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.
Hey, I'm sure Johnb had high hopes his kids would grow up and have the opportunity for a high paying job vegetable picking - if it wasn't for those damn mexicans.
You can't sell that politically in 2005 America.
It's a truth that stares every blue collar American straight in the face. That because he has to compete with illegals his standard of living (which did not substantially improve during the 90's) will not get better. He doesn't have to be "sold" on the fact that his lot is worse than his grandfather's. He can see that. Why do you think Bush only carried Ohio by 60K votes even in the face of a Democratic candidate who did not talk about economic populism ?
Harping on immigration is one way John's kids can avoid getting a job.
Just blame it on foreigners.
Then go on welfare.
But after paying the fine, instead of being deported as federal law dictates he should be, the illegal alien is then allowed to legally stay here, so the illegal alien actually benefits, with our government's approval, from violating our immigration laws. That would be like a judge fining a car thief $500 for stealing a car, but then the judge allows the car thief to keep the car he stole. I wouldn't say that the car thief was actually punished for stealing the car. He merely had to pay a fine and then he was back in business again.
Listen to yourself. You're supporting Mexico and China over the US. How about Pakistan and NK too, Ivan? You think you're so smart that you can use our tools (free & fair trade) against us and we won't fight back. Sorry, freak, ain't gonna work.
FR Thread with details: Tom Tancredo’s Four-Point Plan for Immigration Control
Southack posted Point 3 of the 4 points.
You keep saying that we are Marxist and yet you are the ones supporting restrictive economic controls. Kinda funny.
Yeah, you predicted Kerry by 8 too, what happened to that?
Don't give me that nationalistic crap Johnb.
Look through your house sometime. I guess you own no foreign products. Everything you own is American. Right.
Guess you're just supporting Mexico and China instead of the U.S., eh?
Hahah right John. I predicted Kerry by 8?
I wasn't even registered on this site until 2 months after the election, so how could I have done that?
idiot.
American Blue collar workers shouldn't be competing with immigrant labor. There's no excuse for a lack of education in 21st century America. Not for third and fourth generation natives.
One mans fine is another mans bribe. Or "mordida" as they say.
Poker, do you agree that we should allow illegal immigrants free access across our borders? That's not free enterprise or free market capitalism - it's illegal immigration.
I can promise you that I'm a total free market guy, but there is no link between illegal immigration and free and efficient markets.
The most disgusting part is that when I read the story about Bush talking about the importance of faith, my immediate reaction was he is getting ready to screw us over immigration. Right before he does something that he knows will piss off the base, he plays the faith card.
And 47% of the Hispanics who voted on Prop 200 in Arizona voted in favor of it. So it looks like a lot of these "Hispanics in America" agree with Tancredo on the issue of immigration.
Now that I've realized what the game is I buy as little from them as possible. And I don't darken the doors of Wal-mart at all.
LOL !! Look who's talking. Its the democrats who are lining up behind GWB and you on this issue. This incremental amnesty is just what those leftist want and you guys are playing right into their hands.
From reading other threads, I know that you dislike Tom Tancredo but you should at least try to control your rhetoric.
You're apparently for subsizing cheap labor.
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