Posted on 03/04/2004 7:20:46 AM PST by upchuck
Kerry on the Record: Amnesty is OK
Dave Eberhart, Newsmax.com[More Kerry on the Record: Intelligence, Defense, Taxes, Abortion, POW/MIA, Gay Marriage]
Thursday, Mar. 04, 2004
Putative Democratic candidate for president, Sen. John Forbes Kerry, D-Mass., is not afraid of the charged “amnesty” word when it comes to his stated policies on undocumented immigrants.
Despite amnesty’s nettlesome connotation as being synonymous with “rewarding persons who have engaged in illegal activity,” Kerry told the world at the Albuquerque, New Mexico Democratic Primary debate:
“I supported and was prepared to vote for amnesty from 1986. And it is essential to have immigration reform. Anyone who has been in this country for five or six years, who’s paid their taxes, who has stayed out of trouble, ought to be able to translate into an American citizenship immediately, not waiting.”
After a period of time, however, the dreaded “amnesty” word worked its way out of the Kerry lexicon on the subject. In its place -- the more refined and neater: “earned legalization”:
“I support an earned legalization proposal that will allow undocumented immigrants to legalize their status if they have been in the United States for a certain amount of time, have been working, and can pass a background check. This makes sense for the economy, provides fairness to people in our communities who have worked hard and paid taxes, and will also allow us to strengthen our homeland security by bringing undocumented workers out of the shadows.”
In any event, the Kerry rhetoric seemed to hit the right note. The Cesar Chavez-founded United Farm Workers endorsed Sen. Kerry for President. UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez gave Kerry ringing praise in the official announcement:
“[T]he United Farm Workers proudly supports Senator John Kerry for President because he shares our vision of helping Latinos and all people achieve the decent life America promises those who work hard for a living….
“We trust Senator Kerry because of his long history with us, from participating in the grape boycott during the mid-1970s to supporting the right of California strawberry workers to organize in the late 1990s.
“Most recently, we have worked with Senator Kerry on bipartisan legislation dealing fairly with the immigration dilemma facing immigrant workers, their families and employers -- the AgJobs bill, S. 1645, that John Kerry co-sponsors along with 50 other U.S. senators from both parties….”
Despite having earned the key Chavez imprimatur, Kerry has not always been the Johnny-on-the-spot migrant worker’s best friend and savior.
In 1998, for instance, Kerry voted against the creation of a national registry containing names of U.S. workers who want to perform temporary or seasonal agricultural work, and to require the Attorney General to allow more foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work under H-2A visas.
Also in 1998, Kerry voted down an expanded Visa program for skilled workers.
In 1997, Kerry voted against an amendment that would have restored food stamp benefits to the children of legal immigrants.
But such momentary lapses can apparently be forgiven by the Chavez camp as Sen. Kerry is, indeed, a co-sponsor of S. 1645, the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003.
This bill would create a guest-worker program that leads to amnesty for certain agricultural workers. The potential recipients of the amnesty will be required to prove 100 days of agricultural employment in the 18-month period that ended Aug. 31, 2003. Then, prior to receiving amnesty, workers would have to show 360 days of additional farm work over the next six years.
In 2002, Sen. Kerry voted for S.2045, the Abraham foreign worker bill to nearly triple the number of foreign high-tech workers. The bill passed the Senate 96-1 despite its arrival on the heels of the release of a special Government Accounting Office report finding.
Although he went with the herd in 2002, four years before in 1998, Kerry voted against S.1723, which passed the Senate 72-20. Enacted into law, it increased by nearly 150,000 the number of foreign workers that high-tech American companies could hire over the next three years.
In the case of S.1723, Kerry agreed with those who argued that the foreign workers were not needed -- while U.S. firms were laying-off tens-of-thousands of American workers.
As to Kerry’s opinion of the President’s proposed program: “We need comprehensive immigration reform; you can’t do just one piece. The president’s plan is a fraudulent plan. It’s fundamentally a plan for cheap labor.”
Harsh labels aside, Kerry finds himself bucking a President who is touting a plan that does not feature any sort of classic amnesty:
“I oppose amnesty -- placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship,” Bush said, when announcing his own proposal. “Granting amnesty encourages the violation of our laws and perpetuates illegal immigration. America’s a welcoming country. But citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America.”
Bush, among other things, wants to up the number of “green” cards that allow immigrants to work lawfully in the U.S. Currently about 140,000 “green cards” are issued each year to people wanting to migrate to the United States.
Under the Bush plan illegal immigrants already in the United States can only apply for the temporary worker program if they already have a job. The special status would last for three years and could be renewed once, for a total stay of six years. If temporary workers failed to stay employed or broke the law, they would be sent home.
Pundits say that the Bush plan is likely to pass muster in the Congress.
He has bit his lip in pain! I know it will not come in a vebal form, but it is obvious to me that he has been hit.
keep telling myself that......
Nope, I was actually a member of SAE. Both you guys missed the point. The Skull and Bones thing was meant to imply that I don't see much difference between the two candidates WRT the issues I care about.
You need to update your prescription and drop the rose tint.
If you can't see the difference between President Bush and Kerry, either you haven't looked at each man, or you don't want to see the massive differences. Either way,your statements are laughably naive and erroneous.
?As I said, FOR ME there isn't a measurable difference. Bush wants amnesty, so does Kerry. Bush thinks high wages are a threat to the American economy, Kerry would destroy the economy subsiduzing/mandating higher wages. Where is the difference in the end? Neither of these guys has much in the way toward solutions to problems. Sure, Kerry is a liberal and Bush is a moral conservative, that's a difference, but not a difference that means anything to me. Don't worry about my vote, Orange County can't even do it right with electronic ballots.
Okay, when has the president said that he is against high wages and that they are a " threat to the American economy "? Do you know how stupid that remark of your's is,BTW?
Kerry would raise taxes,put ultra lefties up as judges to All COURTS,hand over our sovereignty to the UN,do less than nothing about N.Korea, take us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, treat terrorism like Clinton did the first bombing of the WTC and that's just for starters.
You see no difference between the president and Kerry, because you refuse to look at them, with an unbiased, unblinkered view. You're a fraud, a political naif, and worse.
Though there are some intelligent California FREEPERS,you prove Woody Allen's quip about people living there. ;^)
Gotcha. I haven't looked at any other parties since the last election. I prefer what the Republican party used to stand for. I think the unilateral free traders and the tax-cut and spenders need to move to the back of the room.Okay, when has the president said that he is against high wages and that they are a " threat to the American economy "? Do you know how stupid that remark of your's is,BTW?
Actually it is quite insightful. The President has never said this directly, but he has also never said that outsourcing is good. One of his aides did though, and they had to shut him up for being honest. Greenspan often talks about rising wages driving up inflation. Bush is an admitted supply sider, and that obviously extends to labor supply. A rising supply of labor WRT the number of jobs will drive down wages, basic supply and demand. If you can't infer that Bush believes we will be better off expanding our labor maaket to the entire world through legal and illegal immigration, free trade, and outsourcing even though there is now way that these policies will not drive down wages (simple labor supply and demand again) then I would have to question your deducing skills.Kerry would raise taxes,put ultra lefties up as judges to All COURTS,hand over our sovereignty to the UN,do less than nothing about N.Korea, take us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, treat terrorism like Clinton did the first bombing of the WTC and that's just for starters.
As if the Senate has nothing to do with placing judges? The UN? Didn't Bush just make them relevant again? Kerry isn't going to pull anything out of the middle east. Jeez we still have troops in Europe. 9/11 was all about lax immigration, no difference here between Bush and Kerry.You see no difference between the president and Kerry, because you refuse to look at them, with an unbiased, unblinkered view. You're a fraud, a political naif, and worse.
One more time - FOR METhough there are some intelligent California FREEPERS,you prove Woody Allen's quip about people living there. ;^)
Quoting Woody Allen, that says a lot.
By your lights, Ronald Reagan was a terrible president and someone who was no different from a Dem. He gave BLANKET AMNESTY to illegals, was a free trader, a supply-sider,cut taxes ( WHAT....you're against cutting taxes? ),and a neo-con to boot.
Nope, you didn't " get me " at all. Malcontents are fringers too, pet.
There isn't a thing that a president can or should do about outsourcing. Go whinge someplace else and to someone who cares.
9/11 was about "lax immigration" ? You really ARE nuts;not to mention a simpleton !
There is absolutely NO point, whatsoever, in continuing this discussion.You're so far off the edge,that even the lurkers won't believe your posts...so there's no good reason to refute you. LOL
I love you...
but my wife will not let me leave. She is the mother of my child and a dog lover....I can only offer cheap sex...
actually the sex has never been cheap for me so...
don't trust her.
Great post as always nopardons.
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