Posted on 09/05/2004 5:01:49 AM PDT by MikeJ75
Question: Since announcing his proposal for immigration reform and a guest-worker program for Mexican immigrants in January, President Bush has reportedly done little to advance the proposal. Why has Bush not made a greater effort to push immigration reform?
Answer from Robert Leiken, the director of the Immigration and National Security Program at The Nixon Center: The Bush administration encountered a lot of resistance to its immigration proposal within the Republican base, which it doesn't want to alienate. At the same time, they have made this decorative proposal which they're able to trot out when speaking to Latino audiences. So in a sense they're getting the best of both worlds. They're not jeopardizing their political base and at the same time they can appeal to Latinos. I don't think anything is going to happen until after the election.
From George W. Grayson, a member of the Advisor board and a professor of government at The College of William & Mary: President Bush will not push for immigration reform before the election. Several reasons explain his stand. First, public opinion is strongly against increasing immigration. Second, the incumbent's base vehemently opposes legislation that would reward men and women who have broken the law by entering this country illegally. Third, additional immigration could drive up unemployment. Fourth, amnesties for illegal aliens only encourage more people to sneak into this country in hopes that there will be yet one more amnesty. Finally, a porous border with Mexico combined with a virtually open Mexican-Guatemalan frontier provides an 'Open, Sesame' for terrorists. After Nov. 2, there is little chance of liberalizing immigration statutes. The reasons stated above will still apply and, should John Kerry win, Republicans will join hands with conservative Democrats to block any move to relax barriers.
From Pieter Speyer, a La Jolla, Calif.-based attorney who practices international law, principally between the U.S. and Mexico: President Bush is not the only candidate staying quiet. In fact, the current silence about immigration issues is overwhelming. Sen. Kerry has promised to propose a ''program'' in his first 100 days. So far, there is no hint about the program's content. Undeniable evidence proves our immigration system is broken. National security alone demands its careful, methodical reform. Undoubtedly, the president and both houses of Congress will yield to necessity and confront the entire spectrum of immigration issues. However, of the election ''swing states,'' only Florida has a substantial population of illegal aliens. The risk of alienating voters could be fatal. That is why neither candidate is making any noise about immigration reform.
Portions of Inter-American Dialogue's Latin America Advisor run each Wednesday and Saturday.
They are not "migrants" they are illegal aliens. Once again, a media outlet talks about the legality of these people in the past tense. They are attempting to establish in our minds that these people somehow have a right to be here.
Conservative fears happen to be disgust at not enforcing the law. Neither candidate seems to be ready to enforce his oath of office.
"Conservative fears happen to be disgust at not enforcing the law."
Well Gee! I wonder if the recent stories about Middle Easterners sneaking into the country, the vulnerability of SA to the same might have tempered any real changes?
Could there be security issues that changed the landscape?
the definition of “compassionate conservative:” a person who campaigns as a conservative, then sells out key conservative principles!
Bush never wants to tell us who is going to pay the housing subsidies, the free health care, the costs of educating them and so on.
He seems to conveniently leave that part out.
ping
I'm waiting for the 'compassion' to smack America and Conservatives in the face post 11/2/04...I hope I'm wrong.
You mean that part about those pesky BILLIONS OF DOLLARS that we're forced to pay??
Don't forget the several posts about the the Administration's emphasis on home ownership, especially for minorities, well beyond Section 8. Freddie Mac, banks and various government agencies are catering to Spanish speaking clients by converting to the Spanish language. Don't need no stinkin' SSN or English to get money from HUD and rural housing programs to buy your own piece of Aztlan!
American tax payers are generous, or else.
Heidi Marquez
Special Assistant to the President
and Director of Presidential Correspondence
Here are a few excerpts:
The President is committed to keeping America and our borders safe. He opposes amnesty for undocumented workers and believes that migration to the United States should be legal, safe, and orderly while addressing our economic, security, and humanitarian needs.
-snip-
The President proposed that the Federal Government offer temporary worker status to undocumented men and women employed in the United States at the time he announced his proposal, January 7, 2004, and to those in foreign countries who have been offered employment here. The workers living in the United States and signing up for temporary status would pay a fee to register in the program, abide by the rules and return to their home countries after their worker visas expire unless they have another form of lawful status.
-snip-
The President also remains committed to working with other nations to allow foreign workers to receive credit in the home countries' retirement systems for time worked in the United States, and he supports the creation of tax-preferred savings accounts that workers can collect when they return to their native countries
President Bush respects and values the role that immigrants continue to play in building our Nation, and he believes this temporary worker program reflects our country's heritage as a welcoming society. If enacted by the Congress, his proposal will strengthen our economy and make our homeland more secure.
-snip-
These people are not helping to build our nation - they are destroying it along with our economy. I wonder if Bush will give you and I tax-preferred saving accounts that we can draw on?
In a word, no. Taxpayers, citizens of multi-generational lineage and Anglo-Protestants in general have been relegated to 2nd class status in the government's eyes - we're supposed to provide money, keep our mouths shut and know our roles. They can consider me a hostile participant in need of reeducation.
Me too. I won't walk in lockstep with their globalist agenda.
Of course they can't, they couldn't build their own --- and all this is one way to bail their system out --- keep the corrupt ones in power because if they have to exile, they would lose access to the oil money and also some greedy US corporations could lose buildings and some investments if things get too bad over their politically.
I wonder how the high skilled tech folks that like the cheap Mexican labor are going to like the Republican platform that also increases the importation of more Indian engineers and other foreign H-1B and H-2A workers. They will soon need those cheap workers, that is all they will be able to afford.
I highly doubt it, but Bush is running a blue-light special for anyone that claims to be a Russian Muslim of retirement age allegedly persecuted by Stalin.
That will get them free airfare to Pennsylvania where they can move into a furnished home and get a $1,400 monthly Social Security check and lots of other free goodies at the U.S. Taxpayer's expense.
Now Bush has the U.S. Taxpayers supporting everyone Joseph Stalin ever persecuted.
More proof of just how Conservative Bush is. >/sarcasm<
BTTT
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