Bush's Ridiculous Speech About Immigration Reform

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[Happy2BMe]

Bush's Ridiculous Speech About Immigration Reform

I just want to comment on a few of the things that jumped out at me as I read the text of Bush's speech about the horrendous new immigration legislation he is going to propose.

To begin with, this line just chaps me...

"As a nation that values immigration and depends on immigration, we should have immigration laws that work and make us proud. Yet today we do not."

No, our immigration laws don't work or make us proud. You know why? Because we don't make an effort to enforce them. It's like telling your kid to clean his room, having him watch TV instead, and then having him look you in the eye and say, "you know the system we're using to get my room cleaned up just isn't working".

Here's more from Bush...

"Many undocumented workers have walked mile after mile, through the heat of the day and the cold of the night. Some have risked their lives in dangerous desert border crossings or entrusted their lives to the brutal rings of heartless human smugglers.

BUSH: Workers who seek only to earn a living end up in the shadows of American life, fearful, often abused and exploited.

When they're victimized by crimes they're afraid to call the police or seek recourse in the legal system. They are cut off from their families far away, fearing if they leave our country to visit relatives back home they might never be able to return to their jobs."

Yes, that's pretty much what happens to criminals everywhere isn't it? I mean even though a drug dealer works hard and does dangerous work, he can't very well call the police and tell them someone stole his crack can he? Of course, if he were in an honest profession or if the illegal aliens obeyed our laws, they wouldn't have this problem would they?

Then Bush tosses off this whopper about the border...

"First, America must control its borders. Following the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, this duty of the federal government has become even more urgent, and we're fulfilling that duty."

No, the government isn't "fulfilling that duty". We still have illegals, drug dealers, and probably terrorists pouring across our border because the Bush administration even after 9/11, will not commit the necessary resources and manpower to get the job done.

Then this paragraph begs an obvious question...

"Employers must not hire undocumented aliens or temporary workers whose legal status has expired. They must report to the government the temporary workers they hire and who leave their employ so that we can keep track of people in the program and better enforce our immigration laws. There must be strong workplace enforcement with tough penalties for anyone -- for any employer violating these laws."

...and that question is, "why can't we go ahead and do that NOW"? If we did this today, most of the people who are here illegally would go home because they couldn't find jobs. So why do we have to wait until after we've made all these illegals who don't respect our laws into citizens to do this?

Then there's this...

"The citizenship line, however, is too long, and our current limits on legal immigration are too low.

My administration will work with the Congress to increase the annual number of green cards that can lead to citizenship."

Our population is growing as it is and isn't unemployment higher than we'd like as it is? So why do we want to INCREASE the number of people flooding into our country legally?

Last but not least, Bush hit this theme several times...

"Reform must begin by confronting a basic fact of life and economics: Some of the jobs being generated in America's growing economy are jobs American citizens are not filling."

As Mark Krikorian explained in yesterday's National Review, those jobs would be filled by Americans if the illegals weren't driving down wages.

Does that not make perfect sense? I mean people get all up in arms about companies going overseas to get cheap labor, but when the cheap labor COMES HERE, those same people just assume that Americans "won't do those jobs". Sure they will, just not at the same price.

I can only hope that Congress fights Bush all the way on this bill and stops it cold. Giving illegal aliens legal status is only going to cause even more of them to flood across our borders to fill up our prisons, our schools, and leech off of our social services. Our government should be doing everything in its power to stop them instead of rewarding them for breaking our laws.

[Happy2BMe]

Jobs Americans Won't Do: Voodoo Economics from the White House.

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[international american]

"No, our immigration laws don't work or make us proud. You know why? Because we don't make an effort to enforce them. It's like telling your kid to clean his room, having him watch TV instead, and then having him look you in the eye and say, "you know the system we're using to get my room cleaned up just isn't working"."

Stop right there...NUFF SAID!!
Thanks, IA

[Ann Archy]

What, if anything, do you like that W has done? I do notice you sure carp about him a lot. Who did you vote for in 2000?

[RolandBurnam]

I think this is a master stroke... might win new mexico, arizona and give him a chance in caleeeforneea ... at least he is on offense!

[Guyin4Os]

I agree with the President's proposal. Our current immigration laws are unenforceable, unworkable, unrealistic and unreasonable. The President's proposal takes a positive first step in the direction of recognizing the reality that American businesses rely heavily on immigrant labor, while being fair to those laborers. It does not go as far as the Left-Wing wants in granting citizenship to illegal aliens. And it does not go as far as the right wingers want in deporting them all. But it is realistic, enforceable, workable and reasonable.

[Bernard Marx]

Bump.

[BunnySlippers]

Do you run the RightWingNews blog?

[Happy2BMe]

This is one of those "Don't shoot the messanger" posts.

Sorry, but it's what is being said by a hugh majority of conservatives as we speak.

Deny it if you must.

[kevao]

Are you against his having an opinion, or having an opinion contrary to Bush's? I like a lot of things Bush has done, especially regarding the war on terror. But I truly believe Bush's immigration policy is curtains for this country. Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong. But I damn well am going to oppose anything I believe will harm this country, whether its proposed by a Democrat or a Republican.

[sarcasm]

bttt

[BushisTheMan]

More power to you for opposing it if you feel strongly about it. However, those who refuse to vote or plan to write in Tancredo or worse are asking for many more worse problems than immigration.

Write your congressmen, write articles, make suggestions for improvement...no one is saying you cannot.

[Happy2BMe]

JOBS AMERICANS WONT' DO - PING!

[MissAmericanPie]

Yeah, on the offensive, burning down the nation.

[Delta-Tango]

Actually there WAS one thing more sickening than Bush's immigration proposal....listening to NeoCon Kool-Aide drinkers like Hugh Hewitt and Michael Medved telling us how brilliant it is, and ridiculing those of us who'd like to see existing law enforced. This story is a long way from over, and still a long way from November.

[international american]

" asking for many more worse problems than immigration.

In the next 20 years, you will withdraw this comment!

[MissAmericanPie]

"I agree with the President's proposal. Our current immigration laws are unenforceable, unworkable, unrealistic and unreasonable."

I'm going to have to ask you to be more detail specific and back up that claim. Name those laws and detail exactly how they are unenforceable, unworkable, unrealistic, and unreasonable.

[onedoug]

I agree.

[microgood]

I guess the problem for me is that it just creates a new type of non-citizen. There will still be millions that operate as they do now (that will ignore all these laws being proposed) and some which will move over into this new mode. Since they do not enforce the existing laws, what makes anyone think that the immigrants will follow or the government enforce, these new requirements.

I guess we really, really mean it this time.

[Blzbba]

'But I damn well am going to oppose anything I believe will harm this country, whether its proposed by a Democrat or a Republican.'


Amen. Principles over Party.

Too many people here seem to give Bush a blank-check/endorsement of anything the man does, simply because he's Republican or because he's "not Clinton". Meanwhile, Bush's increased gov't spending and size increases make him less & less of a fiscal conservative.