Randy Boyd's attack ad calls Diane Black weak on immigration.

Randy Boyd has put out a hard-hitting  "attack ad" against Diane Black.  I guess when one is attacked in a political ad, one has to attack back but I am disappointed. In this recent ad, Boyd criticizes Diane Black for saying "you can't build a wall;  that won't work." The statement was made in a 2016 interview. Since then Diane Black has become an advocate of building the wall and states that position on her website. She also has sponsored legislation that would raise funds for the wall along the southern border using crowdfunding.

My own view of building the wall is that it is a dumb idea and "you can't build a wall; that won't work."  There may be places where expanding the wall makes sense but to build a wall the full length of the border would accomplish nothing. For one thing, it would take a generation to obtain the right- of-ways necessary to do it. Property cannot be taken without due process and that can be a lengthy process. The cost would be enormous and there is no way to make Mexico pay for it.  Even if built, unless it is manned it would be useless. Walls can be climbed over, cut through and tunneled under and torn down. There are much wiser uses of funds to secure the border rather than building a $15 billion wall.

In frustration over the recent failure of "zero tolerance" I recently blogged that I was warming to the idea of building the wall. "Zero tolerance" means prosecuting those who cross the border illegally. The problem with that policy is that children can not be held in confinement with their parents for more than twenty days, and separating parents from their children is unacceptable and there is no way to prosecute an offender within twenty days.  So, for any person who crosses the border with a child, we are back to catch and release which means we release offenders from detention while they await immigration hearings with an order to appear for a hearing at some future date. Most never honor the order.

Frustration over the inability to implement zero tolerance does not however, mean building the wall the full length of the border is good idea. Some select corridors could probably benefit from an extended wall, but things like e-verity, improved visa control and changing the law to expedite the process of deportation makes more sense. I would be more pleased with Diane Black if she would have kept to her first position that "you can't build a wall; that won't work." 

The other example that Randy Boyd uses against Black in alleging she is weak on immigration is that she once supported giving drivers license to illegal immigrants. This occurred in May 2001when Diane Black was serving in the State legislature. Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed the policy that would allow people without Social Security numbers to obtain driver's licenses. The argument at the time was that they were driving anyway and with drivers license they would at least have to know the rules of the road and if stopped for a traffic violation the traffic law enforcement officer would know who they were. I thought that made sense at the time as did most of those serving in the State legislature.  Following the September 2001 terrorist attack on this country, security concerns led to that law being repealed.

I am not going to hold it against Diane Black that in May 2001 she voted to implement what most thought was a good policy at the time.  I know that in a thirty second TV ad one cannot really explain policy differences. All you can do is offer quick bummer sticker sound bites.  It is easy to simplify and distort an opponents record.  Anyone who has served in office any length of time or written things, anyone with a record, can have that record distorted. 

I hope Diane Black shows the good graces and dignity not to even hit lower than Randy Boyd.  I don't want our Republican nominee to be the person who can play the dirtiest. The contest should not be a contest to see who can win at best besmirching the reputation of their opponents.

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