Bush Takes Immigration Pitch to California

AP ^ | 4/24/6 | Nedra Pickler

[Crackingham]

As Congress headed back Monday from a two-week recess, President Bush was in the country's most immigrant-rich state to push a stalled bill that would allow more foreigners to work legally in the United States. Lawmakers, with an eye on Election Day in just over six months, remain far apart on whether to crack down on illegal immigrants or embrace them as vital contributors to the U.S. economy.

Bush wants a law that would give temporary guest worker permits to foreigners in low-paying jobs while strengthening border security. He was to push his idea in a speech Monday in Irvine, Calif., a state that has seen massive protests in recent weeks calling for immigrant rights.

Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Sunday he believes Congress will be able to work out differences and pass a bill. Specter, R-Pa., has pledged to have legislation ready for debate soon after lawmakers return.

Specter said Democrats and Republicans have to agree on a list of amendments to consider. And he acknowledged that even if senators pass a bill with a guest worker program, it will be tough to work that out with House members who passed a much tougher bill that would impose criminal penalties on those who try to sneak into this country and would build up fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"It would be a tough conference, candidly, with the House, but we were able to work through the Patriot Act although there were big disagreements," Specter said on CNN's "Late Edition."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., intends to seek passage of immigration legislation by Memorial Day by reviving the Senate bill that stalled earlier this month due to internal disputes in both parties as well as political maneuvering.

In a gesture to conservative critics of the measure, Republican leadership aides said last week that Frist also will seek roughly $2 billion in immediate additional spending for border protection.

Some conservatives have said the Senate bill is unacceptable because provisions allowing for eventual citizenship to some of the illegal immigrants already here amount to amnesty.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Bush is rabidly PRO illegal immigration. Bush is an obtuse chump. Bush is our new Jimmy Carter.

[tabsternager]

Put that "broad-based support for Pres. Bush" in the past tense.

Personally, I don't know anyone who voted for him that still supports him, and the illegal immigration issue was just the last in a long list of disappointments from him.

[zook]

Bush touts a policy proposal that the majority of Americans support -- and some people think this is a bad thing? Not me. I support the President's proposal.

[MineralMan]

See #43.

[Serenissima Venezia]

It seems to me that there is pretty broad-based support for President Bush here on Free Republic.

I guess that is true on other issues, but I was referring only to illegal immigration. Those of us in the border states - and a few others - are spitting mad over his pushing the guestamnesty policy.

[zook]

"There are some here who worship the man no matter what he does or says"

We don't "worship" him. We agree with him. We think his policies are reasonable.

[MineralMan]

"Personally, I don't know anyone who voted for him that still supports him, and the illegal immigration issue was just the last in a long list of disappointments from him.
"

Actually, there are many threads here on FR that are full of supporters of President Bush. If you do a user search for "Dane" or "MNJohnnie" you'll find a lot of those threads.

[zook]

"A very small percentage, however. I'd guess maybe 5%?"

The last Freeper poll showed something in the mid 30s.

[Iwo Jima]

I disagree that the electorate knows 1) what globalism is, 2) that Bush is a globalist, or 3) what Bush's views on immigration were during the 2000 or 2004 elections.

Also, we were told that the only 2 issues that mattered were 1) the war on terror and 2) appointment of conservative judges to the Supreme Court. There is still much to be said for that approach at the time. But it is no longer the correct perspective.

What has changed with the electorate is that 1) the WOT has made us more conscious of security risks associated with lax border enforcement, 2) the WOT has made us more aware of how people come to this country and even become citizens with the intent of doing us harm, 3) economic turmoil has made us more cognizant of what globalism is and its pitfalls and how illegal aliens and immigrants affect that, and 4) most important of all, it is now abundantly clear that our leaders don't tell us the truth about what they think or are doing, or even care what we think or how we are affected by this entire debate.

[Serenissima Venezia]

30% for amnesty? That's pretty high. Scary. I guess most of those people don't post on the illegal immigration threads.

[KeyLargo]

Amnesty!

Go bye Republicans.

Do you think that after we conservatives sit at home come election time, the RINOs will get the message?

[MineralMan]

"Do you think that after we conservatives sit at home come election time, the RINOs will get the message? "

Sure they will. They'll get the messages that a bunch of people joined the apathetic majority and didn't bother to vote. That's the only message they'll take from it.

The number of conservatives who will sit out the election is, perhaps, large enough to swing a very close election. It is not enough, however, to send any messages.

Suppose that voter turnout drops by 5% in this year's election. That's not unusual, really, for an non-presidential election year. The politicians who win their office will shrug it off. The ones that lose will look for the reasons they lost, but they'll still be out of office.

Don't deceive yourself: sitting out an election just makes you one of the apathetic majority. It does send the message that more voters are apathetic. That's the only message it sends.

[Mike Darancette]

WHY IS BUSH DOING THIS? Can someone please answer this?

First off I heard no mention of Citizenship from Bush.

1. 11-12 Million illegals will not be rounded up and frog marched out of the country under ANY circumstances (the 2 million here under 2 years will probably not be sent home either). We have to deal with the problems we have which are millions of Illegals and a hemorrhaging border with Mexico. The Border is the easy part.

2. Bush wants a program that lets them do certain jobs for a period of time then go home. I don't think he is completely happy with either the House or Senate bill.

The devil is in the details.

[zook]

During wartime, big spending on the right things is not unreasonable. And I reject outright your assertion about "Teddy's proposals."

But regardless, I'm not worshiping Bush. I'm agreeing with him on the big issues.

[trubluolyguy]

Repubs, remember that Bush is not running again, most of you are. Pass an amnesty guest worker POS bill that makes it to the oval office. Enjoy your new minority status.

[trubluolyguy]

I will say it AGAIN. Bush is handing the house to the Dems. Next year speaker Pelosi and Senator Ted will reciprocate by handing him his rear end.

---

And I will laugh mine off.

[zook]

I love limited government, I think the President does as well, but I he has done as much as he can to limit it given the current political climate.

And yes, I have been "paying attention."

The thing that strikes me about your replies is how they emphasize rhetorical intimidation over rational illumination.

[jamese777]

"Amnesty!
Go bye Republicans.
Do you think that after we conservatives sit at home come election time, the RINOs will get the message?"

A Republican President named Ronald Wilson Reagan granted the only amnesty for illegal aliens yet adopted and both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush were subsequently elected as Republican Presidents AND the Republicans took control of Congress AFTER Reagan's amnesty.
The President obviously believes history will repeat itself.