[Tamzee]

What do you call a politician who stubbornly squanders votes away, which is the same as giving them to Kerry?

I say he must have a damn good reason to be taking such a great political risk. I've given this a great deal of thought and it seems to me as if Bush's primary reason for taking such a gamble even despite the loud screams of protest is because he honestly feels it is important for national security. He has been fighting like crazy to have terrorist cells identified WITHIN our country and to keep the rest of Al Quaeda OUT. That will be more feasible if the amount that are unregistered here is cut down significantly and if the numbers trying to sneak in illegally are cut down also.

I can see points in the argument that his proposal is the best way to accomplish this in a cost-effective manner. If all the information he has at his fingertips leads him to believe this proposal is necessary for our country, I will look at it very carefully and I'll wait and see how details are fleshed out before I yank my support for his re-election.

[Sabertooth]

I say he must have a damn good reason to be taking such a great political risk. I've given this a great deal of thought and it seems to me as if Bush's primary reason for taking such a gamble even despite the loud screams of protest is because he honestly feels it is important for national security. He has been fighting like crazy to have terrorist cells identified WITHIN our country and to keep the rest of Al Quaeda OUT. That will be more feasible if the amount that are unregistered here is cut down significantly and if the numbers trying to sneak in illegally are cut down also.

There's a problem with this theory:

For the first time since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, American and Mexican Cabinet officials will meet today in Washington to resume talks on one of the most critical issues facing U.S.-Mexico relations: immigration reform.

Few believe that the new round of talks will approach the scope or enthusiasm of the dialogue that began with Mexican President Vicente Fox and President George W. Bush just days before terrorists hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

< -snip- >

In his talks with Fox before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Bush made clear his support for the creation of a guest-worker program while remaining opposed to blanket amnesty. That dialogue "transformed the immigration debate from how do we repress it to how do we regulate it," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum.
U.S.-Mexico immigration talks resume
Jessie Mangaliman - 11/12/03 - The San Jose Mercury News

President Bush has always wanted Amnesty, and has always said he didn't.

I can see points in the argument that his proposal is the best way to accomplish this in a cost-effective manner. If all the information he has at his fingertips leads him to believe this proposal is necessary for our country, I will look at it very carefully and I'll wait and see how details are fleshed out before I yank my support for his re-election.

I'm not trying to talk you into yanking your support for his reelection.

I support his reelection.

What I'm trying to do is convey that the risk to the President's reelection is there, though moderate at this point, as a result of the anger at his proposal to Amnesty Illegal Aliens. The danger is higher to Republicans downticket if the President is reelected with lower than desired turnout. That affects every other aspect of the GOP agenda: judges; taxes, the WoT, abortion, etc.

All of this is being put at risk for the sake of the President's desire to reward the behavior of lawbreakers, againt the desires of most Americans and most Republicans.

On this issue, the President is the problem.