Posted on 04/15/2005 9:52:35 AM PDT by LouAvul
WASHINGTON — President Bush distanced himself Thursday from his own administration's proposal to require passports for U.S. residents re-entering the country from Canada or Mexico.
Barely a week after his Department of Homeland Security made public the new passport proposal, Bush declared he was uncomfortable with the idea.
"When I first read that in the newspaper, about the need to have passports, I said, 'What's going on here?'" Bush told a gathering of newspaper editors. "If people have to have a passport, it's going to disrupt honest flow of traffic."
Bush blamed Congress for the measure, telling the American Society of Newspaper Editors that "evidently this has been mandated in law." In a White House ceremony Dec. 17, Bush signed the bill in question without referring to the new passport requirements.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security followed up with the formal rule-making proposal needed to put the passport requirement into practice. But Thursday, speaking even as the Senate struggled over adding immigration reform provisions to an Iraq spending bill, Bush suggested some easier passport alternatives might be developed.
The White House asked the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security about other options, which Bush indicated could include using "finger imaging."
"I think there's some flexibil-ity in the law, and that's what we're checking out right now," Bush said.
That would be good news for at least some of the U.S. residents who cross the northern and southern borders every day.
Last year, nearly 100 million people entered California from Mexico. More than 110 million people enter the United States from Canada over land every year.
Others, though, still think passport requirements help protect U.S. citizens in a world threatened by terrorists.
(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
BTW, this newspaper is left-wing. Be advised.
"When I first read that in the newspaper"
Now we know this story is bunk.
I like the finger-imaging idea, even passports will be counterfeited soon.
Bush is so out to lunch on this issue -- I just don't understand his mindset. He has a sworn duty to uphold and defend the laws of the land -- among which are the laws against illegal entry into the United States.
I think any Republican candidate in '08 with the guts to make this a key campaign issue will tap into a lot of public angst. The opposition cannot credibly campaign on a "let's ignore the immigration law" theme.
He has to find out what his administration is doing by reading the newspaper?? WTF???
BTW, this newspaper is left-wing. Be advised.
======
Well, Bush is making a HUGE POLICY MISTAKE. The pandering to Mexico and Canada, at the devastating expense to this country and its citizens, in many forms, is a violation of not only his Constitutional duty as President, but an outright betrayal of the American CITIZENS that are the rightful people of this country. How can this man, especially this man, do this to his country?
I hoped I would never have to face this fact.
While I'm generally a Bush supporter, he's a complete moron whenever issues with our borders come up.
When I go to Mexico, I travel with my Passport. A drivers licence and a birth certificate will work, but a passport is easier and generally faster.
I'm opposed to using biometric data such as fingerprints for identification for crossing borders, because it means that other countrys such as Mexico would have access to that data, and I don't trust the corrupt government of Mexico to safeguard that data. If other individuals gain such information they may be able to impersonate me well enough to get at my money and ruin my credit.
I like passports as they are now. They can verify the photo, and run the passport through the scanner, and you're done.
Exactly...whether or not he thinks our immigration laws are "compassionate" enough or not is irrelevant...he's the Chief Executive...so go execute the laws
It seems to be plain enough to the rest of us dumbbutts!
"SHEESH"!
Bush is so out to lunch on this issue -- I just don't understand his mindset. He has a sworn duty to uphold and defend the laws of the land...
President Addresses American Society of Newspaper Editors Convention
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/04/20050414-4.html
April 14, 2005
QUESTION: Mr. President, a month ago you stood in Crawford with the leaders of Mexico and Canada and talked about the importance of balancing security, but maintaining the free flow of trade and people across the borders. But this month, your Department of Homeland Security has said that they're going to be requiring passports for tourists coming across the border. As somebody who is familiar with the long lines at today's border, do you -- what's your reaction to the protests from the business and tourism community? And do you support the requirement of passports?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I'm aware of the issue, obviously. When I first read that in the newspaper, about the need to have passports, particularly today's crossings that take place -- about a million, for example, in the state of Texas -- I said, what's going on here. I thought there was a better way to do -- to expedite legal flow of traffic and people.
We intercept bogus passports all the time. Fingerprinting, though, might just be the ticket.
So you beleive that the first time President Bush heard about this provision was when he read it in the paper? Despite the fact that he openly admits to not reading newspapers? How dumb are you?
No, but it is what he said.
How dumb are you?
How would I know?
I suspect most of this "Bush is soft on immigration" stories are MSM democrats who see this as a weakness for GWBush and are trying to emphasise the negative.
They do not mention that Canada and the US have treaties which controll the issue of passports.
They do not mention that since the 50 YEARs democrats have controlled the federal legislature, they have allowed rolling amnesty. (it USED to be hide for six years get amenesty but it was raised to 10 years by republicans.)
The MSM does not mention WE ALREADY HAVE a guest worker program for unskilled labor.
There may be valid points to constructivly criticise BUT these papers are just adding on with half quotes and out of context quotations.
ALSO note they don't mention the communist founded ACLU is harrassing the Minutmen in order to facilitate illegal crossings.
"How would I know?"
Good point.
Ping.
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