each American ticks to get things done. As for your credentials-- everyone at this debate has credentials, experience, and the ability to do the job. The fact of the matter is that you can't be the best at the job if you're going to let illegals walk all over you from day one. If we do not go on the attack and secure our borders, the issue is only going to get worse, and worse, and worse.

As for you, Congressman Putnam, they do everything they can to get in by a myriad of methods. But by far, the majority are pouring over the border. That's where it starts, and it's where we have the most work to do."

[Melovinta]

Rep. Harold Pierce Gunsley (OH-5)

"I said that you should explain and talk about your proposals, not attack the Democrats 24/7. What you're doing with Ms. Calalo is called mudslinging, not debating."

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"If I wanted to sling mud, I'd be talking about insider trading, wouldn't I?" Cassie said very calmly. "That would be an unjust accusation and insult to you, Congressman. It's not mudslinging to tell the truth about policies espoused by opponents. Governor Calalo and I are comparing our proposals here. We're not insulting one another, and we're certainly not throwing around unjust accusations. Unless mudslinging isn't the term you were going for here?"

[Melovinta]

Rep. Harold Pierce Gunsley (OH-5)

"You were getting into what was essentially a boxing match between you and Ms. Calalo, I was trying to get both of you to calm down and focus on your proposals instead of continuing the attacks. The Republican Party is a big tent of people from all across the political spectrum, from Not-Reagan conservatives to Libertarians, we are united against the Democrats and big government and I want us to be are stronger than ever! And this simply doesn't show that, so Ms. CHS, please calm down for a bit."

[Kavanis]

Governor Ben Eriksen (OK)

We are all perfectly calm, Congressman; we’re discussing an important issue, and one that Congress has manifestly failed to act on. Because the truth is, for all the promises about what the next President should do, Congress could make a lot of this redundant by acting right now: it’s within its power, and has been for years, but Democrats – and, frankly, Republicans – in Congress have failed to act.

Congress could, right now, make undocumented status a felony. Right now, it’s only a civil offense. Congress could, right now, cut off Homeland Security funds to “sanctuary cities” that refuse to enforce the law and shelter dangerous illegal aliens. Congress could, right now, pass port security legislation – seven bills died in committee in the last Congress, and our ports remain vulnerable to unchecked immigration. Congress could, right now, pass criminal penalties for people smuggling, for trafficking in false passports.

So my real dream is that our next President won’t have to act on these matters: because Congress already will have done. But, given how badly they’ve dropped the ball since the 1996 bill, that probably is a dream – and if Congress really won’t act, then I’m ready to, starting from day one if I’m elected President.

[New Luciannova]

Madam Senator, Mr. Gunsley has reason for shame, but that was a low blow. Something I learned at a young age, and something I learned to teach my kids, it's best to not rebuke a complaint by granting it legitimacy. You were called a mudslinger, yet your mean-spirited response removed any doubt to its truth.
We're perfectly calm, Mr. Gunsley, it appears you are not. However, I think we all should respect each other on this stage.
We all want to prove we're strong, but you're not strong by knocking other people down, you're strong by lifting them up. I came here for a discussion of the issues, that's what the voters want. If you people at home want to watch a slugfest, at least in Concord, pro-wrestling is on channel 23.
Your response to me, Senator, was legitimate, but what you said is simply evasive, even if it was true, and the data is inconclusive at best. You have no plan besides punishment. The only time I ever say "take the keys and lock them up" is when I'm singing to Artemis, she's two. I would think you'd have a more sophisticated plan for those already here.
Governor Eriksen, with all due respect, making undocumented status a felony would be a massive overreach and punish the kinds of people that we don't want to punish. We would be kicking down doors of students the day their visas expire. We do not want to remove homeland security funds from sanctuary cities, that move is draconian and will be counter-productive. There are sanctuary cities in Iowa and Michigan that will need those funds for tornados or the brutal storms off the great lakes. There are sanctuary cities along the east coast, none in New Hampshire, but in all our New England neighbors, they will need FEMA when the next hurricane hits. Our citizens will unduly suffer.
New York City is a sanctuary city, so is Boston, so is Philly. Are we really prepared to remove homeland security funds from them? Do you want to cut them off from anti-terrorism resources? That's just the think I want when I fly out of Logan, homeland security is nowhere to be seen.

[Kavanis]

Do you want to cut them off from anti-terrorism resources?

Governor Ben Eriksen (OK)

I want, Congressman, those cities to enforce the law.

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"Given that several of the men on this stage seem to have a particular idea about what women should or should not do, I'm going to unpack what two of them have said," Cassie began again. "Harold Gunsley seems to think that it's okay to tell two perfectly calm women to calm down while they discuss the issues. In other words, he's just told us both to shut up. Congressman Putnam, on the other hand, is implying that I think that Mr. Gunsley of guilty of insider trading. I don't, and I said as much. I said that if I were to accuse him of it, that would be real mud-slinging, being made up of unjust accusations and insults. As such, Mr. Putnam here is showing that he doesn't know how to listen." Motioning to each, CHS said very clearly, "This is unacceptable from any Republican, male or female. As commander-in-chief, you've got to be able to read the room and listen to your fellow Americans. Both of them have just failed at these basic parts of the job."

[Sarenium]

---

Deborah Feyrer (R-AL)

---

"Governor, while you intend to be too damn cheap to enforce the law," Deborah looked directly at Calalo, "let me tell you about one of the few bright spots of the Federal Government, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency. See them folks over at ICE, do a great job with what they're given, but they're underfunded thanks to liberals like you who are happy to open the floodgates. All I'm sayin' is that we give 'em fellas at ICE some more so they can do their jobs. That ain't grandstanding, it's good policy."

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"I'm glad to see someone else on this stage finally speaking sense! Senator Feyrer is exactly right."

[Kavanis]

Given that several of the men on this stage seem to have a particular idea about what women should or should not do...

Ben nearly strokes out fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

...All I'm sayin' is that we give 'em fellas at ICE some more so they can do their jobs. That ain't grandstanding, it's good policy."

But he nods vigorously with Senator Feyrer.

[Dentali]

GOP DEBATE 1 QUESTION 2

How important is balancing the budget? And if you seek to balance the budget during your term as President would be willing to raise taxes as part of a deal with Congress in order to do it?

[Meretica]

FIRST REPUBLICAN DEBATE
SENATOR CASSANDRA HEPBURN-SMITH

"To my knowledge, I am the only one on this stage that advocates for a balanced budget amendment. While some would argue that balancing the budget is a waste of time, I disagree, and that largely has to deal with the national deficit. In the 1990s, we had surpluses. We were paying down debt and the economy was doing wonders. Now, though, our debt has grown. That's due in part to the war on terror. As soon as we have bin Laden, we can bring our boys home and cut some of our spending. Instead of raising taxes, I would prefer to close some of the loopholes that exist and cut useless government programs. A surplus today means a better future for tomorrow."