Posted on 05/13/2006 10:21:14 PM PDT by Icelander
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is warning that the immigration bill favored by Senate Republicans will permit up to 36 million illegal aliens, as opposed to the 11 million being cited by proponents, to remain in the U.S. – a number that will make the average American "furious" when learned and will hurt the GOP.
"I am very worried that the Republican leadership in the Senate and potentially the White House are just going to end up very alienated from the vast majority of Americans on this issue," Gingrich told Human Events in an exclusive interview.. "The Senate bill is an absolute disaster."
Gingrich criticized the makeup of the conference committee, saying the agreement made between Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) "guarantees a bad bill." Under the terms outlined by Reid, Frist and Reid each get to appoint seven senators to the committee. Republicans will have seven more from the Judiciary Committee, whereas Democrats will only be able to send five from the committee.
"The Senate is drifting toward a disaster of the first order," Gingrich said. "The bill they're looking at is a bad bill. It violates, in almost every case, what the American people want."
Gingrich, who will appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" tomorrow, cited a recent poll released by Zogby and the Center for Immigration Studies showing overwhelming support – 65% to 30% – for the House bill, a measure that emphasizes enforcement.
Eighty-four percent of the poll's respondents wanted the government to prosecute employers who hire illegals and 86% agreed that federal dollars should be cut off to cities and states that refuse to enforce immigration laws. Nine out of 10 respondents favored making English proficiency a requirement to earn citizenship and 85% endorsed a voter-identity card to guarantee that only American citizens were casting ballots.
Gingrich disputed the oft-cited figure of 11 million illegal aliens who would be affected by any immigration reform bill, saying he believes the actual count would be three times greater.
"If there is an honest debate about how many million people will be given a chance to come to America under the Senate bill, we're told the number is between 30 million and 36 million people," he said. "When the average American learns that, they are going to be furious if the Senate Republicans allow that kind of bill out of the Senate.
"The Senate bill expands substantially who can be brought in as a member of the family," Gingrich noted. "So you take 11 million and add the other people, and we believe the real number is between 30 million and 36 million."
President Bush is scheduled to address the nation on immigration in a primetime speech Monday night.
"I look forward to the speech Monday night because I fervently hope the president is not going to side with the liberals in the Senate against the conservatives in the House, because no one in the president's base will understand that decision," Gingrich said.
"This is a great opportunity for the President to re-bond with the overwhelming majority of the American people. And the overwhelming majority of the American people say, ‘Put border security first.'"
And the fuze continues to burn...
Gingrich for President.
How're those health care coffee klatches with Hil going, Newt?
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is warning that the immigration bill favored by Senate Republicans will permit up to 36 million illegal aliens, as opposed to the 11 million being cited by proponents, to remain in the U.S. – a number that will make the average American "furious" when learned and will hurt the GOP.
OK, just to make sure--this week we LIKE Zogby polls, right?
Drifting? More like a steady course under a full head of steam.
"this week we LIKE Zogby polls, right?"
LOL!
Next week, when Zogby reports that "87% polled say the Bush plan to put the National Guard on the border 'goes too far'" we'll have ten thousand posts about his brother being a terrorist apologist. But we like this number, so he's a good egg as of 1:30 AM on Sunday morning.
It isn't just Zogby.
Newt doesn't have to worry about "drifting toward disaster", he ran aground years ago. Now, refloating him, that's another matter.
And what this article excludes, is the fact that Newtie was on with Hannity&Colmes the other night and he was AGREEING with Colmes about..........ILLEGALS. And no, he was NOT proposing a crackdown on them nor punishing them, or even deporting them.
And if you want him for president, I can only assume you you have little to no recollection of his putting on kneepads for Clinton, caving in so many ways, and all of the rest of the terrible baggage attached, firmly, to him, with yard after yard of chains.
People will keep posting this same crap over and over if it makes them feel somehow vindicated.
I hope not. I saw him on Hannity and Colmes the other night and he says Bushes wiretapping is unlawful. He walks a liberal line just like a lot of the other candidates. We are not going to have good stock to choose from, unless you are looking for a laundry worker (wishy washy).
It's funny how you attack the man personally, but have nothing to offer pro or con regarding his take on the borders. Debate his article. With all his shortcommings,
HE WAS THE PERSON WHO LED THE 1994 GOP sweep into congress.
I think one can take his thoughts a little more seriously.
Drifting??? The Titanic has already hit the iceberg.
pretty friendly with Hillary.
Ever since they've become good friends, he's had nothing good to say about any Republican.
I hope and pray that President Bush does the right thing, and enforces the laws that we already have on illegal immigration, and cuts all federal funding to "sancturary cities" that refuse to enforce the immigration laws, and takes whatever measures that are applicable to stop the invasion and protect our country's security.
The chances of him doing anything meaningful, I rate as about 2%. He will do something with some branch of the military on the border, and propose an AMNESTY. I hope to GOD that I am wrong, and that GWB will finally obey his oath, and defend our border.
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