Privately, Bush Says He Favors Citizenship (for Illegals)

President Bush generally favors plans to give millions of illegal immigrants a chance at U.S. citizenship without leaving the country, but does not want to be more publicly supportive because of opposition among conservative House Republicans, according to senators who attended a recent White House meeting.

Several officials familiar with the meeting also said Democrats protested radio commercials that blamed them for Republican-written legislation that passed the House and would make illegal immigrants vulnerable to felony charges.

Bush said he was unfamiliar with the ads, which were financed by the Republican National Committee, according to officials familiar with the discussions.

At another point, Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and other members of his party pressed the president about their concern that any Senate-passed bill would be made unpalatable in final talks with the House.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat, said the lawmaker who would lead House negotiators, House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, had been "intractable" in negotiations on other high-profile bills in the past. Bush did not directly respond to the remark, officials said.

The Republican and Democratic officials who described the conversation did so Wednesday on condition of anonymity, saying they had not been authorized to disclose details.

Bush convened the session to give momentum to the drive for election-year immigration legislation, a contentious issue that has triggered large street demonstrations and produced divisions in both political parties. Senators of both parties emerged from the session praising the president's involvement and said the timetable was achievable.

"Yes, he thinks people should be given a path to citizenship," said Sen. Mel Martinez., R-Fla., a leading supporter of immigration legislation in the Senate.

No, it really isn't, though you do wish that were true.

The President was asked a direct question concerning his own name-calling, which he refused to answer with a "yes" or "no".

Why do you suppose the President wouldn't just say "no" when he was asked if he called the Minutemen vigilantes?

Why do you suppose Scott McClellan wasn't authorized to just say "no" when he was asked if the President called the Minutemen vigilantes 6 days later?

President Reagan's wife didn't have a problem with "just say no".

If it stands for anything, the Constitution stands for the rule of law.

Just curious. How many times have you gone over the speed limit? How about had a beer or two and driven?

Those are the rules of law, you know. Entering illegally is not now a felony, merely a misdemeanor.

How many times does breaking the speed limit equal the misdemeanor of crossing the border one time? 10 times? 100 times? 1000 times? If you've driven very long at all, driving too fast 1000 times wouldn't be hard for most people to hit.

Let those among you without sin cast the first stone.

"Step 1 to pursuade them to assimilate"

I don't want to persuade law-breakers to do anything but accept their punishment. For border-jumping illegal aliens, that means deportation. What you're suggesting is that the first thing you do to get someone who's been breaking the law to stop is to make everything they've done thus far legal. Does that mean that child molestors will stop molesting children if we stop prosecuting them? It's along the same lines of logic.

"if we keep wasting our time on the failed shut door policy."

If you consider what we have now to be a 'shut door' policy, then I can't wait to see what you call the giant border fences, armed patrols, and mass deportations in about five years. Open borders is the failed policy; it's the policy which is about to come to an end. Are you ready?

For border-jumping illegal aliens, that means deportation.

Regarding what government does, it doesn't matter if a thing is "best", or "legal", or "logical", the only thing that matters is "the way things are".

Libertarians, despite any logic they may bring up on the subject, will never pursuade government to legalize drugs. Because drugs being illegal are "the way things are".

Likewise, you and the millions of Americans who feel this way about illegal aliens, will never pursuade government to truly shut the border, and deport millions of people. You're wasting your breath.

I'd prefer they were gone too. But since that won't happen, the next best thing is to get them assimilated. You are wasting your time, and actually getting in the way of assimilation, by trying to get them sent home.

The status quo is the worst of all situations, where illegals keep coming across, and never assimilate. The "no amnesty" mantra folks are actually helping purpetuate the status quo. Because these people won't be sent home. Assimilation is the best option we've got.

"Regarding what government does, it doesn't matter if a thing is "best", or "legal", or "logical", the only thing that matters is "the way things are"."

That's a very pessimistic view of our government. If that were the case, liberty would be nothing but a myth we tell our children, and rights would come wholey from the government.

"Libertarians, despite any logic they may bring up on the subject, will never pursuade government to legalize drugs. Because drugs being illegal are "the way things are"."

You could have said the same thing in Mexico or Europe until recently.

"Likewise, you and the millions of Americans who feel this way about illegal aliens, will never pursuade government to truly shut the border, and deport millions of people. You're wasting your breath."

If politicians see their donations begin to dry up (as they no doubt have), they'll start wondering about their votes next. Americans who've supported illegal aliens until now (the so-called "I respect someone who is willing to work all day for $50" crowd) are rapidly turning on them with these marches, rallies, and riots. With every demand made by an illegal, with every Mexican flag waved or raised in the US, and with every loud-mouth imbicile who gets in front of a microphone or a TV camera and starts spewing La Raza/Atzlan garbage, hundreds and thousands of Americans get more and more furious.

"these people won't be sent home."

Either the government will send them home on planes and buses (along with most of them returning on their own due to lack of jobs, lack of free handouts, and lack of shelter), or you'll see (within the next two to three years) illegals (and, truly unfortunately, those who "look like" they might be illegal) being packed up in bodybags by the tens of thousands. With the peaceful 'protests' by illegals already turning into riots in some places, the backlash will be more horrifying than anything we've yet seen. Places that are inundated with illegals will turn into war zones.

However, I'm optimistic that action will be taken to deny illegals the incentives that keep them coming here and staying. Once we go after the employers, the jobs will dry up. Once we end the social services (welfare, medicare, public schooling, etc) for illegals, they won't have anything to sustain them or their families here. Make it a crime to shelter an illegal and many who would otherwise stay with friends will find that they have no place to go.

Without jobs, money, free handouts, free schooling for their children, free medical care for their families, or shelter, they'll go wherever they can get jobs; be it Mexico or Canada. Either way, they won't stay here.

Either the government will send them home on planes and buses (along with most of them returning on their own due to lack of jobs, lack of free handouts, and lack of shelter), or you'll see (within the next two to three years) illegals (and, truly unfortunately, those who "look like" they might be illegal) being packed up in bodybags by the tens of thousands.

No, they won't, or it would have already happened, if only in one or two cases. Americans are a civilized people. We follow the rules, even if illegals don't with regard to borders.

The only options are assimilation, or the status quo. If those chanting "no amnesty" get their way in the short term, the long term will be the status quo. More Mexicans in America, until America becomes a third world country.

I'd love it if we could send them home, but despite intense efforts of those trying to make that happen, not a single major political figure is championing that cause. That's because it's a loser issue in the end, and they know it. If no powerful politician of any stripe will support sending these people home, it ain't happening. Ever.

Not even Ronald Reagan supported sending illegals back, even when it was the law.

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