Bush, Fox, promote plan to ease immigration laws

Knight Ridder Newspapers ^ | 6 March 2004 | Ron Hutcheson

[JackelopeBreeder]

Crawford, Texas - President Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox joined forces Saturday to promote Bush's plan for easing immigration laws, as Bush acknowledged that the proposal faces a tough time in Congress.

Standing side-by-side in bright sunshine at Bush's Texas ranch, the two leaders said Bush's plan for a new temporary worker program would help both countries by eliminating the underground market for Mexican workers. The proposal would let an estimated 8 million workers who are in the United States illegally gain legal status as guest workers.

"The people who come to this country make a significant contribution to the American economy," Fox told reporters.

Bush's plan, announced in January, has raised expectations in Mexico and among illegal workers in this country, but it has little chance of passing Congress this year. Republican critics say the proposal would reward illegal immigrants; Democrats complain that it does not do enough to help foreign workers become U.S. citizens.

[Iberian]

This divisive issue is going to take precedent over others such as the target... Ketchup Boy, Gays and the Pajama Patrol that hates us??? comme on.!!!
We are divided on this issue amongst us and that is too bad, because we need immigrants like we always had.
Remenber 9/11, remember before??

[dougherty]

That's it. I had made up my mind to go ahead and vote for Jorge, but not now. I'll either stay home or write in Tancredo. Bush just gave American citizens the finger, I'll give it right back to him come November.

[navyblue]

"The problem is that too often, supporters of illegal immigration will neatly cast those of us who oppose illegal immigration as "racist" and anti-Mexican when in fact the REAL racists are the anti-Americans on the other side of the fence."

I hear ya. (Mis-communication)

[txdoda]

Meanwhile, my leader and president will find real solutions to real problems, as he always does.>>>>>>>


LOL.......See if GWB *ever* found a solution for the real problem of the 500K Mex-Americans in So. TX who live daily without running water & sewer.

He never solved this problem as their governor or as their president.

[Columbine]

Maybe next time we get a pubbie in office, they might worry more about America than Mexico!

Yes! This will work really well just like it did in '92 won't it?

Boy that Ross Perot sure taught the Pubbies a lesson didn't he?

Some people are dumber than rocks.

[janetgreen]

It doesn't work like that, nothing works like that.

Write the lady and ask the same question I did. Apparently it DOES work like that. Good deal for illegal aliens, very unfair deal for American taxpayers/citizens.

[madison10]

Is President Bush purposely trying to throw the election, or what? I do not understand this move at all. Am I missing some sort of secret plan?

[navyblue]

"Remember that the people that bring you Fresh fruit and Almonds and lettuce and all of other things can not be replaced, not at this time."

Were you not around thirty years ago? America did very well and did not starve before this illegal horde arrived and it would survive again without them!

[garandgal]

Remember that the people that bring you Fresh fruit and Almonds and lettuce and all of other things can not be replaced, not at this time.

Perhaps you haven't lived in this country very long? We have always had plenty of fresh fruit and lettuce...Mexicans don't have a special gift for picking them. I've seen you attempt to make this point on other threads...and it is, frankly, stupid.

Oh, and to head you off at the pass...lettuce wasn't $8 then, either.

[JackelopeBreeder]

Hardly. They would have stayed and fought if they hadn't been caught and deported. Many of the males sneaked back home to carry on the fight -- and Ireland now has home rule.

Running away is the wuss option.

Unfortunately, it seems most male Mexicans have chosen the wuss option instead of fighting to make their homeland better. I find myself wondering how long it took for all of them to learn how to squat to pee. (I've asked that question many times with highly amusing results -- it will liven up a boring barroom.)

After all, Mexico now ranks somewhere between #9 and #15 as far as national economies go, depending on what index you use. Why is 40% of their population living in abject poverty? Why are we acting as the safety valve (and bill payer) for their internal social problems?

[Indie]

You forgot the BARF alert.

[navyblue]

Besides... NOBODY wants to run for office as the ONLY President who ordered mass deportations of illegals immigrants. He will NEVER be re-elected.

Excuse me Jorge! Eisenhower did! Okay, so he only deported five million. This time it will take a little longer. But at least he had the huevos to do it!

[janetgreen]

The BARF alert is reserved for George Bush and his cowardly cohorts who want open borders when the American people are saying NO.

[madison10]

Maybe we're going to make them the 51t state someday soon?

The donation a few days ago to the RNC may have been my last, unless there is some logical reason for the cave-in by the President.

[Jorge]

Illegal immigration is a SINGLE issue ???? LOL Jobs, Housing, TAXES, Education, Welfare, Crime, LANGUAGE, Homeland Security, Medical costs, Human smuggling, Drug smuggling......
(& I probably missed a few issues of this so-called *single issue*)

Since when are are "jobs", "housing", "taxes", "education", "welfare", "crime", "homeland security", "medical costs", "drugs" etc etc unique to the issue of illegal immigration?

Perhaps you would like all Americans who abuse drugs, are on welfare, don't pay their taxes, are costing us in medical insurance to all be deported?

Anybody can come up with an endless list of spin-off entangled complications for any issue in order to claim that it is not a 'single issue'.

[Joe Hadenuf]

All other issues pale in comparison. Our culture, language and people are being displaced in our own country. I can't even hold my nose and vote for Bush any more. This is a tragic situation. Large swaths of Houston look like third world enclaves.

There is no larger, more dangerous issue facing our country.

[janetgreen]

Americans who abuse drugs, are on welfare, don't pay their taxes, are costing us in medical insurance

You answered your own question. There are already enough bloodsuckers in America without importing 15 million more of them. Don't you get it?

[madison10]

51t=51st

...or maybe it doesn't matter about immigration on those border states because President may lose those states anyway?

[pending]

California
New mexico
Arizona
Texas
Election year


Think
Supreme Court.

Think
John Kerry.

keep the faith., those folks need us a heck of a lot more than we need them. Handle it with grace, and open arms.

Hows the Big D gonna paint KKK on us now?

Kind words are free.

[dougherty]

Large swaths of Houston look like third world enclaves.

Ain't that the truth.