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.
"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.
Damn right. The President, infact, is telling a LIE.
The man I almost was comforted that was at least honest has LIED. Bill Clinton had the wagging finger, now this President wags amnesty in my face and tell me it's not.
Get this for honesty Party boosters. As a mod Lib I wouldn't support Clinton because his character was flawed. I blew my top when he lied on national TV. I since became a conservative in ideology. Now I blow my top that another President has lied to my face. Who is consistent here? People that railed against Clinton and now try to justify Bush, or someone that was a Lib that ripped Clinton to shreds and now will do the same with this man as a conservative.
I've told people before Character mattered ABOVE EVERYTHING TO ME. George W. Bush's character has been tarnished, and I will treat his lie the same I did Clinton's lie. With contempt.
All 29 million of you.
You can't blame Tony for his words. He's just doing his job.
Any body that is not true to themself is subject to blame. And I think Tony is not being true to himself.
And what Tony is missing here is the fact that the speeder is a lawfully licensed driver [i.e., LEGAL] in the first place. And if he isn't, he usually gets more than a ticket.
I can't believe the WH is saying this crap.
You can accuse Clinton of a lot of things (I certainly have) but the number of prosecutions and deportations dropped significantly since Bush became president.
@@@@
I bet we find this little factoid on Snopes before too long. The only deportation Clinton favored was a little boy from Cuba.
It always seemed to me that they wanted to emulate the Clinton's. Right off the bat I remember they were doing the Clinton photo ops in the schools just like the Clinton's did.
And we appreciate it too DES. Thanks.
And Elian was a legal immigrant.
Interesting. Thanks for posting the statute.
That being said, the analogy is ludicrous and not worthy of Tony. However I won't bash him, he works for the President and the Senate bill is the President's wishes come true.
Very sad indeed.
The Statute is a Clinton Executive Order. One stroke of the pen and it goes away, like any of previous Executive Orders.
Rove, Bush et al simply do not realize the peril they're in. If this Act passes, Bush is impeached; simple as that. There will be those who worked precints in '04 that will be out in force supporting the Dem House managers. If the Senate flips as well, this could go all the way.
Too bad for Snow that he has to parrot these hilarious lines in trying to defend the indefensible position of the President on amnesty. When all those illegals become registered Democrats next year, Snow and Bush won't have to worry about future spinning. I have a feeling they will be prematurely retired.
It's possible HE is ILLEGAL.
I'm past mad, because they have to know what they're doing with this continual barrage of insults. This is designed to intimidate us, or enrage us into making a costly error.
I'm sorry, but I can't find any other answer than this...GWBush despises conservatives.
Glad it's Tony and not me; I couldn't repeat that tripe without a fit of sneezing.
"BULLsh...!! BULLshi...!! BULLshi...!!"
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