Bush To Propose Immigration Law Changes

AP | 01-05-04 | AP

[Pubbie]

[Moderator's note: threads regarding immigration issues and border issues have been spiralling out of control for some time on Free Republic. This is going to change. Fair warning: this would be a very poor thread to engage in flame warring, flame baiting, or otherwise being needlessly instigative. If you have not yet read this thread, you may want to before engaging in the debate on this or other similar threads. If there are any questions regarding the new scrutiny of these threads, please take them to that thread rather than cluttering up these threads. So far, people have been very cooperative with this effort, and for that I am grateful. Thanks, and happy Freeping.]

President Bush will propose immigration law changes to allow workers from Mexico to enter the United States if they have jobs waiting for them, officials said Monday in previewing an election-year measure intended to bolster support among Hispanic voters.

Advocacy groups were invited to the White House on Wednesday to hear details of the program.

"The president has long talked about the importance of having an immigration policy that matches willing workers with willing employers," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. "It's important for America to be a welcoming society. We are a nation of immigrants, and we're better for it."

Immigration advocacy groups characterized Bush's move as a politically drawn effort to curry favor with Hispanics, a potent political force, particularly in key states like Florida, California and border states. Two sources speaking on condition of anonymity said Bush would outline a set of principles rather than a detailed piece of legislation, and that the policy statement would draw on bills already pending in Congress.

"It looks very much like a political effort and what they do with these `principles' is going to determine whether this is really a policy initiative or not," said Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza. "The Latino community knows the difference between political posturing and a real policy debate."

She said the initiative was crafted by Bush's political strategist, Karl Rove, and that the immigration policy community was excluded from the deliberations.

"We know of no one in the immigration policy community, business groups or Latino groups who has been consulted," she said.

[Cultural Jihad]

If Bush vigorously enforced the law against illegal aliens his poll numbers would rise 10 points and he would win in a landslide.

Seems the anti-immigrants want to charge President Bush with vote-pandering no matter what he does. Here's a novel thought: Whatever his plan is, maybe it really only comes down to what is in the best interests of the nation, as all his other plans have been so far.

[Old Student]

Obviously not enough of the voters, I'm afraid. Hopefully they've learned their lessons, now. If the state ever gets cleaned back up, I might go back for a visit, anyway. I'd kind of like to see my Mom, but I can't get her to come out here.

[MissAmericanPie]

BTW, geneology is great, I highly recommend it's study. My family was big on keeping old letters, family bibles, histories.

One of my ancestors, Walter, had alot of business dealings with Thomas Jefferson, recorded in Jefferson's ledgers is a payment of pounds owed to Walter, with Walter's instructions to pass the money on to his attorney Patrick Henry for services rendered.

Walter sold some land to Mr. Jefferson, he also worked for him for a time. I have an old letter from my g-g-g-grandpa Samuel to his darling Becky while he was serving in the Civil War. His letter related to her the condition of his brothers, cousins, friends and neighbors, who were also fighting in the battle for Atlanta. He never made it home, neither did the other two brothers old enough to serve with him, he died of Small Pox in a prisoner of war camp.

The enemy had stolen their cotton, their wagons and livestock, leaving Becky and the kids in starvation. When Becky learned of Samuels death she loaded up their children and moved them all to Texas. Her son gave birth to my g-g-grandpa who founded a small town in Texas in the 1800's.

The other side of my family is Cherokee, we are registered with the Cherokee nation but I have never been able to discover alot of information on that side of my family as yet.

Being able to handle their belongings and know their names and their personalities and how they lived makes them very alive to me, and it cements my duty to their hopes, dreams, and visions.

[Old Student]

Good point. I'm willing to go along for the ride, seeing as he's done a fairly good job on the things most important to me, and those alone have kept him a pretty busy man. You notice his hair is noticably grayer that when he was elected? Besides, I haven't seen anyone else I'd like even as much. The folks who won't vote for him because hasn't dealt with one thing or another that is their pet peeve so they'd rather give the election to Howard Dean seem to have their heads up and locked.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"To flood the nation with those that are only here for economic reasons is not responsible or safe."

Sorry you feel that way. My ancestors haven't been here as long as yours, (that I know of----I'm still researching) but my Dad's line arrived here in the 1870's and I suspect that the reason that they came was exactly economic reasons. Most were Germans (dare I say that?) and trying to escape economic and the war-torn continent of that time. Now we've been here for 130 years......but I guess, according to you, I'm not responsible or safe.

[FITZ]

I think you missed something there; nearly everything west of the Appalachian Mountains was part of Mexico, which was part of Spain, when the Constitution was written. (admittedly we had English-American settlers in quite a few places they weren't supposed to be, but...)

More like a bit west of the Mississippi maybe. It was territory of Spain at the time. The Spanish government couldn't get enough Spaniards to leave Mexico and settle in the northern territories --- in the case of Texas they invited Americans to come and settle the land. Mexico declared it's independence from Spain --- and about 25 years later Texas declared it's independence from Mexico.

[FITZ]

If the Americans weren't supposed to be there --- the Spanish wouldn't have given them land grants either. It wasn't just "English-Americans" but all kinds of Americans who who were given land grants by the government of Spain in what is now the SW USA.

[FITZ]

I believe that Powhattan would argue with you about whose territory it was.

It's too late for Powhattan to argue --- that's what you get when you don't control your borders.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Bush's abdication of his responsibility to defend our sovereign borders OR his active conspiracy to nullify our sovereign borders and rule of law is a direct violation of his oath of office.

The USA dies not need the 20-30 million 3rd World criminal aliens - men, women, and children, currently in this American nation. If any organized crime is RICO, this organized criminal alien protection scam is it.

Politicians are acting as outlaws brazenly committing crimes enabling the swarms of criminals to degrade our standards of living, harm our environment, and destroy our education/health infrastructure with their hordes.

Our national security in this perpetual islamist Terror War demands that We the People take back our Republic, or lose it forever. Our outlaw politicians shall push this unique American republic beyond our ability to defend our nation as a the American Constitutional Republic we inherited.

[Cultural Jihad]

Thanks for the chuckle. The nation will well-survive the normalization of our guest worker's legal status.

[MissAmericanPie]

In the real world, to the victor goes the spoils. And for all the fuzzy posturing of liberals, man has not changed one iota from the day of dwelling in caves, only his environment has changed and his toys.
And I can say that as a decendent of the Cherokee nation.

The intelligence and beauty of the Cherokee nation is an interesting study also. They developed their own written language, printed their own newspapers, and became lawyers in order to stand up for their rights before congress.

Didn't do them any good, but I think that was some accomplishment and is a testament to their grit, intelligence, and adaptability.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I haven't seen much evidence that California has tried to chase them away, and I'm a native of California.

Maybe you forgot. Californian's voted almost 3 to 1 in favor of prop 187, to only have the federal government step in and burn our ballots and declare our free election illegal.

You see, California stepped up to the plate long ago. Unfortunately the federal government doesn't like free elections, or what the majority of the people desire, as the federal government no longer represents the people.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Bush's abdication of his responsibility to defend our sovereign borders OR his active conspiracy to nullify our sovereign borders and rule of law is a direct violation of his oath of office.

This is very clear.

[MissAmericanPie]

I don't know if you are or not. If you feel no responsibility to those that came before you to deal responsibly with the freedom that has been passed on to you, and no responsibility to guard it and pass it on to your offspring, then I would have to say you are not part of any solution.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Seems the anti-immigrants want to charge President Bush with vote-pandering no matter what he does.

It's about illegal immigration, there is a difference.

All Bush has to do is talk about the US and what he plans to do for the citizens of this country. How many Americans do you think want to hear about the problems of foreign countries and the nice things we're going to do for their illegal citizens in ours? I'll bet it's not many.

As far as the best interests of the country: that often comes down to what the voters think those best interests are. Grey Davis just found that out in California, Bush 1 and Carter learned it the hard way too.

[MissAmericanPie]

I consider anyone a good and worthy citizen that would lay down his life to protect the Constitution and the conservative values of limited government contained there in. So you tell me, do you qualify?

[A Citizen Reporter]

"I don't know if you are or not."

No, you don't. And that is exactly the problem with your generalizations. The problem for you is that WE ARE A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS. We always have been, and you are offspring of English IMMIGRANTS. You admitted it. To the Cherokee nation, the English were Immigrants. There will always be those anxious to close the doors. The more of these arguments I follow, it becomes obvious it's because it's those who can't compete.

[Cultural Jihad]

Unfortunately the federal government doesn't like free elections, or what the majority of the people desire, as the federal government no longer represents the people.

What an odd world-view you have, and so wrong, too. Prop. 187 was not overturned because "the federal government doesn't like free elections, or what the majority desires." It was one liberal federal judge who threw out that fair election. If you sincerely believe that the federal government no longer represents the people, who do they represent? The French? The colonists from Antares? Themselves? And what are you going to do about the surety of the righteousness of your convictions except whine?

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Isn't it a complete miracle that America survived the "Onslaught" of the "hoards" of "Criminal" immigrants that assaulted our borders of this once great nation.

especially during the early 1900's when all those "CRIMINAL" Irish, Norwegian, German, Italian, French, Slavic, Scandinavia and other foreigners poured over our borders?

Our nation has been ruined I tell you...ruined.

Sure we got lucky and these people found jobs, created industry, opened businesses, built our cities with the skills they brought with them and have made a major contribution to the greatness of this country.

LUCKY I TELL YOU! JUST PLAIN LUCKY!

[hchutch]

Agreed. It seems there are some folks who won't be satisfied with anything but their way on things. And when someone disagrees with them, they have no problem making all sorts of accusations about "selling out" conservatives.

Furthermore, where is the proof that this ten-point climb in the polls being claimed will happen?