Posted on 08/21/2004 9:04:20 PM PDT by ETERNAL WARMING
(08-21) 15:55 PDT MEXICO CITY (AP) --
President Bush's nephew, campaigning for overseas votes in Mexico on Saturday, called the federal policy of arming U.S. Border Patrol agents with plastic pellet guns "reprehensible."
Speaking in a mix of English and sometimes-halting Spanish, George P. Bush said his uncle was not to blame for the gun policy, which has angered Mexicans. He instead blamed it on "some local INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) guy who's trying to be tough, act macho."
"If there has been American approval for this policy, that is reprehensible," Bush said of the guns, essentially paintball projectiles filled with chile powder. "It's kind of barbarous."
The pellet guns, which were approved at the federal level, have been used on a trial basis since 2001 in California and Arizona. The U.S. Border Patrol fired the pepper-balls in 81 instances in 2002-03 and reported no deaths or severe injuries.
President Bush's Hispanic nephew -- he's the grandson of migrant worker Jose Maria Garnica -- is in Mexico on a week-long visit to drum up support for his uncle among the estimated 1 million Americans living there.
The younger Bush, whose father is Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and mother, Columba, is originally from Mexico, acknowledged at a news conference that the war in Iraq is not popular in Mexico but defended the military action, saying "we're almost done with it."
He also acknowledged that "there are some people in our (Republican) party who don't see the benefits of immigration," but promised that President Bush was a proponent of immigration reform.
He called Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez "a dictator" and cast doubt on his victory last week in a recall referendum, saying Chavez had "a long history of fraud." Outside observers, including former President Jimmy Carter, have endorsed the Venezuelan vote counts.
Christopher Fussner, global chairman of Republicans Abroad, which funded Bush's trip, called Mexico "the most important country" for getting overseas votes.
Fussner said Republicans are advertising in overseas English-language newspapers around the world in hopes of capturing expatriate votes.
Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's campaign also has enlisted family members to woo voters in Mexico. His sister, Diana Kerry, chairwoman of Americans Overseas for Kerry, visited Mexico City in July.
Kerry supporters also held a voter-registration and ballot-request drive in Guadalajara on Thursday.
Si.
When guns are against the law, only outlaws will have guns, right? What part of the second amendment does this poseur not understand? The whole point is that we can defend ourselves and our communities against foreign and domestic enemies, tyrannical leaders who might seize power by coup or junta, and defend our own persons and families against criminals. Russian generals have been quoted as saying that the Soviet union never made serious plans to invade us because they knew how well armed we were! The AWB has got to go. Senator Frist has made it clear that he gets it. All I'm asking is that the Republican party unite on this issue. Frist is setting the example...
It is the right of any American citizen to live where he or she may desire to live, and still be an American citizen.
They can work overseas with US or foreign firms, or they can be stationed overseas with the US military.
You should really give some thought to your responses.
Get real - a temp job (1-2 years) or miltary is OBVIOUSLY not in discussion here. These people WANT to live in the USA.
I am speaking of the "Americans" who have decided they do not want to live here but instead move to a different country to live - permanently!
Can George P. not find a job and so he is being employed by his uncle's campaign? His daddy, Jeb, should tell him to come home before he does more damage. Young people who haven't any experience living in the real world should NOT be given a campaign forum to display their ignorance. He should be put in charge of licking envelopes and distributing yard signs. His performance will gain NO votes for W in Mexico and will cost him many votes in border states spouting rubbish like this. Bring him home, Karl. He's obviously not ready for prime time.
Would it be hoping for too much that when the little s o b tries to come back to the USA the border guards don't let him back in???
And the problem with that is?
If you believe in freedom, then you can't possibly believe in punishing those who take free action and live elsewhere.
By the way, they are, in spite of your belief otherwise, Americans...without the quotation marks.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
I'm sorry but IGNORANT is thinking that those who have pulled up and moved overseas care one whit what goes on except for maybe their money.
They are not thinking of the folks back home, they don't care about the crime in their home town - they don't live there anymore.
OUT of SIGHT is OUT of MIND - and that is how these "expatriates" truly feel. THEY are the ignorant ones when it comes to what is happening inside our borders. If you think they know more, than you are the really ignorant one that you do not watch, hear, and think.
Now if you want more ignorant voters, then fine - that is your perogative to want more ignorance in politics - the communists would love that.
What blasphemy? I'm confused.
No it's not. "Invasion" is typical of the words used by the Buchanan/Tancredo group to inflame inflame the emotions of xenophobes.
You're being played and apparently don't even realize it.
The rate of immigrant labor influx is determined by the demand for their services. If they can't find work here they return to their country.
But we determine whether we want them to stay based upon our demand for their services. That is not an invasion.
If you want to make this election a referendum on immigration then you have already lost, regardless of who wins.
Illegal aliens pose a great threat to us. The border guards should be armed with more powerful weapons and we should have our military helping to protect our borders.
The biggest danger to this country comes from the invasion of terrorists and other dangerous criminals across our borders (and also through legal immigration).
BTW Northern Virginia, for example, is already inundated with violent gangs composed of illegal aliens and legal immigrants.
Yeah, and they haven't done a blessed THING about the Shai-Hulud menace OR the constant threat from the House Harkonnen...
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!
To quote another well-liked science fiction novel, "Put your analyst on danger money, Baby."
Dude, read all of Atossa's posts. Your confusion results from dealing with someone who's a few french fries shy of a Happy Meal.
Give me a break. I hadn't even heard of Tancredo when I started calling it an invasion. I live in Kaliforniastan, dude. You should really try to make better points than these. Sell us on why we need all of this immigration. What does it do for Americans? What does it do for our future? Why do we want to be transformed? The recent crop has its roots in 1956 and 1964 civil rights legislation.
People actually thought that our self-inflicted diversity wasn't enough, and we ought to take it up a couple of notches. I don't think it's working.
Suit yourself. Advocate what you want. But you haven't changed my mind, and certainly your critiques of my motivations are having no positive effects at all. I don't think you're persuading many other FReepers, either.
I was just hoping for some entertainment value...
The younger Bush, whose father is Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and mother, Columba, is originally from Mexico
Funny, you never hear the President or his nephew complain and voice their outrage over the millions of criminals that are invading our country, routinely bringing in *tons* of drugs, murderers, rapist, robbers, while millions of others choke off our social services, schools, jobs, jails, leaving thousand of American victims in their criminal wake.
While government points a gun to the head of American citizens demanding we pay for all this chaos.
How come we never hear this little sawed off brat complain about all this? Why is that?
I think it's clear where his allegiance is.
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