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.

[RogueIsland]

Wow, we get a gesture

Oh yeah, we get a gesture all right...

[citizen]

Senor 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....Sen. Arlen Specter....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.

More GWBS, it'll be a guest-voter (amnesty) plan first and meaningful border security/illegal immingration/visa enforcement never.

[DoctorMichael]

A wall first, then we'll talk.

[NJ_gent]

Three timeless words: follow the money.

He can't believe it's right to leave this country unsecured in time of war; nobody is that stupid. Therefore, the only logical conclusion I can reach is that someone(s) is/are paying him a great deal of money to keep this country unsecured and the law unenforced.

[Ian McGreggor]

"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."

You got that right!... Prior to the 2004 election I posted in here that I had voted for Bush in 2000, but because he had done nothing to secure our borders or stop illegal immigration, I would not be voting for him again. I was called every name under the sun in here for saying so. (Incidentally, I didn't vote for anyone for prez in 2004 because nobody offered a plan to protect our borders).

I'm glad to see that many Freepers are now sharing my opinion about Bush and his 'Open Border' policy.

[MineralMan]

"He can't believe it's right to leave this country unsecured in time of war; nobody is that stupid. Therefore, the only logical conclusion I can reach is that someone(s) is/are paying him a great deal of money to keep this country unsecured and the law unenforced."

I don't know. If that's true, then that source of funds should be discovered by now. I just don't know.

[NJ_gent]

"Still, even now, President Bush has his supporters on this issue, even here on Free Republic."

Some of whom remind me of The Operative from the movie Serenity.

[NJ_gent]

"1. 11-12 Million illegals will not be rounded up and frog marched out of the country under ANY circumstances"

Give them no safe haven, no place to live, no jobs, no loans, and no public assistance and they'll self-deport. Cut them off from all access to government services except immediate life-saving medical treatment (and deport them once they're stabilized) including schooling and punish the tar out of those who employ them of give them loans and you'll soon see very few illegals roaming the streets. Those convicted of violent crimes who are in the country illegally should be executed with no appeals.

[NJ_gent]

"If that's true, then that source of funds should be discovered by now."

You assume that money has already changed hands. One cannot trace the source of funds which have yet to arrive. That's the only guess I can come up with (not claiming to have inside knowledge of a particular deal). Nothing else makes any sense.

[NJ_gent]

"I didn't vote for anyone for prez in 2004 because nobody offered a plan to protect our borders"

I can't support not voting in an election; that just tells me you didn't care who won. Personally, I wrote in David A. Keene for President. Did he have a chance to win? Not really, but I sleep with a clear conscience knowing I did what I could voting-wise to put someone in place who would behave more like a conservative and less like Ted Kennedy.

[MineralMan]

"You assume that money has already changed hands."

Not really. I don't assume anything much about Bush's position on illegals. His position is fairly clear, but the motivations aren't so clear.

I generally try to stay out of the speculation thing. If there's evidence, I like to see it. If there's no evidence, it's speculation.

I don't agree with the President's position, but I sure don't know why he holds that position.

[princess leah]

All he would need to do to shore up support for anything would be to announce he's pulling National Guardsman & women from Iraq and redeploying them all along our southern border to help protect our nation. If he did that, it would be a START out of the hole he's thrown himself and us into. I know he doesn't believe in fence lines (I disagree) but then if he does nothing, then atleast allow the Minutemen to build the fence as they have already stated as their intent to do.

[NJ_gent]

"I generally try to stay out of the speculation thing. If there's evidence, I like to see it. If there's no evidence, it's speculation."

Absolutely, but no other speculation I've seen thus far has come close to making sense.

[Ian McGreggor]

"I sleep with a clear conscience knowing I did what I could voting-wise to put someone in place who would behave more like a conservative and less like Ted Kennedy."

Trust me, I sleep very comfortable knowing I didn't put someone in place who would screw Americans.

Given the choice between Bush (who I knew wouldn't do anything to protect our borders), Kerry (who probably wouldn't do anything to protect our borders), and Joe Blow (who gave no indication of where he stood on protecting the borders - and who didn't have a snowball's chance in H anyway), I took the only logical course to register my protest - Don't vote for any of them as president.

[texastoo]

All of that may be true but the term "illegal alien" is used in the Medicare Bill. There is a whole section headed by Illegal Alien accompanied with $1 billion. Of course, think it is unAmerican for Illegal Alien to be in the Medicare Bill

[Boardwalk]

Maybe Bush wants to find out who they all are so he can draft them when the time comes. That could be one way that they will run for the border in the other direction!

[Plutarch]

Don't deceive yourself: sitting out an election just makes you one of the apathetic majority.

My pro-illegal Republican congressman is in a Gerrymandered district with no Dem threat. I will plan to vote for whatever moonbat far right party member is running (e.g. Constitution, America First) so as to register my views.

[NJ_gent]

"Given the choice between Bush (who I knew wouldn't do anything to protect our borders), Kerry (who probably wouldn't do anything to protect our borders), and Joe Blow (who gave no indication of where he stood on protecting the borders"

David Keene gave no indication of where he stood on protecting the borders? Do you even know who I'm talking about?

[jmc813]

Still, even now, President Bush has his supporters on this issue, even here on Free Republic.

That is a result of cognitive dissonance rather than truly held convictions.