Bush Breaks First Campaign Pledge By Renewing Call For Illegal Alien Amnesty

FAIR ^ | November 10, 2004 | Dan Stein

[VU4G10]

(Washington, DC—November 10, 2004) It wasn't quite "Read my lips," but in the last presidential debate in Arizona, George W. Bush clearly stated that he would not support amnesty for illegal aliens. One week after being narrowly returned to office, the president has reneged on that pledge. Bush has dispatched Secretary of State Colin Powell to Mexico City to open discussions with the Mexican government about the size and scope of amnesty for illegal immigrants and for a massive new guest worker program.

"President Bush and Karl Rove have seemingly missed the message of their own, and the Republican Party's, success at the polls last week," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "In spite of a poor record on jobs, further erosion of the middle class, and staggering budget deficits, the people returned the GOP to office because they believed that the Republican Party was more in tune with them on values and respect for the law. One of those gut issues that led voters to ignore the administration's poor record in other areas was the belief that Bush and the Republicans would enforce laws against illegal immigration, not reward illegal immigrants and auction off every job in America to the lowest bidder."

The immigration plan being dusted off in Washington and Mexico City is essentially the same one the administration introduced last January, which proved to be so wildly unpopular among voters that they were forced to shelve it. "Who is the president seeking to reward by reintroducing his amnesty/guest worker proposal?" asked Stein. "Not middle class workers who made it very clear that they are feeling squeezed. Not the millions of families who have lost their health insurance benefits because their employers no longer feel that it is necessary to offer such benefits to attract American workers. Not Hispanic voters, whom polls indicate do not consider this to be high priority and who voted in significant numbers in favor of an Arizona ballot measure that bars illegal aliens from receiving most public benefits.

"The only interest group, besides the estimated 10 to 12 million illegal aliens and their families who could be in line for legal U.S. residency, are cheap labor employers who have come to believe that it is their right to have workers who will work at whatever wages they wish to pay," Stein said.

The latest White House announcement will touch off yet another surge in illegal immigration and further compromise homeland security, predicted FAIR. Last January, when the president first proposed this plan, the U.S. Border Patrol reported a marked increase in the number of people attempting to enter the U.S. illegally in order to benefit from the proposed amnesty. "Aside from betraying the interests of millions of people who voted for him because they believed the president shared their core values, this irresponsible renewal of talk of amnesty will betray those who voted for him because they believed the Republicans were the party that could be entrusted to protect homeland security. You cannot have homeland security and chaos at the border. You cannot have homeland security while granting amnesty to millions of people with only minimal background checks. And you certainly cannot have amnesty and unlimited guest workers, and preserve a solid middle class," asserted Stein.

[Hot Tabasco]

My brother used to make $25 to $75 an hour in construction. He moved to Arizona for health and to be with his girlfriend. Problem is he found out when he got down there, the going rate for his skills are about $6 and hour.

Guess I have to question the seriousness of his illness if he is still able to be employed in AZ. As for the $25 -$75 -per hour, those inflated wages are reflected in the houses and new property developments that I can't even dream of ever buying. And even if I could, you couldn't ever convince me that the laborer making $15 an hour but not being governed by the UNION that your brother quite possibly was working for wouldn't produce the same quality of work as your brother!

In my humble opinion, If you are a laborer able to make $75 an hour, you had damn well better be able to turn steel nails into gold...........

As they say in the real estate business: Location, location, location........

It's about time the labor market governed by unions in this country wakes up! Their wages are escalated way beyond the levels that the majority of America can pay for the products they produce, that is why we are now seeing outsourcing.

I work in the auto industry for a tier I supplier and our plants' wages are well below what the Big 3 makes but yet are governed by our UAW bargaining agreement. How long do you think it is going to be before the the car industry prices itself out of the market for the rest of America whose wages don't even come close to what the auto worker makes?

Sorry, but the unions across the board are creating an environment ripe for employers to utilize the efforts of illegals just to even the playing field............

[Columbine]

So I think Bush does deserve a lot of credit for at least attempting to deal with it. Certainly there will be many changes in his plan before it becomes law, and people should try to contribute, but maybe they should wait and get reliable information on it first. It's not even going to come up until next year.

Exactly!!!

[CyberAnt]

GET THIS - THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN DOES NOT CALL FOR AMNESTY.

IF YOU BELIEVE THAT - YOU ARE FALLING FOR LIES AND DISTORTIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

The workers' program IS NOT amnesty.

When are people going to get this. Maybe reading the proposal would be beneficial ..??

[sarcasm]

Then, when the grace period is over and if they're still here, they'll have to go back, too

If Bush won't enforce existing law why would you expect him to deport illegals who don't register?

[radicalamericannationalist]

I pay a crap load more in taxes to support their kids in school, their use of our emergency rooms, their taking up space in our jails and the bilingualization of my state. Does that count for anything?

[FreedomCalls]

Round them up, ship them back and never allow them to reenter the country.

How's the weather up there on Pluto? Isn't it cold?

[ApesForEvolution]

I'm proud to have voted for America's 1st Mexican President...

[Spiff]

There is no way we are going to round anyone up and send them home.

What other lawbreaking are we going to excuse? Can bank robbers keep their money now? Shoplifters keep their booty? Burglars can break into your home and keep your TV sets? Carjackers can just keep all the cars they've stolen? Tax evaders can keep the money they owe? Crack dealers can keep dealing crack? Prostitutes can keep selling their bodies? Doctors no longer need to be licensed to practice and can do whatever they want? We don't need driver's licenses anymore? We can drive whatever speed we want on the wrong side of the road?

Where do you draw the line!!!? What laws can be broken and which ones will be enforced? Do you believe that illegal entry over our borders is a victimless crime? I assure you that it is not.

[sarcasm]

How's the weather up there on Pluto? Isn't it cold?

Hey, Eisenhower inaugurated "Operation Wetback" - are you conceding that Bush is a wimp?

[Joe Hadenuf]

Blowtorch radio station KFI-Los Angeles, just said Bush has declared war on us, and it's a full scale move to legalize millions of illegals..

Full coverage starting at at 4 p.m. PST.

Like another poster stated, if Clinton attempted this, the Rhinos would be coming unglued.....

[Howlin]

You don't seem to understand how the program would work. There will be a deadline to register; if you're here after the deadline and not registered, that would be the one thing needed to send them back; then, if you are registered, you would have to obey all the rest of the requirements; if not, you're gone, too.

Don't you understand that they are trying to change the rules from the bottom up with the game already under way?

And he is TRYING to enforce the existing laws; they're getting more now than they ever had. He's doing the best he can with NO HELP, obviously, from YOUR representatives and others in the government. He's not God.

[FreedomCalls]

If Bush won't enforce existing law why would you expect him to deport illegals who don't register?

No registration: no benefits, no government assistance, no driver's license, etc.

[swampfx]

In the interest of "feet to the fire":

Now, it's very important for our citizens to also know that I don't believe we ought to have amnesty. I don't think we ought to reward illegal behavior.

Transcript: Second Presidential Debate
Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.
October 8, 2004

Now, forget all this talk about a draft. We're not going to have a draft so long as I am the president.

[sarcasm]

The hypocrisy of the Bots is unbelievable.

[ApesForEvolution]

I guess all laws are subject to convenience and personal ambition with no regards anymore...

[Missouri]

And the first elements must be securing the border

.........and something like this would be a good start.

I do have a question for all the supporters of GWB's plan. It is said that these illegals will be allowed to stay if they have "jobs" and come forward to register for a "guest permit". What about the ones who don't come forward and I'm sure out of the 10 to 15 million, about half won't. What will we do? Throw them out? We haven't thrown many of them out yet.

I have a feeling that the the illegals are laughing about Presidents proposal. It has no teeth.

[Willie Green]

Then, when the grace period is over and if they're still here, they'll have to go back, too. No excuses.

Gee, where have we heard THAT before??? </sarcasm>

[Columbine]

What other lawbreaking are we going to excuse? Can bank robbers keep their money now? Shoplifters keep their booty? Burglars can break into your home and keep your TV sets? Carjackers can just keep all the cars they've stolen? Tax evaders can keep the money they owe? Crack dealers can keep dealing crack? Prostitutes can keep selling their bodies? Doctors no longer need to be licensed to practice and can do whatever they want? We don't need driver's licenses anymore? We can drive whatever speed we want on the wrong side of the road? Where do you draw the line!!!? What laws can be broken and which ones will be enforced? Do you believe that illegal entry over our borders is a victimless crime? I assure you that it is not.

You made up a lot of stuff that I didn't say. Hyperbole does not contribute to debate.

It doesn't matter how much I might want to "round 'em up and send 'em home", it isn't going to happen.

It's impossible to do that and all the hysteria in the world won't change that simple fact.

If you think you can force our government to do that, please state your plan.

[highflight]

Please rethink the whole subject matter. As it stands there are millions of illegals who are working in the USA without INS clearance -
effectively they:
1) are braking the law to live & work in USA
2) use up valuable resources i.e. free ER medical care
3) are probably living in fear from day to day
4) do valuable work that US citizens don't want to do
5) are not investing in Medicare, Social Security funds orpaying taxes.
6) would, if accounted for, in a "guest worker" program free up border agents to find terrorists, drug smugglers and really bad people
7) may not be eligible to become citizens anyway until at least 5 years of legal residency and proof of a clean record.
8) would not anger legal immigrants who followed the rules and waited in line to immigrate.

[FreedomCalls]

I pay a crap load more in taxes to support their kids in school

They pay property taxes just like you.