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Bush Pushes Congress to OK Immigrants
AP on Yahoo ^ | 3/30/06 | Nedra Pickler - ap

Posted on 03/30/2006 6:00:20 PM PST by NormsRevenge

CANCUN, Mexico - With Mexican President Vicente Fox at his side, President Bush gave Congress a long-distance push Thursday to open the United States to immigrant workers who have been sneaking across the borders to fill low-paying jobs.

"We don't want people sneaking into our country that are going to do jobs that Americans won't do," Bush said at the end of a private meeting with Fox, where the issue was on top of the agenda. "We want them coming in in an orderly way, which will take pressure off both our borders."

The meeting between the Mexican and U.S. leaders came on the first day of a two-day North American summit that also includes Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper, meeting with Bush for the first time since taking office two months ago with the promise of building stronger ties with Washington, said the two countries are moving past their "tension" over Iraq.

Still, he took a combative stance on their long-standing dispute over U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, saying Canada would "pursue all its legal options" if he and Bush can't work out an agreement.

But it was the immigration debate, which has dominated the U.S. Senate this week, that took center stage in talks conducted in a beachfront resort surrounded by bikini-clad spring breakers. A new immigration law could affect as many as 6 million Mexicans living illegally in the United States — about half of all those who are estimated to have sneaked in from other countries seeking new opportunities they can't find at home.

Bush is pushing for a guest worker program that would let foreigners in low-paying jobs stay temporarily, which Fox says is a good first step toward some form of legal status for all Mexican illegal immigrants.

The issue has united the two leaders, whose friendship dates back to Bush's time as Texas governor but was strained over Fox's objections to the war in Iraq. But immigration has divided Bush's Republican party, with business interests who want cheap labor battling conservatives who want a get-tough policy against illegal immigrants.

Fox suggested the issue is largely out of their hands now.

"The matter is in the Congress of the United States and that is where the decision will be made," Fox said. "It is no longer between President Bush and President Fox."

But both leaders were clearly trying to sway the debate.

"I told the president there is a legislative process that's going forward," Bush said. "And that it may look cumbersome to some, but that's how our democracy works."

Bush added, "I'm optimistic that we can get a bill done."

The summit included plenty of time to be neighborly. The three leaders dressed casually in open-collared shirts and strolled together among the ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza before sitting down for more intense one-on-one meetings. Fox planned a lavish dinner for his guests.

After spending the morning sightseeing, Bush had a few hours off before the formal meetings began. He used part of the time to work up a sweat in his hotel's gym.

There was tight security despite the fun-loving atmosphere generated by college students who have flocked to Cancun for spring break. Gunboats patrolled the turquoise waters off Bush's spa resort, and fencing kept out all but hotel guests. "I'd like to make sure you work more than you play," Bush joked to reporters.

The trilateral meeting was expected to be Fox's last, since he is set to leave office this year because of term limits. Bush lauded Fox for stabilizing the Mexican economy and improving the net worth of his people.

"That's important for the American economy as well," Bush said. "The more net worth there is in Mexico, the more likely it is the Mexican may be wanting to buy a U.S. product. And vice versa, by the way."

In his meeting with Harper, Bush sought to make the newly elected leader look good at home, making it a point to stress how hard the Canadian leader had pressed him on the softwood lumber issue. Harper "made an emphatic case," Bush said.

"I appreciate his steely resolve to get something done," the president said. "I appreciate your pushing."

But Bush didn't give Harper much of substance, saying only that "my intent is to negotiate in good faith and a timely fashion to resolve this issue."

___

On the Net:

U.S. Trade Representative: http://www.ustr.gov

White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government; Mexico; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 109th; 1986redux; amnesty; bush; bushamnesty; bushrobusteza; congress; guestworkers; hr4437; illegalimmigration; illegals; immigrantlist; immigrants; intifada; jorgewarbusto; mexico; mexifornia; nwo; pushes; redandgreendawn; threeamigos; tresamigos
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To: sinkspur
Could you put up a post without the word "sovereignty" in it? You've worn that word out.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is that you?
981 posted on 03/30/2006 10:16:49 PM PST by hedgetrimmer ("I'm a millionaire thanks to the WTO and "free trade" system--Hu Jintao top 10 worst dictators)
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To: Howlin

Does W promote AMNESTY?
No.


You mean not sending them home and letting them stay her and get a path to citizenship is not amnesty? Why won;t you define it?


982 posted on 03/30/2006 10:16:58 PM PST by rolling_stone
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To: Serenissima Venezia
How about a link

Try a search engine. Google has one tailor-made for the U.S. Government.

983 posted on 03/30/2006 10:17:07 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: Mo1
What's your opinion of the storm troopers?

Who the HELL are the storm troopers? I'm going to assume they're a bunch of Nazis, in which case I would have a very low opinion of them.

984 posted on 03/30/2006 10:17:34 PM PST by Junior_G
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
Well, I'm assuming you're with the President on this issue, that we should let him do his strategerizing or playing poker or whatever because we should never underestimate him and he has a plan of some sort that'll make him smell like roses and recapture Congress for the Republicans.

Well, you assumed wrong.

985 posted on 03/30/2006 10:17:46 PM PST by Howlin ("It doesn't have a policy. It doesn't need to have a policy. What's the point of a Democratic policy)
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To: hosepipe

it was an attempt to inject a little levity in a less than humourous moment in time.


986 posted on 03/30/2006 10:17:51 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: BigSkyFreeper
It's spin what the Times did.

It's what you're doing right now.

987 posted on 03/30/2006 10:18:19 PM PST by Mojave
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To: Mojave

LOL! This thread sucks, but there are some moments of levity.


988 posted on 03/30/2006 10:18:23 PM PST by Junior_G
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To: All

Democrats Want To Censure President Bush For Fighting The War on Terror
http://www.gop.com/MultiMedia/VideoPlayer.aspx?ID=1065&TypeID=3
March '06 Radio Ad

Pass this "white flag" ad from Dec 2005 around on the internet, it's from gop.com
http://www.gop.com/Media/120905.wmv
Dec '05 TV Ad

At least gop.com has not been taken over by the RINO's!

Too bad the RINO's allow the attacks on President Bush.

Too bad the RINO's refuse to acknowledge the connection
between Iraq and WMD and al queda.

Too bad the RINO's allow the likes of hanoi kerry to remain in the US Senate
while the dim's call for the impeachment of President Bush.

Too bad the RINO's won't allow the "white flag" ad to be run again on TV


989 posted on 03/30/2006 10:18:42 PM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (It's ALWAYS a great day to be a Conservative Independent Voter AND a Viet Nam Vet)
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To: hedgetrimmer; sinkspur
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is that you?

Nah, sinkspur's hair is longer ROFL

990 posted on 03/30/2006 10:18:43 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (None genuine without my signature)
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To: NormsRevenge
Maybe we could borrow some of NO's buses, they don't seme to have much use for them.

I think that Ray Nagin would prefer that you buy the buses. Make your bid here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-Orleans-Public-School-Bus_W0QQitemZ4626699885QQcategoryZ6728QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

991 posted on 03/30/2006 10:18:48 PM PST by TChad
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To: rolling_stone

He has said he will veto any plan with amnesty.


992 posted on 03/30/2006 10:18:59 PM PST by Howlin ("It doesn't have a policy. It doesn't need to have a policy. What's the point of a Democratic policy)
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To: rolling_stone
You mean not sending them home and letting them stay her and get a path to citizenship is not amnesty? Why won;t you define it?

Letting them stay here is not amnesty, sending them home isn't either. Amnesty is a pardon. They won't get pardoned, either here nor there.

993 posted on 03/30/2006 10:19:06 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Prepare for at least 2 million illegal votes for Hillary..
Its very easy to get the ID (on the street) to get registered to vote..
And thats counting the votes that not outright other kinds of fraud..

Maybe 4 or 5 million.. if "they" can get 500,000 out for a mere rally in one city.. Consider the national election..

994 posted on 03/30/2006 10:19:06 PM PST by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole..)
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To: BigSkyFreeper
To answer your question, Bush supports the House Bill which doesn't include amnesty, and which the Senate does not favor.

Could you please provide a source and link that the President supports HR4437?

995 posted on 03/30/2006 10:19:17 PM PST by afnamvet
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To: Howlin

I saw an article that south carolina has 55,000 illegals or so, have you seen any numbers for how many illegals are estimated in north carolina?


996 posted on 03/30/2006 10:19:36 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Monthly Donor spoken Here. Go to ... https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: NormsRevenge
We have a sad state of affairs in this state and nation... and what makes it worse is we have a split government trying to resolve crucial issues in an election year to top it off.

Very true, and ugly combination

997 posted on 03/30/2006 10:19:40 PM PST by beyond the sea (Claire De Lune - ........ 1862)
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To: BigSkyFreeper
I'm not your slave. If you've been paying attention for the last 6 years, you wouldn't need to be cited.

I've been paying very close attention to everything he said aand what he actually did. Nothing I have seen says he supports enforcement without AMNESTY. Oh he did define Amnesty like Clinton defined not having sex but I thought anyone could see through that BS..maybe I was wrong..and some people actually believe no amnesty isn't like no new taxes?

998 posted on 03/30/2006 10:20:09 PM PST by rolling_stone
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To: Mojave
It's what you're doing right now.

Speaking from experience I presume.

999 posted on 03/30/2006 10:20:11 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity.)
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To: BigSkyFreeper
Parroting does not imply originality.

I'm still curious as to what website you think I get all my great talking points from.

1,000 posted on 03/30/2006 10:20:16 PM PST by Junior_G
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