Posted on 03/23/2005 3:58:02 PM PST by ambrose
Posted on Wed, Mar. 23, 2005
Bush to push for more lenient immigration laws
By RON HUTCHESON
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WACO, Texas - President Bush told Mexican President Vicente Fox on Wednesday that he would keep pushing for more lenient immigration laws, but said he couldn't guarantee that Congress would go along.
Bush renewed his commitment to a guest-worker program during a daylong summit with Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin. The leaders pledged to work together on a host of issues, but they acknowledged some of the differences that have strained relations in the past.
Bush's failure to win congressional approval for more lenient immigration laws has been a sore point with Fox.
"You've got my pledge - I'll continue working on it," Bush told Fox during a joint news conference here at Baylor University. "You don't have my pledge that Congress will act because I'm not a member of the legislative branch."
Bush's guest-worker plan would let several million immigrants who are in the country illegally become legal by getting temporary work visas. The idea has stalled in Congress because of opposition from both parties.
Some Republicans oppose Bush's call for more open borders. Some Democrats think Bush is more concerned about providing cheap labor for businesses than he is about making life easier for foreign workers.
A study released earlier this week concluded that the illegal immigrant population has reached an all-time high of nearly 11 million. The study by the Pew Hispanic Center, a private research group based in Washington, also found that undocumented Mexicans accounted for 57 percent of all illegal entrants.
Bush said his goal is to match workers with jobs.
"That job ought to be filled on a legal basis, no matter where the person comes from. That makes sense," Bush said. The president also echoed Fox's criticism of citizen groups in border states that seek to catch and detain illegal immigrants entering the United States.
"I'm against vigilantes," Bush said. "That's why you got a border patrol, and they ought to be in charge of enforcing the border."
After their news conference, Fox and Martin joined Bush at his 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford. Taking advantage of a beautiful spring day, the president took his guests on a tour of the property and then hosted a luncheon of grilled chicken breasts and fried shrimp, followed by chocolate chip brownies with vanilla ice cream.
In a joint statement, the three leaders announced the creation of a "Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America," which is intended to encourage cooperation on problems ranging from terrorism to traffic jams at border crossings.
As part of the effort, officials from the three governments will work together over the next three months to come up with steps to improve security, commerce and the quality of life throughout North America.
But for all the talk of cooperation, Bush and his guests remained apart on some issues. Martin flatly ruled out Canadian participation in Bush's plan for a missile defense system for North America, telling a Canadian journalist that "the file is closed" on that issue.
Martin also prodded Bush to ease U.S. import restrictions on Canadian lumber and Canadian beef. Some Canadian lumber is subject to trade duties, and beef imports have been banned because of concerns about mad-cow disease.
"Look, we've got differences," Bush said. "I understand why people disagree with certain decisions I have made, but that doesn't prevent us from cooperating."
Why should he consider his oath of office? Breaking it in his first term when he signed the McCain/Feingoldstein CFR bill and pledged to renew the Clinton "Assault" Weapon Ban didn't seem to matter to the republicans who voted him in for a second term.
that's the point but too many people go off 1/2 cocked and believe what they read on FR or from people like Bush without checking the facts for themselves.
This country is finished. The whole 200+ years thrown out to help my landscaper buy a 70,000 Pickup truck.
I'm going to laugh when you vote for Hillary because "she has promised to control the border" and then she turns around and grants full amnesty to every illegal in the country.
So what? They will both be flying around the world together in 2017. And Hillary will sleep on the floor.
Not the least cost to the US is the fact that unlimited supplies of very cheap labor artificially depress wage rates and put millions of young US blacks permanently in the ranks of the unemployed. The black pimp thug leaders and their dem masters like it this way but, it will mean trouble in the future. The cost to taxpayers of the services for these millions of aliens (who send most of thier disposable cash home rather than spend it here) is mindboggling and will force millions of middle class US retirees into poverty as their homes are seized ffor non-payment of property taxes.
W, wake up, smell the coffee!!
Bush seems determined to kiss off completely his conservative base. Suspect there aren't all that many left.
"I'm going to laugh when you vote for Hillary because "she has promised to control the border" and then she turns around and grants full amnesty to every illegal in the country."
Yep, kinda like damned if you do and damned if you don't.
It's not working. The illegals in my city are sucking the social programs dry, being instructed on how to do this by the Catholic Church. The only jobs they do is to walk to the welfare office with their girlfriends. Thanks, George.
"More lenient . . laws." (Jaw dropping) Are the BP agents going to offer the service of lifting our, uh, 'guests' on & off one another as they do the horizontal mambo under our desert moon? "Senor, thirsty? Sauza?"
Bienvenidos y adios! Come again pronto, ya hear!
The ability to control one's own borders is a salient attribute of national sovereignty. I love the guy, but someone needs to have a heart-to-heart with the prez on this one. He's in left field.
As in every election, there will be those who tell you what you want to hear, with no intention of following through if elected.
"More lenient . . laws." (Jaw dropping) Are the BP agents going to start lifting our, uh, 'guests' on & off one another as they do the horizontal mambo under our desert moon? "Senor, thirsty? Sauza? Bienvenidos y adios! Come again pronto, ya hear!"
The ability to control one's own borders is a salient attribute of national sovereignty. I love the guy, but someone needs to have a heart-to-heart with the prez on this one. He's in left field.
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MORE lenient? This is a joke, right?
That's the point but too many people go off 1/2 cocked and believe what they read on FR or from people like Tancredo without checking the facts for themselves.
Please enlighten those of us here at FR about "half cocked" we are. While you are at it, suggest you get yourself a dictionary and look up the word "ILLEGAL".
When you join the unemployment line and your taxes are raised dramatically as a direct result of the cheap labor that our "ILLEGAL" population brings us, remind us how "half cocked" we are. I'm avidly awaiting your response.
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