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.
This sounds kind of strange. Either Bush and Rove have given up on the House and the bill altogether or worse they've got something else up their sleeve to ram their pet project through, perhaps using the votes of democrats instead. I hope Hastert would never allow that to happen.
"I agree with your evaluation...by openly exposing one of the points of his speech that would be most acceptable to the conservative supporters, it made everyone emphasize it to the exclusion of the cancerous provisions the President wanted to slip through."
Yep. It was a good one. People have positive feeling for the National Guard, and worries about security. Bush Team converted them from heroes in Iraq into a border dog and pony show...maybe, haven't seen it yet.
"It has now come to this...I analyze my own President's actions in the same way I would examine President Clinton's actions. When you have to watch your back with your own President, then something is wrong."
Yep.
"I just want him to be honest about who is supporting this nonsense."
I'm thinking the Democrats are taking the anti-American worker position less out of Globalism and more because they've been suckered into right-wing bashing. Or both.
Here's an irony. I was critically commenting on the protestors who were laying the "felon" provision at the feet of Bush as ill-informed. My bad. They were right -inadvertently.
I would rather no bill pass than a bad bill.
But I know there are some out there, biting their nails, just waiting....LOL!
The same way they come up with acouple thousand to pay the coyotes to smuggle them in to the U.S. They manage to pay that before they've even come here to earn any money.
We are almost back to the Constitutional Convention idea...
We are almost back to the Constitutional Convention idea...
"This sounds kind of strange. Either Bush and Rove have given up on the House and the bill altogether or worse they've got something else up their sleeve to ram their pet project through, perhaps using the votes of democrats instead."
Counting on house Democrats. Counted on their votes from the beginning. Least Reid can do is stop the ill-placed Bush-bashing and make peace with him. Liberals, blue-collars, not asking any questions, their media like the New York Times focusing their attentions to the "right wing extremists."
It's a dilemma. The trick on Sessenbrenner is one for all time. A juicy bit of political intrigue. But if the MSM covers it, their facade fails. People will start asking "What's really going on here?"
Maybe the British papers will cover it.
Nows the time to make some noise with your representative, if ever there was one.
I'm with you. Something very strange is going on with Bush and Company.
This morning on Milwaukee radio station WISN, Jay Weber had an interview with Congressman Sensenbrenner. If you are looking for a honest man, ask people in Wisconsin. Most will point to Jim Sensenbrenner.
Listen to this interview. It is about 5 min. in length.There is also a transcript . It is about the Pres. speech last night and the Immagration Bill.
Now, I could be wrong on this, but I think I heard something, maybe just a rumor, that Bush might be working at some obscure plan to keep your ass from GETTING BLOWN UP?
You mean like the kind of respectful debate that Rove stuck around to hear from the house republicans? Oh wait, he left early, nevermind. I am seething with anger over George Bush and his illegal immigration SHAMNESTY.
NO. You need the lesson. More illegals came here under Bush and the end of Clinton.
Why the high numbers under Bush? He invited them with his pandering plan when he came into office.
Most Unauthorized Arrived Since 1990
1995-1999 3.6 million -- 35% (750,000 per year)
1990-94 2.2 million -- 21% (450,000 per year)
1980s 1.3 million -- 14% (130,000 per year)
2000-04 3.1 million – 30% (700,000 per year)
10.3 Million Unauthorized in March 2004
About 30% of the unauthorized population in 2004 or 3.1 million persons arrived in the 4+ years since 2000. In the 5 years before that, 3.6 million arrived. Thus, about two-thirds of unauthorized migrants have been in the country less than 10 years.
This has to be stopped before it becomes law because once that happens they'll be plenty of money for amnesty but nothing else. Now's the time to start shouting the ears off of the congressmen.
This is laughable on its face.
It would help to prevent me from getting my ass blowed up if the border was sealed.
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