Posted on 05/26/2006 2:31:43 PM PDT by VU4G10
WASHINGTON - The White House on Friday said a Senate bill that would grant legal status to illegal immigrants is analogous to a traffic law that allows a speeder to pay a fine and continue driving.
"If you had a traffic ticket and you paid it, you're not forever a speeder, are you?" White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said in response to questions from The Examiner.
"So the fact is, you have paid your debt to society," he added. "And we have come up with a way to make sure that the debt to society gets paid. Then you move forward."
The "traffic ticket" analogy raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill, where many House Republicans regard illegal immigration as a grave crime.
"I don't know if Tony meant to trivialize it or not," said Will Adams, spokesman for Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. "But it's certainly misleading."
"The penalty for a speeding ticket is a fine," he added. "The penalty for being here illegally is being removed from this country. But the president doesn't want illegal aliens to go home."
Snow emphasized that illegals would have to pay fines, learn English and wait years for a chance at full citizenship. But Adams called that "a slap on the hand" compared to deportation.
"Here's a more apt analogy," he said. "You get stopped for speeding, and you say to the cop: "Hey listen, you're about to give me a $300 ticket. How about we make it 20 bucks and just call it even?"
Snow predicted that House Republicans would eventually drop their opposition to the Senate bill, which passed Thursday. The bill, which includes a guest worker program that would grant legal status to aliens, is headed to a conference committee for possible reconciliation with a House bill aimed at beefing up border security.
Snow suggested the guest worker program could be sold to even ardent opponents like Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
"Chairman Sensenbrenner, who's got some real problems with various aspects, has said publicly that the temporary worker program has merit," Snow said.
"There are areas in which members of the House are going to agree with the president," he added. "I certainly don't want to be speaking for Chairman Sensenbrenner, but the fact is, you know politics."
But Sensenbrenner appeared unmoved.
"What's going on now, in calling it a pathway to citizenship or earned legalization, is not honest because it is amnesty," he said at a news conference.
Excellent. Well put.
Apparently one job Americans will do is "Drama Queening".
Is it the maid or the gardener?
Or do you employ illegals?
bump
The White House seems to be on an insane spree, each and every week, to make me fully regret my vote in '04. It's just so mind-boggling. I've never been put in this position. I'm so accustomed to fighting the Dems and their sick, anti-American, leftist stances. I'm just not accustomed to constantly being spat upon by folks I supported.
Criminal aliens who've invaded our country... the same as speeding? INSANITY.
Hmmmmm, you already did...
;^)
According to my insurance company, the answer is, "Yes; you ARE a speeder 'forever'".
As to "you have paid your debt to society," again the insurance companies have a different answer: Pay, and keep on paying...'forever'.
So, to continue Tony's analogy, the illegals are the speeders; the traffic court is the administration; and the American people are the insurance companies. The Legislative Branch should pay the same heed to the people in this, that they do to the insurance companies on "safety issues".
Didn't take ol' Tony long to jump the shark, did it?
More evidence that Bush&Company doesn't give a s**t about what Americans have to say on this issue of immigration reform. Btw, Tony Snow is smoking dope.
Under the Senate rules, someone who's caught speeding once would have to pay a fine, but they, their family, and anyone else who calls them a relative would be forever exempt from the speed limit laws.
Why do I keep getting the feeling that the Bush team wants this 2nd term over with ASAP?
Tony is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations - that bunch WANTS open borders. He never was on our side.
Did your mother drop you on your head often?
People keep saying over and over, why don't we enforce the laws. It is because there are so many conflicting laws, they aren't enforceable.
--
In effect then, illegals have additional protections under conflicting laws and are provided special considerations that are not included in the Constitution for any legal residents of this country.
Strange world, indeed.
Who invited you to jump on FR less than a month ago just to throw out personal attacks? I think you're a troll!
I am sure you would!
Shew...how embarrassing.
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