[Sabertooth]

In a letter addressed to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) and several other members of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus said they won't go along with the president's plan because it "does not address the problem appropriately."

"In fact, in our view, it will further exacerbate the problem and create discontent amongst the Republican Party," the letter said.

Jones, in a press release, said he and other lawmakers would consider alternative guest-worker legislation, as long as it does not reward lawbreakers with amnesty.

Although President Bush insists his proposal does not include amnesty, Jones said he thinks it does - because it would make illegal aliens who work in the U.S. for a number of years eligible for legal status and citizenship. That is de facto amnesty, Jones and the other lawmakers said in their letter.

"Since the President's speech, our offices have been inundated with calls from dismayed constituents expressing vehement opposition to the Administration's proposal," the "Dear Mr. Speaker" letter said.

"If we do not listen to our constituents on this matter, our influence and effectiveness in Congress could be jeopardized. Simply put, we cannot continue to allow our immigration laws to be violated and ignored -- and illegal aliens are by definition criminals."

According to the letter, President Bush's immigration proposal has left many conservatives "dismayed, angry and confused."

"Mr. Speaker, it is our hope that you will recognize the problems the Administration's proposal has created for our constituents," the letter says.

It notes that "respect for the rule of law is a core conservative value," and it urges the Republican leadership in the House to find a solution to America's immigration problem "that is more in line with the principles of our Party and our national traditions."

"Although President Bush insists his proposal does not include amnesty, Jones said he thinks it does - because it would make illegal aliens who work in the U.S. for a number of years eligible for legal status and citizenship. That is de facto amnesty,"

President Bush has kissed his credibility goodbye, where Illegal Aliens are concerned.

[sinkspur]

President Bush has kissed his credibility goodbye, where Illegal Aliens are concerned.

Plans are plans. They can be changed.

As I read Tancredo's plan, it differs from Bush's very little (times in the worker program and no amnesty). Is it acceptable to you?

[angkor]

it would make illegal aliens who work in the U.S. for a number of years eligible for legal status and citizenship. That is de facto amnesty,

No more so than an H1B visa makes one eligible for citizenship. It doesn't.

"Eligible for legal status" is a bit vague. The proposed "work visa" by definition offers "legal status", so I'm presuming he means "eligible for a permanent resident visa". But again, there's no reason that would be true, and it could be expressly written in legislation to prohibit any tie-in between this "work visa" and any other.

That said, I'm waiting for the WH to explain (a) how much it will cost to process 12 million new visas, (b) how they intend to deport the scofflaws who don't apply, (c) how they will make the INS ready to handle this 200 percent increase in workload, and (d) how they will do the above without affecting the 5 million *legal* immigrants now in the INS system.

Until they do that, assertions that these illegals won't go to the front of the line should be considered as outright lies (more properly stated, all *legal* immigrants will be forced to the back of the line).

[Lady Eileen]

bump

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

["Although President Bush insists his proposal does not include amnesty, Jones said he thinks it does - because it would make illegal aliens who work in the U.S. for a number of years eligible for legal status and citizenship. That is de facto amnesty,"]

President Bush has kissed his credibility goodbye, where Illegal Aliens are concerned.

Rush had some interesting comments recently regarding the Republican Party and the "youth (under 30) vote". In his premise, he stated that no Democrat has one an election in many (i forget the number) years without the youth vote. He then said that recent polling has revealed a substantial shift (of the youth vote) to the Republican Party following GW's election.

Field interviews determined that the main reason for their attraction to GW was his (paraphrasing) "saying what he thinks is right, and doing what he says".

Rush commented that, if the Republicans didn't screw it up, this infant attraction of the youth to the Republican Party could become a trend rather than an aberration.

IMO if the GW admin loses credibility by playing too much "election year politics", this surprising gain could be short-lived.

[Plutarch]

....it would make illegal aliens ...eligible for legal status and citizenship. That is de facto amnesty...

De facto Amnesty? Not even. That is what they have now. President Bush wants to make it de jure.

de fac·to: Exercising power or serving a function without being legally or officially established: a de facto government; a de facto nuclear storage facility.

de ju·re: According to law; by right.

[FITZ]

That is de facto amnesty

I doubt anyone is naive enough to think Vicente Fox was jumping up and down with joy, high-fiving his fellow elites because he anticipates any of his citizens would ever be coming back. He intends many more will be brought over, he wasn't shouting "we're going for more!!, we're going for more!!" for no reason.

[rwfromkansas]

I was not aware of this part; did not see it in any news articles about the proposal after he announced it.

If true, I am opposed to it now.

[MissAmericanPie]

"President Bush has kissed his credibility goodbye, where Illegal Aliens are concerned."

He lost his credibility for me when he surrounded himself with the heads of terrorists charity fronts demanding respect for their civil rights the night of 9-11 or 9-12. I tried to tell myself it was a mistake and sloppy impromtu planning on the part of his handlers, like the "Made in the USA" labels hurriedly slapped on imports from China during his speech at a factory.

But then came Ramadan at the "People's House", still with heads of terrorists charity fronts. I still have no idea why that did not upset more people than just me. Some say it's playing politics and diplomacy to reassure the Muslim world that we are not engaging in a crusade, which by all rights we should be.

Even if that were the case, I think it's going a little far to honor Allah during the Christmas season at the White House no less. It makes Clintons throwing gay's a dinner seem pretty mild by comparison. I felt it showed a total lack of compassion for his fellow countrymen still recovering from 9-11 to celebrate those responsible and give them a landmark celebration in the nations landmark Presidential mansion.

[JustPiper]

"Although President Bush insists his proposal does not include amnesty, Jones said he thinks it does - because it would make illegal aliens who work in the U.S. for a number of years eligible for legal status and citizenship. That is de facto amnesty," President Bush has kissed his credibility goodbye, where Illegal Aliens are concerned.

BTTT my friend!!!

[chatham]

Bush has seriously destroyed his own credibility and I am extremely happy to see republican congressmen standing up to him.
No Illegal Alien breaking the laws of the U.S.A. should ever be allowed to become a citizen.

[steve8714]

Remember that we are not talking only about Mexicans when we say illegals, although they provide the volume. Nice cover for Cuban agents and terrorists to come in. This is why we need BOTH borders secured.
I would support a guest program of small scale after current illegals are all deported. This includes to Ireland, Poland, Vietnam, China, Haiti, Pakistan et al...