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Republican to Lead Immigration Revolt Against Bush
Reuters ^ | Jan 12, 2005 | Alan Elsner

Posted on 01/12/2005 12:50:36 PM PST by GOPXtreme20

Republican to Lead Immigration Revolt Against Bush

By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican member of the House of Representatives vowed on Wednesday to lead a revolt against President Bush (news - web sites)'s immigration reform proposals and predicted that up to 180 party members would support him.

Bush in an interview with the Washington Times published on Wednesday said he plans to force a debate in Congress this year on his proposal that would allow some illegal immigrants to obtain legal work permits in the United States.

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who heads the House Immigration Reform Caucus, said he was determined to block the legislation. The caucus, which had 71 members in the last Congress, argues for stronger action to stop illegal immigration and a reduction of legal migration.

"Why is this so important to the president?" Tancredo said. "Is it just the corporate interests who benefit from cheap labor? Do they have such a strong grip on our president so that he is actually willing to put our nation at risk, because open borders do put our nation at risk?

"Is it petulance, because we were able to stop it in the last Congress? Why is it so important to give amnesty to people who have broken the law?" Tancredo said.

"I'm willing to lead a fight against this and I would say there are at least 180 members of our Republican caucus who are willing at least to stop amnesty for illegal immigrants," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Bush has repeatedly said he views immigration reform as an important issue for his second term. In the Washington Times interview, he said it was near the top of his agenda.

"Look, whether or not you agree with the solution or not, we have a problem in America when you've got 8 million undocumented workers here," he said.

BUSH CONFIDENCE

Bush expressed confidence he could win over opponents, as he did in passing tax reform during his first term. "Initially out of the box, some people said, over my dead body would they pass tax relief ... If I listened to all that, I'd just quit, you know. But that's not the way I think."

But analysts agree that immigration reform could be much more divisive for Republicans since growing numbers of rank-and-file voters are becoming concerned at the continued influx of illegal immigrants across the Mexican border.

"No issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration," said David Frum, a former White House speech writer in Bush's first term.

"There's no issue where the beliefs and interests of the party rank-and-file diverge more radically from the beliefs and interests of the party's leaders," he wrote in the National Review last month.

Bush insists he is not offering amnesty to illegal immigrants but Tancredo said that was a "manipulation of language, the kind of thing (former President) Bill Clinton would have done. There is an issue of integrity here and an issue of honesty," he said.


TOPICS: US: California; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: aliens; atzlan; aztlandane; bushamnesty; christnotdaneagain; contractordane; danelovesbaca; danesucks; danethetraitor; gop; groundtrooprevolt; holadane; illegalaliens; immigrantlist; immigration; immigrationplan; immigrationrevolt; laraza; mechistadane; sealtheborders; tancredo; term2
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To: LowOiL

What is the methodology that produced the numbers quoted in that "study"? How can they possibly estimate the impact of an sample group whose absolute size is unknown?


161 posted on 01/12/2005 2:46:45 PM PST by Barlowmaker
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To: GOPXtreme20

How I feel about devisive issues such as this, will be addressed to the President or those who open his mail, in private correspondence. Constructive criticism, in order to be beneficial rather than destructive, must be delivered in secret. Praise and/or support should be shouted from the rooftops.

Rep. Tancredo, like Newt Gingrich, appear much smaller and less deserving of respect, after their self serving public attacks upon the President.


162 posted on 01/12/2005 2:47:04 PM PST by F.J. Mitchell (The Progrossive Democrats are never so small a minority that they can't screw every thing up.)
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To: Dane
leftist democrats and one issue immigration Republicans, same coin different sides.

Those leftist democrats are the ones allying themselves with the President on this issue. GWB will be counting on their votes to get a favorable bill passed to legalize the "new serf class" here in the USA.

Those leftist democrats are your friends Dane, not ours.

163 posted on 01/12/2005 2:48:21 PM PST by Missouri
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To: Dane
And to further your theme let's bulldoze these "impure" buildings built by illegal labor, damn the people who may lose their house or business, we have a purification process to go through.

I suppose it is the measure of the illegal alien defenders on this board that they always talk such transparent lies and nonsense. After all, it isn't as if there is much to be said in defense of a policy so good for cheap labor types but so bad for America as a whole.

164 posted on 01/12/2005 2:48:45 PM PST by Sam the Sham
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To: stopem
Were you to analyse the article you would see that if, and thats a big if, Tancredo were able to do what he wants to do, there would be no immigration reform.

The existing situation would be unchanged.

Let me tell you what will happen:

The more republicans that Tancredo might be able to split off in the House, the further the remaining republicans will have to reach across the aisle. The further thay have to reach across the aisle, the more influence the dems will have on the final bill.

Tancredo is empowering the democrats.

165 posted on 01/12/2005 2:50:55 PM PST by Ben Ficklin
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To: COEXERJ145
Hillary has adopted the Buchanan/Tancredo line on immigration hoping to get votes in 2008.

She has ? How about a link or some kind of solid evidence ?

166 posted on 01/12/2005 2:51:59 PM PST by Missouri
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To: Mamzelle
I'd like to see...

I like your vision.

167 posted on 01/12/2005 2:52:19 PM PST by calcowgirl
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To: Barlowmaker
What is the methodology that produced the numbers quoted in that "study"? How can they possibly estimate the impact of an sample group whose absolute size is unknown?

Quote from the article.. BTW.. it was an FR thread...

A new study from the Center for Immigration Studies is one of the first to estimate the impact of illegal immigration on the federal budget. Based on Census Bureau data, the study estimates that households headed by illegal aliens used $10 billion more in government services than they paid in taxes in 2002. These figures are only for the federal government; costs at the state and local level are also likely to be significant. The study also finds that if illegals were given amnesty, the fiscal deficit at the federal level would grow to nearly $29 billion.

Notice that if you calculated in the state level expenses that 10 billion would be far higher. So the article I posted is a conservative guess. Being that it was an government study, you can bet they didn't show the true extent of the problem.

168 posted on 01/12/2005 2:53:56 PM PST by LowOiL ("I am neither . I am a Christocrat" -Benjamin Rush)
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To: Sam the Sham
Just jobs Americans won't do for third world wages.

The entire concept of "Third World Wages" is a fraud. A Mexican roofer who makes $250 a month in Guadalajara working 60 hours a week can make $500 a week working those 60 hours, doing that same job for $8/hour in Tucson. To an AFL-CIO laborer demanding $15/hour plus benefits and restrictive work scheduling, 60 hour work weeks at $8/hour might be "third world", but it sure as hell ain't "third world" to guys who come from the "third world".

169 posted on 01/12/2005 2:54:10 PM PST by Barlowmaker
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To: LowOiL

I don't think the Center for Immigration Studies is a governmental entity.


170 posted on 01/12/2005 2:55:23 PM PST by Barlowmaker
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To: Barlowmaker
Under the Bush program, any employers who use these guest workers will have to prove that they cannot find any American workers to do the jobs.

Just how does a employeer go about proving that. It smacks of trying to prove a negative.

171 posted on 01/12/2005 2:57:35 PM PST by engrpat
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To: engrpat
Just how does a employeer go about proving that. It smacks of trying to prove a negative.

I don't know the answer to that. I'm sure there will be some threshold laid out in the legislation.

172 posted on 01/12/2005 2:59:17 PM PST by Barlowmaker
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To: engrpat
Just how does a employeer go about proving that. It smacks of trying to prove a negative.

I don't know the answer to that. I'm sure there will be some threshold laid out in the legislation.

173 posted on 01/12/2005 2:59:18 PM PST by Barlowmaker
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To: F.J. Mitchell
How I feel about devisive issues such as this, will be addressed to the President or those who open his mail, in private correspondence. Constructive criticism, in order to be beneficial rather than destructive, must be delivered in secret. Praise and/or support should be shouted from the rooftops.

Rep. Tancredo, like Newt Gingrich, appear much smaller and less deserving of respect, after their self serving public attacks upon the President.

And when sending your private correspondence to the God-Emperor, be certain first, as a loyal subject, to kow tow nine times in the direction of the White House.

174 posted on 01/12/2005 2:59:47 PM PST by Sam the Sham
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To: Barlowmaker
You expect the 36 million annual visitors to Las Vegas to clean their own toilets in the 126,000 Hotel rooms they frequent? You expect 9 million folks in New York City to pick their own vegetables? Get real.

By "our own" I meant we Americans will have to hire Americans (or legal immigrants) and stop depending on illegal aliens to do our menial tasks. Get real yourself.

There is a huge labor market that is being filled by immigrants from Mexico and other third world nations.

As long as they are legal immigrants, I have no problem with that.

They are here as a result of inexorable market forces,

The only "inexorable market force" is that we're drunk on cheap, illegal labor. Get rid of ALL the illegals and pay what it takes to fill the open jobs. Then, guess what. Supply and demand will take care of it. Oh, and while you're at it, abolish the minimum wage laws, too. Unskilled labor is a commodity and ought to be treated like one.

If the price of vegetables and/or taking a leak and/or getting a room in Vegas goes up, so be it.

175 posted on 01/12/2005 2:59:51 PM PST by newgeezer (When encryption is outlawed, rwei qtjske ud alsx zkjwejruc.)
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To: Barlowmaker
I don't think the Center for Immigration Studies is a governmental entity.

The Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization founded in 1985. It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.

That would be correct.

176 posted on 01/12/2005 3:01:10 PM PST by LowOiL ("I am neither . I am a Christocrat" -Benjamin Rush)
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To: newgeezer
If the price of vegetables and/or taking a leak and/or getting a room in Vegas goes up, so be it.

Yeah, what do you care. You live in Iowa.

177 posted on 01/12/2005 3:04:00 PM PST by Barlowmaker
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To: Barlowmaker

Costs of illegals in California:

Analysis of the latest Census data indicates that California's illegal immigrant population is costing the state's taxpayers more than $10.5 billion per year for education, medical care and incarceration. Even if the estimated tax contributions of illegal immigrant workers are subtracted, net outlays still amount to nearly $9 billion per year. The annual fiscal burden from those three areas of state expenditures amounts to about $1,183 per household headed by a native-born resident.



The more than $10.1 billion in costs incurred by California taxpayers is composed of outlays in the following areas:

Education. Based on estimates of the illegal immigrant population in California and documented costs of K-12 schooling, Californians spend approximately $7.7 billion annually on education for illegal immigrant children and for their U.S.-born siblings. Nearly 15 percent of the K-12 public school students in California are children of illegal aliens.


Health care. Uncompensated medical outlays for health care provided to the state's illegal alien population amount to about $1.4 billion a year.

Incarceration. The cost of incarcerating illegal aliens in California's prisons and jails amounts to about $1.4 billion a year (not including related law enforcement and judicial expenditures or the monetary costs of the crimes that led to their incarceration).
State and local taxes paid by the unauthorized immigrant population go toward offsetting these costs, but they do not come near to matching the expenses. The total of such payments can generously be estimated at about $1.6 billion per year.

The fiscal costs of illegal immigration do not end with these three major cost areas. The total costs of illegal immigration to the state's taxpayers would be considerably higher if other cost areas such as special English instruction, school feeding programs, or welfare benefits for American workers displaced by illegal alien workers were added into the equation

http://www.fairus.org/ImmigrationIssueCenters/ImmigrationIssueCenters.cfm?ID=2570&c=13


178 posted on 01/12/2005 3:09:05 PM PST by rolling_stone
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To: Southack
There is very little difference between Tancredo's immigration plan from that of President Bush's immigration plan. Both plans strive to *register* existing illegal aliens and their employers with our federal government; those plans differ only slightly in how and where illegals can register themselves.

Okay. This I've heard before. Do you happen to have a link where I can examine Tancredo's plan to contrast it with what the President is wanting?


179 posted on 01/12/2005 3:09:43 PM PST by rdb3 (Real men don't whine. It's 2005 and everyone's gonna feel it this year.)
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Comment #180 Removed by Moderator


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