For the life of me, I can't figure out what GW is trying to do in terms of a political rationale with this amnesty proposal. It's pretty clearly not the "right thing" to do otherwise, since it undermines the rule of law, breaks faith with the American people and their will concerning immigration, undercuts wages for American workers, puts massive new strains on our social services, and introduces social, cultural, ethnic and linguistic tensions in our nation.
He's not going to pick up any votes in any non-Hispanic voting bloc, because they either don't care about the illegal issue, or they are concerned enough about it that Bush would lose votes among these blocs, such as blacks and Asian Americans (here in California, Vietnamese Americans are in the forefront of efforts to make sure illegals don't get driver licenses).
He's not going to net any votes from Hispanics, because like the rest of the population, the ones who like the idea of amnesty don't think Bush's plan goes far enough, and those Hispanics who oppose illegal amnesty (oh, yes, there are plenty of them) won't vote for Bush over amnesty.
Then there all of us who care enough about the issue that we can't in good conscience vote for a man who makes such a nation-killing proposal, as ready as many of us were to vote for him before January 7 (I was). Does he really think he can do without us? According to this article, the answer is "yes."
So why the heck did he do it?
Under current law, there is little judicial or political cover to do the things that many of you have suggested.
His proposal would back door that cover in. He did not say that, but he did not have to.
The deportation rate will never match or exceed the rate that they are comming in or overstaying their visas.
Current law does no favors to the enforcement people so they can do their jobs.
If they tried, (and they do) the media and the courts would stop them as they are doing now.
Just my 2 cents for what it is worth.
Personally, I think its to wipe out that pesky middle class. Its a thorn in the side of fine elitist power structures the world over.