Posted on 05/17/2006 5:02:57 PM PDT by notes2005
WASHINGTON - Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who has pushed a tough border security bill through the House, accused President Bush on Wednesday of abandoning the legislation after asking for many of its provisions.
"He basically turned his back on provisions of the House-passed bill, a lot of which we were requested to put in the bill by the White House," Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., angrily told reporters in a conference call. "That was last fall when we were drafting the bill, and now the president appears not to be interested in it at all."
Sensenbrenner chairs the House Judiciary Committee and would be the House's chief negotiator on any final immigration package for Bush's signature. He said it was the White House that had requested two controversial felony provisions in the bill the House passed last winter.
"We worked very closely with White House in the fall in putting together the border security bill that the House passed," he said. "... What we heard in November and December, he seems to be going in the opposite direction in May. That is really at the crux of this irritation," he said of Bush.
White House spokesman Alex Conant said Bush has been consistent in seeking comprehensive immigration reform. "He applauded the House's action to strengthen our borders and is now urging the Senate to pass a bill," Conant said.
Sensenbrenner spoke with reporters as the Senate worked this week on a broader bill that generally follows the approach Bush laid out Monday night in his nationally televised speech. That includes offering most of the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants an opportunity to eventually become citizens — an act that Sensenbrenner and other conservatives label as amnesty.
"I was very disappointed in the president's speech," Sensenbrenner said. "I think he doesn't get it."
Asked if Bush mollified conservatives in the speech by calling for sending National Guard troops to states along the Mexican border, Sensenbrenner said, "He failed in that completely."
And despite Bush's insistence that he was not calling for amnesty, Sensenbrenner said, "Well it is an amnesty, because it allows people who have broken the law to stay in the country."
"The president has repeatedly and forcefully rejected amnesty," Conant said. "Under his plan, you're going to have to pay stiff fines, follow the law, stay employed, learn English and — after achieving all those things — go to the back of the line."
Sensenbrenner did not attend a closed-door meeting between Bush political adviser Karl Rove and House Republicans, but said that some members complained to him that Rove didn't stay around for many questions or hear what lawmakers had to say.
"The overwhelming majority of those that I talked to who were at the conference believe that he dissed the House Republicans," Sensenbrenner said.
Tattoo's are popular. Some even do their own with rusty knives and dirty needles and some ink.
You had to listen to him very carefully, because he is loyal, but it was there, the hesitation at times... I think the transcript was posted here yesterday.
The article that was posted here on FR this afternoon that started all the spamming of threads was on the MSNBC website. If you have more info maybe you should post it instead of dripping sarcasm about google being my friend.
You may have missed it but some lazy person was spamming threads all afternoon with that- posting it as if it were a direct quote from President Bush, with no source and the person was not even participating on the threads- just spamming them all with that crap.
I am not happy with what is going on now with the border issues, and I am not happy with President Bush. All this does not give anyone the excuse to forget politeness, common sense, reasoned intelligent discussion and sure doesn't mean we should just start spamming excerpts from stories to multiple threads without even sourcing the original thread it was on or the article.
I have no conspiracy- if you do- post a link to back it up.
Mine kind?
As for being nasty .. you're right, I was and I apologize for that
Don't bother me, I'm practicing my jockstrap-toting skills.
How is one supposed to respond to a "I wish I were a mod" comment?
Sensenbrenner has been screwed over for two+ years and had promises made on immigration reform, in return for his vote, and it is this very thing that will keep people, like him, for rolling over this time. The reps with a skeleton in the closet may roll, the straight-shooters, not so much so (this time).
P.S. In this scenario it was important for Bush to keep quiet, but he felt he had to give a speech for the Senate's sake and spin the National Guard story as a prop.
Well, it makes a great story even if not accurate!
3rd time...
By the way who is your rep and when did he/she say it?
My Rep is Congressman Mike Pence (IN-06) and he said "A Nation without Borders in NO nation at ALL!"..
"I was very disappointed in the president's speech," Sensenbrenner said. "I think he doesn't get it."
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Interesting conterpoint to Durbin's review that Bush "got it".
Putting aside the impossibility of a perfect ID card, will not one that is much more difficult to hack, and expensive to hack, make a real difference. The enemy of the good is often the perfect. I think employers might go to jail, if they don't go throught the simple paces of checking out the better ID, particularly the more high profile ones.
Bush is in his own Private Idaho on this matter.
You troll you..lol
I'm trying to follow what you're saying, but I don't have a keen mind for intrigue. Are you implying that the WH set up the Republican House?
I listened to the Senate debates today. It is not required that you learn English only that you enroll in an English class.
"The president has repeatedly and forcefully rejected amnesty," Conant said. "Under his plan, you're going to have to pay stiff fines, follow the law, stay employed, learn English and — after achieving all those things — go to the back of the line."
I wonder how long it's going to take Conant to recognize that any plan which lets illegals continue to reside, work in, and reap the benefits of American society by definition isn't one which sends them to "the back of the line."
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RIGHT. The legal immigrant line is at the consulate in Mexico City or whereever, not here in the US.
The back-of-the-line really should mean 'go home and then apply'. This is Clintonesque semantics to avoid calling an amensty what it is, solely because in the past Bush said he was was against what he is for now.
Amen
I caught that...
I listened to the Senate debates today. It is not required that you learn English only that you enroll in an English class.
and they will pay your $500 for it...
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