Outcry on Right Over Bush Plan on Immigration

The New York Times ^ | February 21, 2004 | RACHEL L. SWARNS

[endthematrix]

Lou Dobbs Tonight transcript aired February 20, 2004 - 18:00 ET

Well, my next guest says President Bush's plan to grant millions of illegal aliens legal status in this country is a blanket amnesty. Jim Oberweis is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from the state of Illinois, a Republican candidate, and joins us from Chicago.

Good to have you with us.

It is not often that we hear a Republican candidate criticizing a Republican president in his bid to win a primary election and go on for general election. Tell us why you made this decision.

JIM OBERWEIS (R), ILLINOIS SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: Well, Lou, I certainly support our president in most of the things that he's done. I think he has done a great job on the war on terror and a great job in homeland security. But I have to say what I believe. And this is an issue that I think is very serious. And his proposal to me looks just like a blanket amnesty in disguise. And I think that would be bad for America. So I have to say what I believe. And I believe it would be a mistake.

DOBBS: One of the things that might surprise many viewers is that this is -- that Illinois is home to an estimated half million illegal aliens, how is that problem being dealt with in Illinois? What are the solutions that are being currently offered and planned?

OBERWEIS: Well, I believe a half a million is approximately right. I believe Illinois is No. 4 in terms of illegal aliens in this country, roughly equal to the percentage of its population with most of the rest of the country. Chicago has kind of taken this idea of a sanctuary city where they are not going to enforce their laws.

I think we need to take strong action to make sure our laws are enforced. There's a bill that was floated in Congress last year called the Clear Act that I think would take some steps in the right direction. It would require cities to follow our laws and to enforce our laws. It would provide minimal funding for local law enforcement agencies to turn over people who are arrested for other crimes, murder, theft, burglary, to the INS for deportation. I think that's the minimum that we need to do.

DOBBS: And local law enforcement, many agencies, at least representatives of those agencies, have said they are concerned about being asked to effectively enforce what are national immigration laws. How do you respond to them?

OBERWEIS: Well, we ask our local law enforcement agencies to enforce many national laws. You know, laws against murder, for example are asked to be enforced as there are many other things. I think this is something that's absolutely necessary. Here we're only talking about cases where they have already arrested someone for a crime and we're asking them to then turn them over to the INS to be handled properly.

DOBBS: Jim, there is many made of the act that the border patrol has been beefed up, if you will, along the Mexican border, as well as the Canadian border. It is also in none of the proposals that I have seen a rigorous suggestion that employers of illegal aliens be penalized or punished or fined. What is your position on that?

OBERWEIS: If we are going to make this work, we have to put pressure on people who are employing them illegally. Increasing fines or at least increasing enforcement of our laws. Right now we've gone the other way. We have made it hard for companies who find out they have illegal aliens working for them to dismiss them. Because they are afraid of being sued for discrimination. That's wrong. We should have some type of opportunity so that if a company finds somebody has given them the wrong Social Security number two times or three times, so they are sure it's not a mistake, those employees should be dismissed.

DOBBS: Jim Oberweis, thank you for being with us.

[azhenfud]

"With his plan, Mr. Bush hopes to revamp an immigration system widely viewed as broken and to re-establish his credentials as a compassionate conservative — particularly with Hispanic and swing voters — at the start of an election year."

This statement is tantamount to not ever cranking a car parked in the driveway and just saying it's broken. We need to enforce our existing laws first, then we'll see just how broken they AREN'T....

[auntdot]

Thanks azhenfud, if we crack down on employers and make it essentially impossible for illegals to get work, there will be a voluntary exodus back to Mexico.

If we then start making local police responsible for checking the immigration status of those they arrest, and those caught driving without a license, the efflux will even be greater.

Beef up the immigration service and border patrol and even more illegals will leave and fewer will enter.

Teach those who might wish to enter our country illegally that they will be touching a hot stove, and I have a feeling illegal immigration will become far less of a problem.

[ImpBill]

OMG, Republicans taking issue with GW? Article being posted on FR? The self appointed Bbots and thought monitors won't be long in coming to this thread.

After all isn't it a sacrilege to criticize GW on FR?

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

"You've seen a lot of the Republican base has gotten all excited and all negative toward the president's proposal for the wrong reason," Mr. Chambliss said. "They really need to read what the president said. The president does not favor amnesty. He's been very clear on that."

Translation: We conservatives who are against Bush’s plan are stupid. We don't know how to read.

[DumpsterDiver]

"You've seen a lot of the Republican base has gotten all excited and all negative toward the president's proposal for the wrong reason," Mr. Chambliss said.

Maybe Mr. Chambliss could tell us what the right reason for getting "all excited and all negative" is.

[Trteamer]

Watch the Bbots flame over this:

I'm going to stand outside my state Republican convention wearing a Hillary mask with a big sign that says "I Love RINO's". Then I'm going to go in and vote!

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Chambliss’ s comments anger me. He doesn’t want to acknowledge that we can see through his and other politicians connivance. He is arrogantly condescending and tries to sidetrack us by referring to us as stupid and illiterate.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

connivance = connivances

[meenie]

Conniving denotes a greater intelligence than most are capable of. Let's just say the dum-dums don't understand the problem.

[KantianBurke]

"Mr. Bush has also promised to stiffen enforcement of immigration laws"

Why hasn't Dubya been doing since 9-11 in the first place? Nice to know the President indirectly acknowledges that our borders are in such shape terrorists can get through.

[swampfox98]

Nine conservative stalwarts, including David Keene, Paul Weyrich and Phyllis Schlafly, responded, "Everyone with any common sense knows that it will only encourage a new wave of illegal aliens."

Schlafly is right on. When President Bush gave this plan to the public, he didn't go far enough. He should have some kind of protected worker program, however he should have said the borders will be closed and soldiers put on the borders until we can deal with the massive influx of illegals already here. Had he done that, he would have had a lot of support from conservatives.

He didn't say he'd close the borders because he doesn't want to. He wants open borders and all the horror it entails for the American citizen.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Conniving denotes a greater intelligence than most are capable of. Let's just say the dum-dums don't understand the problem.

I stand corrected.

[tgslTakoma]

The plan has left the party divided, much like the growing deficit has. Some Republicans — backed by some Hispanic constituents — praise the president for trying to make it easier for businesses to employ illegal immigrants for low-wage jobs that Americans are reluctant to take.

Why do they always say this?

I'm just a working-class voter, but it seems to me that if businesses didn't have a bountiful supply of cheap, illegal workers, they would have to hire other folk to stay in business. We have a fairly large stock of unemployed Americans who want to work, as the media is always so loudly pointing out. So the businesses would have to raise the wages a bit to lure American workers, but their (and our) taxes would go down because we wouldn't be subsidizing the meals, medical care, education, housing and other costs of having been overrun by illegal workers!

Our borders could then be much better secured, our "entitlement costs" would be lowered, and we could be much closer to full employment of Americans. Makes sense to me.

[Ben Ficklin]

The Bush Plan is the best that you can get. Tancredo has already said that the immigration bill that comes out Congress will be worse than the Bush Plan.

The reality is that those that want to shoot down Bush, will be lending support to Daschale's plan. Have you read it?

[OXENinFLA]

Why is this NEVER brought up when this immigration topic is talked about?!!?

NOTE the date.

To Suspend Entry as Immigrants or Nonimmigrants of Persons Engaged in or Benefiting From Corruption By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation January 12, 2004

In light of the importance of legitimate and transparent public institutions to world stability, peace, and development, and the serious negative effects that corruption of public insti-tutions has on the United States efforts to promote security and to strengthen democratic institutions and free market systems, and in light of the importance to the United States and the international community of fighting corruption, as evidenced by the Third Global Forum on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity and other intergovernmental efforts, I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to take action to restrict the international travel and to suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of certain persons who have committed, participated in, or are beneficiaries of corruption in the performance of public functions where that corruption has serious adverse effects on international activity of U.S. businesses, U.S. foreign assistance goals, the security of the United States against transnational crime and terrorism, or the stability of democratic institutions and nations.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that the unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of persons described in section 1 of this proclamation would, except as provided in sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation, be detrimental to the interests of the United States.

I therefore hereby proclaim that:

Section 1. The entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of the following persons is hereby suspended:

(a) Public officials or former public officials whose solicitation or acceptance of any article of monetary value, or other benefit, in exchange for any act or omission in the performance of their public functions has or had serious adverse effects on the national interests of the United States.

(b) Persons whose provision of or offer to provide any article of monetary value or other benefit to any public official in exchange for any act or omission in the performance of such official's public functions has or had serious adverse effects on the national interests of the United States.

(c) Public officials or former public officials whose misappropriation of public funds or interference with the judicial, electoral, or other public processes has or had serious adverse effects on the national interests of the United States.

(d) The spouses, children, and dependent household members of persons described in paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) above, who are beneficiaries of any articles of monetary value or other benefits obtained by such persons.

Sec. 2. Section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply with respect to any person otherwise covered by section 1 where entry of the person into the United States would not be contrary to the interests of the United States.

Sec. 3. Persons covered by sections 1 and 2 of this proclamation shall be identified by the Secretary of State or the Secretary's designee, in his or her sole discretion, pursuant to such standards and procedures as the Secretary may establish.

Sec. 4. For purposes of this proclamation, "serious adverse effects on the national interests of the United States" means serious adverse effects on the international economic activity of U.S. businesses, U.S. foreign assistance goals, the security of the United States against transnational crime and terrorism, or the stability of democratic institutions and nations.

Sec. 5. Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to derogate from United States Government obligations under applicable international agreements.

Sec. 6. The Secretary of State shall have responsibility for implementing this proclamation pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary may, in the Secretary's discretion, establish.

Sec. 7. This proclamation is effective immediately.

Sec. 8. This proclamation is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party, against the United States, its departments, agencies, or other entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-eighth.

GEORGE W. BUSH

[tgslTakoma]

Good for you!

We need to make sure these politicians understand how upset we are about this issue (and others). As long as they don't feel the heat from the electorate, they will keep on being jellyfish.

[William Terrell]

Then where is Bush's plan distinguishable from an amnesty?

[Trteamer]

The RINO's need to be overcome. It's time to take our party back from the inside.

Lots of people have tried to lure me to the Libertarian Party, Constitution Party, and others. I won't go. I won't let my local coutry club party faithful control everything any more.

I'l go to my precinct caucus, smooze my way to the district caucus, and RINO my way do the state convention. Then I will have the chance to take a conservative stand.
Then I can give the RINO's a hard time and call them on the carpet for FORGETTING the core values of the Republican Party.

As for the illegals, just enforce the law. Round em up and ship em out. I guess it will take another 9-11 before anyone will get the guts to follow the law.