Bush's immigration plan hurts re-election war chest

The Washington Times ^ | January 16, 2004 | Bill Sammon

[Anti-Bubba182]

President Bush's immigration initiative has angered conservative Republicans so much that some are refusing to donate to his re-election campaign, according to a Bush fund-raiser in Georgia.

Phil Kent, a member of the host committee for a Bush fund-raiser in Atlanta yesterday, said he was told by several would-be donors that they would not attend the $2,000-per-person event because of the president's announcement last week on immigration reform.

[alwaysconservative]

I don't get the grousing. The President proposes a plan (like immigration reform or [gag] Hillary's health care), and CONGRESS has to debate it and drive it. This proposal gives MANY conservatives the opportunity to get to the right of President Bush and be in accord with the American people. Personally, I think it was pretty selfless for him to take the heat so that other conservatives can stand on principle and look good. But, that's just my opinion, since I don't see Congress letting this go anywhere.

[Ben Ficklin]

"Opponants of the plan, he said, 'are either misinformed or uninformed' ".

The main reason this is being proposed is to enhance homeland security.

Either you are being duped by the agenda drivers or else you are a agenda driver?

[Phaedrus]

Bump ...

[GWB00]

You don't really know how much he's lost on this, or is going to lose, do you!

No we really do not know how much he is going to lose but I believe that it will be minimal. Yes, Bill Clinton received donations from "foreign" contributors, but his core contributors still donated to a record amount of money despite their outrage at Bill Clinton for signing a Welfare Reform bill. The same will happen with Bush.

If you are a small businessman and you saw the economic havoc 9/11 rained on your business, you would send the maximum amount to re-elect Bush to prevent a Howard Dean, or General Jell-O from putting our security in the hands of the UN.

[cyborg]

Maybe I'll say you're a bit doom and gloom but not racist, I don't know you that well. I do not believe he should legalize illegal aliens. He should stop kissing Fox's butt too. However, some people want to lump ALL immigrants into this situation in the 'name of preserving' American culture as if they even know what American culture is.

[Owen]

Has anyone proven that the ratio of Border Patrol arrests to attempted illegal border crossings is a number that is lower for Bush than his predecessors? Until the anti Bush people produce that statistical evidence, how can they prove Bush is doing a less effective job of border patrolling than predecessors?

[FITZ]

The main reason this is being proposed is to enhance homeland security.

But it doesn't say how homeland security will be enhanced by giving 8 to 20 million people a blue card that lets them come and go across the border as they please, blue cards which can be sold like they sell the green cards (and then report them stolen), and it doesn't say anything about enforcing the border --- which they claim cannot be controlled now --- what changes to make it more enforceable after the blue card? Illegals will still come over in the same spots they're coming over now, employers wanting the cheapest labor costs possible will still have those same reasons.

[FITZ]

I don't know about the numbers but overall I think more immigrants from Mexico are coming over as conditions worsen in that country. Skyrocketing crime rates and crimes like kidnappings for ransom alone would send out a lot --- besides the constant inflation and increasing poverty.

Our current policies are not helping Mexico in the least.

[Cubs Fan]

I used to contribute often to the RNC. But since seeing the utter incompetence of the Frist leadership and then the Medicare spending debacle topped off with legalizing the illegals. I no longer contribute because I am no longer represented. Yes, I will probably vote for Bush next november because the war on terror is not something that can be trusted to any democrat. But I will not contribute another penny until my interests are better represented.

[DoctorMichael]

Bump.

[daviddennis]

If they use your SS number, doesn't that mean you become entitled to benefits thanks to their work?

That sounds like it's a good thing for you, not a bad one.

D

[freeangel]

What would the big donors have to lose? It is they who will benefit by being able to hire illegals and drive wages downward either by offering minmum wages if they choose to register or less if if they choose to remain unregistered) I thought the Republicans were always very proud that the majority of their donations had come from smaller donations from the people on the street, if you will. If the poll at FR and other national polls are the least bit indicitive of the mood of the man on the street right now regarding immigration, donations could be seriously lagging at a time when the 2004 election will need help to keep the GOP strong.

[varon]

"giving legal status to illegal aliens"

That isn't what Bush's plan would do.

If it isn't giving legal status then it's giving them immunity from prosecution and deportation.

It would be same as if I robbed a bank, instead of prosecuting me for bank robbery, my action would be recorded as having taken out a loan or caused an account ovedraft...............

[Redbob]

Send checks to GOP congressional candidates instead.

The time has come for us to stop supporting a President who quite obviously feels he can take conservatives for granted.

[af_vet_rr]

Actually the time has come for us to vote everybody that is in office today, out of office, and get new blood in there. Almost everybody that's been in a few terms has lost touch with you and I and are only concerned about getting elected again and again and again.

[Ben Ficklin]

Two things:

If the border patrol is not chasing illegals, they will devote more time and money to pursue potential terrorists.

A guest worker program will put the coyotes out of business. It is most likely that the terrorists would hire a coyote to bring them in.

[FITZ]

They're not doing much chasing now --- but I still don't see how this helps at all. The border will be just as porous --- or even more so when millions more decide to move on over and wait for their blue cards or their orange cards, yellow cards, gray cards.

[FITZ]

And how does it put coyotes out of business? Employers who ignore the guest worker programs we have in place now will just as likely ignore the blue card program. Why will they pay minimum wage and benefits if they can pay cheaper? Illegals who don't feel like getting background checks and waiting for a job will just come over the old-fashioned way. I see nothing in the proposals to stop any of this. There were legal routes and guest worker programs already in place that are largely ignored by those who don't feel like messing with them.

[Ben Ficklin]

Immigration Reform Key to Border Security

Caution Alert: this an article from Americas Policy so you have to wade thru a fair amount "crap", but their facts, stats, and other infos are very reliable.

[mdmathis6]

That's why we have a "checks and balances" built into our governmental system, the president can make a proposal, but only congress can vote on it. As it stands now, conress doesn't look like it's going to move any-time soon on the issue.