Bush set for immigration speech

WRIC News ^ | 5-14-06 | AP

[JustPiper]

BUSH SET FOR IMMIGRATION SPEECH WHITE HOUSE President Bush is getting set for a prime-time speech on immigration tomorrow night. Aides note the 8 p-m, Eastern Time, speech will be the president's first from the Oval Office that does not involve Iraq and the war on terrorism. And they say that reflects Bush's "passion" on immigration. He's speaking as the Senate is poised to clear a compromise measure including his idea for a guest worker program. However, a rival House bill is limited to a border crackdown, and meshing the two won't be easy. Stand Up For America !

"We have room for but one flag, the American flag...
We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...
And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

  organizations that protect our borders   |
...all links open to new browsers.

[Kimberly GG]

US IMMIGRATION REFORM QUESTION OF JUSTICE: FOX
Mon May 22, 11:29 PM ET


MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Vicente Fox, on the eve of a visit to the United States to lobby for immigration reform, said on Monday legalizing the status of millions of Mexican workers IS A QUESTION OF JUSTICE.

Fox said he was optimistic about chances of winning comprehensive immigration reforms in the U.S. Congress, as a coalition of lawmakers pushes for an overhaul of immigration law in the Senate by the end of the week.

"This is an act of JUSTICE, an act that benefits both countries ... an act that recognizes the enormous contribution that our countrywomen and countrymen make to the U.S. economy," he said while touring energy projects in northern Mexico.

The U.S. Senate is debating legislation that combines tighter border controls with a guest worker program and other measures to give millions of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

If the Senate approves the package this week before it goes into recess, the stage would be set for difficult negotiations with the U.S. House of Representatives on a final package ahead of the U.S. congressional election in November.

The issue has been explosive on both sides of the border.

President Bush favors immigration reform similar to the measure before the Senate, but his plan to deploy the National Guard to the 2,000-mile (3,200-km) border and build more fences there to keep illegal immigrants out raised hackles in Mexico.

Fox's government said last week it was sending a diplomatic note to express concern about the plans, after the U.S. Senate passed a bill to build 370 miles of new border fences.

With a July presidential election looming in Mexico, the welfare of some 10 million illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States is a major political issue. The opposition says Fox has not protested strongly enough against U.S. efforts to tighten the porous frontier.

On Monday Fox said he saw important legislative advances on the question of immigration reform but added that "the whole enchilada" had yet to be approved.

Fox's six-year term ends in December and under law he cannot seek re-election. "


JUSTICE. They see it as justice. And what if they don't get justice? What if their demands are not met? I hope that there are people who oppose amnesty that are willing to gather in protest at every location this man travels to.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I started watching the re-run last night and got too sleepy. In this case, King didn't do much talking, he just went around the panel.

What scared me was Carvell saying he and the dems like what the President is doing, JC wasn't as positive about the situation, one thing he said was he isn't certain anyone is going to convince 12 million people to come out of the shadows, pay a fine, learn English and apply for citizenship.

CNN has two WH analysts in addition to Candy Crowley both are named John.... John King was pretty much as he appears at the press conferences, the other John (the cuter John) is the one that said polls show 79% are in favor of the senate bill.... I really would like to see the internals on that poll, I suspect they were asked about the fence and not the other things they have thrown in there.

I still only managed to see about as much of the panel as I saw earlier in the evening...

[Smartass]

FOX TO VISIT HIS HENHOUSE     Mexico's Fox Begins U.S. Trip in Utah May 23 9:07 AM US/Eastern Email this story

By BROCK VERGAKIS
Associated Press Writer

SALT LAKE CITY

To some, Mexican President Vicente Fox's visit to the United States is a sign of hope to Hispanics as Congress debates immigration policy. To others, it is an opportunity to rally again in support of tightening the border. Fox begins his five-day trip in Utah on Tuesday before moving on to Washington state and California.

The president is scheduled to arrive in Salt Lake City at 2:30 p.m. EDT. He's expected to spend three days in Utah.

Immigration is a major focus of Fox's trip as the U.S. Senate considers legislation to strengthen border security, authorize new guest-worker programs and give an eventual chance at citizenship to most of the estimated 12 million people already living illegally in the United States.

Fox was expected to arrive in Salt Lake City Tuesday afternoon for the three-day visit, beginning his trip in a state that like many, is divided on immigration. While Utah's largest minority population is Hispanic, there also is growing frustration about the wave of illegal immigrants entering the state.

Jorge Fierro, a Mexican citizen who has lived in Utah since 1986, hopes Fox addresses how he and future leaders can improve the lives of Mexicans. Fierro, who is catering an address Fox is scheduled to make at Rico's Market, opened his first bean stand in 1997 and now sells Mexican food products in supermarkets throughout Utah.

"This is going to boost our morale now that our brothers and sisters are facing uncertainty in their future," Fierro said.

The Minuteman Project, which opposes illegal immigration, is planning protests at the Capitol, where Fox is scheduled to address a special session of the Legislature on Wednesday.

"I'd like to see Vicente Fox tell his people to respect the law and come here legally," said Alex Segura, founder of the Utah Minuteman Project.

Fox's itinerary for Tuesday included a luncheon speech to business and civic leaders and a stop at the Utah Cultural Center. A state dinner is planned Tuesday evening.

He'll also have a private meeting Wednesday with Republican Gov. John Huntsman. Huntsman supports President Bush's plan to send as many as 6,000 National Guard troops to the Mexican border and says it's important for Fox to see firsthand the frustrations Western states feel when it comes to illegal immigrants burdening health care and prison systems.

Fox also is expected to meet with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The majority of Utah residents are Mormon, as is the Legislature and Huntsman. The Mormon church also has a strong presence in Mexico, where in 2004 membership exceeded 106 million _ or one in every 105 Mexican nationals.

On Thursday, Fox is scheduled to address a joint session of the California Legislature and meet with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It will be Schwarzenegger's first meeting with Fox since he became governor in 2003. Fox also is expected to meet with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in Los Angeles.

 

 

[JustPiper]

Senate Vote Saves Immigration Bill Chances

WASHINGTON - The Senate rejected a California Democrat's plan to allow the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country to remain, work and eventually become Americans, preserving a fragile bipartisan coalition needed to pass the bill.

Several lawmakers who voted against the proposal offered by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (news, bio, voting record) on Tuesday said they did so reluctantly, but out of necessity to ensure survival of the broader immigration bill. The legislation is expected to win Senate passage Wednesday or Thursday.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060523/ap_on_go_co/immigration_5;_ylt=AjqDhva6vX7OoEDvZMEwzddQuk0A;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[JustPiper]

This is great will use it today!

[JustPiper]

Feinstein's amendment, defeated 61 to 37, would have supplanted the compromise that allows illegal immigrants here five years or more to stay and work six years and seek legal residency after paying back taxes and fines and showing they were learning English.

"I have come to believe that the three-tiered system is unworkable, that it would create a bureaucratic nightmare and it would lead to substantial fraud," Feinstein said Tuesday.

Feinstein offered the plan just before Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist set the stage for a preliminary vote Wednesday that could quickly bring the bill to a final vote. The bill appears headed for passage.

A bigger fight on the bill is still to come — when the House and Senate meet to negotiate a compromise bill. The House passed an enforcement-only bill that makes illegal immigrants felons, cracks down on hiring of illegal immigrants and steps up border security. It offers no path to citizenship or a guest worker program, which critics say is amnesty.

"If we are lucky, the House of Representatives will say it's got to be better," Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record), R-Ala., said of the Senate bill after predicting Monday it would pass.

[JustPiper]

C-SPAN3
It's My Party, Too: The GOP and the Future of America
~Snicker

They are trying to pass an amendment that it is a crime to build a tunnel under US border?! Don't these guys have anything better to propose?!

[Arizona Carolyn]

They said this morning on FOX TV that the Minutemen have quite a large contingent to protest his visit.

[JustPiper]

Up now GW program allowing 200,000 to fill jobs Americans won't do would add 4,000 BP and 2500 port entry gigs

[Arizona Carolyn]

ROTFLOL ~~~ Their salaries are a waste of taxpayers money.

[JustPiper]

I know let's disband the Senate!

[JustPiper]

LOL

[Smartass]

I hope so...

[JustPiper]

Bush border policy linked to Carlyle deal?
~Corsi

In January 2004, the Carlyle Group put together a new team to begin investing in Mexico. The team consisted of Luis Téllez, who was then an executive vice president of Desc, one of Mexico's largest companies; Joaquin Avila, who was then a managing director of Lehman Brothers; and Mark McLarty, the president of Kissinger McLarty Associates and chief of staff to and special envoy to the Americas for President Bill Clinton.

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=50334

[JustPiper]

On the theory of "follow the money," the interest of the Carlyle Group in Mexico investments might help explain why President Bush has been so reluctant to secure our border with Mexico. Clearly, the economic value of such a deal would diminish greatly if the U.S. Congress were to pass an immigration law tough on enforcement provisions, or a law that classified the conservatively estimated 12 million illegal aliens currently in the U.S. as "felons" if they did not return to their homelands. Reuters reported that a May 2006 Univision board meeting included discussions of other potential acquisition bids, including those possibly forthcoming from Robert Murdoch's News Corp, CBS and Disney. Reuters also noted that Televisa currently has a 17-year deal to provide Univision with programming for U.S. Hispanic viewers. Reuters further reported that Univision expects acquisition bids to be submitted by June 8, 2006.

Another interesting set of connections involves CSX, the international rail shipping and container company that was formerly headed by U.S. Secretary of Treasury John Snow.


In December 2002, while Snow was CSX CEO, the Carlyle Group acquired the international CSX Lines division of CSX in a $300 million transaction.

On Dec. 9, 2004, Dubai Ports International announced signing a definitive agreement to acquire CSX World Terminals from CSX in a transaction valued at $1.15 billion.

On Feb. 7, 2003, John Snow was sworn-in as secretary of Treasury.

On Jan. 17, 2006, President Bush announced his intention to nominate David C. Sanborn to be administrator of the Maritime Administration of the Department of Transportation. At the time, Sanborn was serving as director of operations for Europe and Latin America at Dubai Ports World. Prior to working at Dubai Ports World, Sanborn had been an executive at CSX. On March 27, 2006, the Bush administration notified the Senate that Mr. Sanborn's decision to withdraw his nomination had been accepted.

[JustPiper]

Exclusive: A Compromise Plan On Immigration
Leading House Conservative Mike Pence offers a "no amnesty" solution in an effort to get House Republicans on board

With the Senate headed toward a final vote on an immigration bill this week, a leader of House conservatives is asking his colleagues to support a free-market plan aimed at bridging the gulf between the versions in the two chambers. The proposal by Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), provided to TIME ahead of an unveiling speech at the Heritage Foundation, is arguably less compassionate than the version being debated in the Senate and supported in principle by President George W. Bush. But it looks to be more palatable to House Republicans, many of whom have opposed creating a guest worker program before new border crackdowns have been given a chance to work.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1196991,00.html

[JustPiper]

DETAILS OF THE PENTAGON'S
"TROOPS ON THE BORDER" DEPLOYMENT
("Ammunition" for your phone calls to Senators)

An aide in Congressman Norwood's (GA) office shared the basic details of the GWB plan for deploying NG troops on the border. As we would expect, the plan maximizes cost, minimizes benefit, shuffles lots of people in and out to give the image of mass mobiliation while achieving
absolutely nothing. And best of all for GWB and the "open borders" members of Congress it's designed to fail, allowing them to claim, "See we told you that putting troops on the border would cost too much and wouldn't
work."

Here it is: 6,000 troops will be deployed for 5 weeks at a time--the first 2 weeks for training and transportation, the following 3 weeks in actual duty, but in "support" roles so as not to offend the Mexican
government with US military uniforms on the border. Then at the end of the 5 weeks, the original 6,000 will be deactivated and another 6,000 will be brought in. So the 6,000 will be replaced every 3 weeks! That way, no one becomes very proficient at the job, reducing the possibility that "troops on the border" might actually be effective.

The aide gave me the dollar figures, but I didn't write them down.

The beginning figure was $753 million, and his "turnstile" plan ran the cost to over $4 billion. Just to make politicians look good! If my math is correct, the Pentagon will deploy nearly 104,000 different NG people in one year just to maintain 6,000 "bodies" there.

In calls to your Senators, let them know you're on to the phony "troops on the border" scam perpetrated by the White House.

Several of us plan to visit Kyl & McCain's Phoenix offices tomorrow, and you can be sure their aides will be informed that the details of this worthless deployment are now known. Should they claim it will be effective, our reply will be "If it's so great, how come it's not being
used in Iraq?"

~Marci

[JustPiper]

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." -- Mahatma Gandhi