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It seems to me, as I've suggested elsewhere, that Bush may be trying to use a little strategery here. Illegal aliens currently have a competitive advantage in the workplace because they can be relied upon not to squeal on employers who violate labor laws. Bush is saying people can come here and stay legally iff they can show that they have an employer who's willing to go on record as hiring them. But employers who intend to skirt labor laws aren't going to do so with an employee of record.

So now what will happen will be that the undocumented workers will split into two classes: (1) those who would be able to show that they have a job lined up, but who have no competitive advantage over citizens or permanent residents, or (2) those who aren't willing to show that they have a job lined up. Having made the first option available may make it politically much easier to deport people of the second group.

Bush is saying people can come here and stay legally iff they can show that they have an employer who's willing to go on record as hiring them. But employers who intend to skirt labor laws aren't going to do so with an employee of record.

I know what you're trying to say, but, with regard to current illegal aliens, you have your tenses wrong. Bush is saying that people who have come here illegally can stay legally if they can show they have been working here illegally.

BTW, the Ms. Spellings who is identified as a spokesperson for the Bush administration in the Cato Institute video referenced above admitted they "have no idea" of how many current illegals are currently employed. They also do not have an accurate count on how many illegals are in the country, so how can the success of this registration plan be quantified? Will the plan will be declared a success when an unknown percentage of the unknown number registers?

Having made the first option available may make it politically much easier to deport people of the second group.

Unfortunately, there has been no mention, in any spoken or written material from the administration or its spokespersons, of any form of punishment/deportation for those who do not register under this plan. It is apparently not politically correct to discuss what they would do illegals who refuse to register if this plan went into affect, but, again, if there is an unknown number, then they won't know how many didn't register.

This plan really does get pretty inedible when you look under the political whipped cream topping...