Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Bush Attacks Immigration Deal Opponents

Collapse
X
 
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Bush Attacks Immigration Deal Opponents

    Syndicated news and opinion website providing continuously updated headlines to top news and analysis sources.


    Bush Attacks Immigration Deal Opponents

    May 29 12:53 PM US/Eastern
    By BEN FELLER
    Associated Press Writer

    GLYNCO, Ga. (AP) - President Bush attacked opponents of an immigration deal Tuesday, suggesting they "don't want to do what's right for America."
    "The fundamental question is, will elected officials have the courage necessary to put a comprehensive immigration plan in place," Bush said against a backdrop of a huge American flag.

    He described his proposal—which has been agreed to by a bipartisan group of senators—as one that "makes it more likely we can enforce our border—and at the same time uphold the great immigrant tradition of the United States of America."

    Bush spoke at the nation's largest training center for law enforcement.
    He chose the get-tough setting as conservative critics blast a Senate proposal as being soft on people who break the law. Hoping to blunt that message, Bush emphasized that any new options for immigrants and foreign workers would not start until tougher security is in place.

    The presidential stop came during a congressional recess, with senators back home and facing pressure from the left and right on the immigration plan. Bush's aim is to build momentum for the legislation, perhaps his best chance for a signature victory in his second term. The Senate expects to resume debate on it next week.

    "A lot of Americans are skeptical about immigration reform, primarily because they don't think the government can fix the problems," Bush said.

    "And my answer to the skeptics is: give us a chance to fix the problems in a comprehensive way that enforces our border and treats people with decency and respect. Give us a chance to fix this problem. Don't try to kill this bill before it gets moving," Bush told students and instructors at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

    Bush repeatedly cast the matter as one of political courage.

    "Those determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a narrow slice of it and find something they don't like," the president said. "If you want to kill the bill, if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it.

    "You can use it to frighten people," Bush said. "Or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all."

    The bill would give temporary legal status to millions of unlawful immigrants, provided they came forward, paid a fine and underwent criminal background checks. To apply for a green card, they would have to pay another fine, learn English, return to their home country and wait in line.

    The plan also would create a guest worker program. It would allow foreign laborers to come to the U.S. for temporary stints, yet with no guarantee they can eventually gain citizenship.

    Both the new visa plan and the temporary worker program are contingent on other steps coming first. Those include fencing and barriers along the Mexico border, the hiring of more Border Patrol agents and the completion of an identification system to verify employees' legal status.

    The legislation would also reshape future immigration decisions. A new point system would prioritize skills and education over family in deciding who can immigrate.

    Georgia's senators both played leading roles in producing Bush's deal with the Senate. Yet they have also said they may not support the final bill, depending upon how it is amended.

    Bush chastised those who say the proposal offers amnesty to illegal immigrants. He called it empty political rhetoric.
    Uhm, let's see...

    Only those who want to become citizens will be fined $5,000.00

    None of the illegals will be required to pay any back taxes.

    The illegals will be given a 'Z' visa which allows them to stay, work, go to school--- indefinately.. because theres no limit to the number of times it can be renewed.

    Is that 'empty political rhetoric'? Or is there some substance to this criticism?

    Its an AMNESTY,... who's foolin' who?
    Enjoy Freedom? Get off your ass and do something to preserve it then.

    Calguns.net OpenCarry.org
    ronpaul2008.com
    constitutionparty.com

  • #2


    For Bush, fight over immigration bill is personal

    By JULIE MASON
    Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

    President Bush sounded like he hoped to sever ties with the remaining 30 percent who like him when he went after critics in his party this week over opposition to his latest immigration plan.

    "If you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill's an amnesty bill," Bush said during a stop in Glynco, Ga. "That's empty political rhetoric, trying to frighten our citizens."

    It was his harshest public backhand yet to the conservative bloggers, commentators, politicians and CNN anchor Lou Dobbs, all gassing about how the bill amounts to amnesty.

    "People shouldn't fear our capacity to uphold our motto, E Pluribus Unum," Bush told McClatchy Newspapers.

    The compromise Senate bill is drawing fire from Republicans and Democrats. Critics on the left don't like the high fees and penalties for illegal immigrations, or the shift away from reuniting families and toward valuing education and skills in deciding who gets in. Conservative critics are calling it amnesty because it includes provisions for those in the U.S. illegally to eventually become citizens.

    Points to Texas' diversity

    For Bush, the fight over immigration reform is a personal one — unlike Social Security or education reform, which were mostly political.

    "I feel passionate about the issue. It's something I have felt strongly about ever since I was the governor of Texas," he said."

    Texas is a very diverse state, Houston is a very diverse city, and through that diversity, if you're open-minded, you get a great sense of how it invigorates the society," said Bush, a Houston resident in the 1960s and '70s.

    Growing up in Texas, Bush said, "you recognize the decency and hard work and humanity of Hispanics. And the truth of the matter is a lot of this immigration debate is driven as a result of Latinos being in our country."

    Or to be more specific, an unhappiness about Latinos being in the country. Bush, for the first time, is putting opponents on notice that he's going to call them out on their xenophobia if he needs to. In last year's failed effort at passing immigration reform, he never went that far.

    "A lot of us in Texas were very aware of the immigration issue way before the rest of the country," Bush told McClatchy. Bush is working to keep the bill intact and moving forward.

    His brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, joined former Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman in co-authoring an op-ed in Thursday's Wall Street Journal, calling on Republicans to support the bill.

    In addition to arguing the merits, the two noted the political damage to the Republican Party after California in 1994 passed Proposition 187, a measure denying many public services to illegal immigrants.

    "The GOP won the governor's mansion in the short term, but alienated the fastest-growing constituency in the state," they said.

    With Congress out of town on recess, Bush had the microphone largely to himself on immigration. But he may not be getting traction because of the war in Iraq. The unpopular, long-running conflict has eroded public trust in the president and makes it harder for him to pass a domestic agenda. It also makes it easier for members of Congress to oppose him.
    G__ Damn it.

    First off, Ben Franklin suggested E Pluribus Unum as our national motto not because of diversity or multiculturalism, but because thirteen colonies came together as one. Bush is deliberately ignoring the historical context to use this motto to guilt people into accepting AMNESTY.

    Second, calling the immigration bill AMNESTY is NOT a scare tactic to frighten American citizens... It is calling a spade a spade... When a person commits a crime and is offered forgiveness of that crime it is called AMNESTY... We know that illegal aliens have come here without our permission, ducked paying taxes, obtained social entitlements, and worked in our country without proper documentation.... how then is this immigration bill NOT AMNESTY when there are no penalties before the illegal aliens are allowed to get a 'Z' visa and renew indefinately?

    And just which of the 80+% who oppose this bag of dog sh_t are being frightened by the AMNESTY description? Who the hell is he trying to fool?

    'Scuze me.. I need to schedule time to vomit before I call Barbara Boxer again.
    Enjoy Freedom? Get off your ass and do something to preserve it then.

    Calguns.net OpenCarry.org
    ronpaul2008.com
    constitutionparty.com

    Comment


    • #3
      See how propaganda takes root and becomes fact?

      The whole amnesty thing has tranferred the focus onto the illegals, when the ones escaping scrutiny and punishment are the employers and the other profiteers.
      It's Amnesty for:
      Bank of America
      Wells Fargo
      Verizon
      AAA to Z tree service
      Bustos media
      and on, and on, and on.

      In the very least, the illegal aliens are partners in crime with the ring leaders.

      Comment

      Working...
      X
      😀
      🥰
      🤢
      😎
      😡
      👍
      👎