Posted on 11/29/2004 9:14:20 PM PST by Cableguy
Back in 2001, George W. Bush, a newly elected president from a border state, had immigration on his mind. Within weeks of his inauguration, Bush vowed to extend a hand to Mexico, making an ambitious guest-worker proposal a hallmark of his administration. The president's dream was dashed by 9/11; tightening border controls, not loosening them, became the priority. He must have been serious, though, because just weeks after winning a second term, Bush has embraced the guest-worker proposal anew. Secretary of State Colin Powell and White House counselor Karl Rove have called the initiative a high priority. And Bush pledged to renew his push for the legislation in a talk with Mexican President Vicente Fox at the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference. advertisement
But Bush faces opposition in his own party--from border-state voters and House Republicans. In late November, conservatives derailed intelligence-reform legislation in part by refusing to get behind a bill that did not include strict immigration proposals. The president has made much of his willingness to spend political capital, but this issue may prove prohibitively expensive.
The introduction of the president's guest-worker idea dates back to January 2004, when Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida were swing states and wooing their Hispanic populations seemed a must. The president's proposal would allow the 8 million to 10 million illegal aliens in the United States to apply for temporary worker permits, three-year documents that could be renewed at least once. (After that, the workers could petition for permanent legal status.) Immigrants would also have access to a database of jobs that could not be filled by American citizens, and they could cross the border legally once they secured work.
The proposal ignited criticism. Democrats said Bush's plan would create a class of indentured servants, while Republicans felt it rewarded illegal behavior. One of the harshest critics was Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who heads the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, a group that advocates a partial moratorium on immigration and the denial of citizenship to American-born children of illegal aliens. Tancredo argued that the president's bill would increase illegal immigration and open the border to terrorists. "Bush tried to send us a pig with lipstick," Tancredo says. "We told him it would be dead on arrival in the House."
Bush faces an even tougher crowd in the next Congress. Seven new con-servatives will join the Senate, and in the House, Tancredo's group will be 75 members strong. In mid-November, 22 House Republicans, led by California's Elton Gallegly, signed a letter urging the administration to give up the guest-worker proposal. On the intelligence reform bill, the House Republican leaders refused to back down until the 11th hour on proposals that would have made it easier to deport aliens and deny them driver's licenses. "These people looked the administration in the eye and said, 'Drop dead,' " says Mark Krikorian, who runs a conservative immigration reform group.
Crackdown. What's more, the conservatives appear to have the momentum. In Arizona, where residents feel under siege from illegal immigration, voters just passed Proposition 200, which effectively denies government benefits to illegal aliens. "I could take you on a tour of my neighborhood and show you houses where smugglers tortured immigrants and ruined buildings by veering off the road," says an angry Keith Koller, 36, a south Phoenix resident who voted for Bush. Conservatives are hoping to put initiatives similar to Proposition 200 on the ballot in Colorado, Georgia, and California.
Administration officials say Bush really believes in the guest-worker idea, and there is speculation that he wants to reward the estimated 34 to 44 percent of Hispanic voters who supported him. His ability to bring home a win may depend on how much he's ready to risk. Gallegly says he respects the president but adds that if Bush insists on peeving House Republicans early in his term, he could put his entire agenda at risk. "Washington," says Gallegly, " is a land of grudges."
What philosophy or religion is this? Are you Generation X ? or Generation what?? What is "Once-Ler..? Help to understand your take on things?
" I do know that racisism is a major component in the push for sealing the Land of the Free."
Prove it.
Believe me, there are hundreds ready to poke and jab the President's men all the way to the USSC for racial discrimination if they continue his Hispanic only trek. They could possibly tie this Administration up in court over his asinine plan badly enough that his "political capital" will be so worthless he couldn't buy a used Pamper.
Government does not want to stop pandering to millions of illegals. And they are doing it on the backs of the tax payers.
Unfortunately too many Americans are sucking off the tit of the government sow to make reducing these programs easy.
Does not charity begin at home? Is there something wrong with taking care of our own people that need help? Illegal aliens should have nothing to do with legal American citizens and American programs.
Instead of attacking the freaking criminal illegal aliens, you are attacking legal citizens.
You are one bizarre individual.
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District Attorney , Northampton County Pennsylvania
DA Morganelli To Appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" DA John Morganelli will appear on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" on Wednesday December 1, 2004 to discuss his efforts of arresting illegal aliens on state crimes. The program airs at 8:00 PM and again at 11:00PM EST.
That's the stupidest friggin thing I've ever read in my life. That sounds like something a leftist would say in trying to convince people that Jesus was a "progressive".
Stop the personal attacks please. Darksheare post #158
I hope you won't take offense while I call you a hypocrite.
One was a crtique of your style.
The other is a critique of you.
Guess which is which.
This coming from the guy who posted the term "mongrel races"?
You broad brush slam LEGAL people and citizens living here in the states, often.
You're a real hot one to be saying thing like this.
See television is just wrong's post #155 where equates immigration with terrorism.
What part of "ILLEGAL" don't you understand?
"They are bringing in diseases and crime, shutting down our hospitals and overburdening our the schools and more of America all the time is looking like a third world hell hole."
Prove this is incorrect.
And didn't you hear the reports and warnigns from the FBI about AQ coming into the US via Mexico and illegal imigrants?
Last week the Secty. of Defense had this to say:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0411/16/ldt.01.html
DOBBS: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is warning of the threat of terrorists entering this country through the same routes as those used by illegal aliens. Secretary Rumsfeld, traveling in South America, warned that enemies look for weaknesses and take advantage of them.
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The risk is that some of these human-smuggling routes into our country from this hemisphere could be used just as easily for terrorists.
DOBBS: And three million illegal aliens are estimated to be entering this country this year.
Secretary Rumsfeld also said the United States has to be, as he put it, smarter and quicker in securing our borders. The federal government's failure to secure those borders is leading individual states to take action. Arizona's Proposition 200, which limits state benefits for illegals, passed overwhelmingly two weeks ago. Now at least half a dozen other states are considering similar measures.
What fools we all are for thinking that the President was going to spend his political capital on issues that conservatives want.
Instead he will waste it on a pet project that the rat party will love, bringing in many more demoRat voters!
I know you have some sort of a point to make. What you said makes no sense.
Apparently the meaning of the word.
Judging from his statements in thread here, I will agree.
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