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.
How about this: all the Hispanic has to do is make it into the country, by whatever means, and he's eligible for a green card in a year. How's that for a law? Someone tell me what they think about that.
And I say you're full of it.
Why don't you copy a couple of the worst examples of those "diatribes" to this post, and we can take a look.
This comment is totally unacceptable, I cannot believe that Tony Snow actually made it. It offends our intelligence.
The legal American Citizen is being thrown to the lions with the useless 'Immigration Bill' and comments such as this.
TEMPORARY WORKER PROGRAM:
Bush called for a temporary worker program allowing foreign workers to enter the United States for jobs for a limited period of time. THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOME COUNTRIES AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR STAY.
_ PATH TO CITIZENSHIP:
Bush said it is not realistic to deport the millions of people illegally living in the United States. "I believe that ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO HAVE ROOTS IN OUR COUNTRY and want to stay SHOULD HAVE TO PAY A MEANINGFUL PENALTY FOR BREAKING THE LAW, TO PAY TAXES, TO LEARN ENGLISH AND TO WORK IN A JOB FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. People who meet these conditions should be able to APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP BUT APPROVAL WOULD NOT BE AUTOMATIC, AND THEY WILL HAVE TO WAIT IN LINE BEHIND THOSE WHO PLAYED BY THE RULES AND FOLLOWED THE LAW, What I have just described is not amnesty; it is a way for those who have broken the law to PAY THEIR DEBT TO SOCIETY and demonstrate the character that makes a good citizen."
Present imigration law allows an illegal in this country for 10 years to apply for a hardship based green card. Absent any special obstacles they are not denied. (if a felony exists they just file a wavier of excludability application)
The reall issue with immigration control is that by limiting the number who come to live in the USA, those people gradually become absorbed into the american melting pot. They are gradually forced to learn english. Their children are fully americanized by the fourth generation even if they speak the old toung.
With the outright flood that has entered this country we now have spanish language MSM which advocates mass invasion as a means of ecconomic survival. If immigrants don't speak spanish by generation four that's bad for univision.
Perhaps the real litmus test should be "what is bad for Univision is good for the United States."
You don't have to be apoplectic to know that the Senate has passed Amnesty (or "virtual amnesty" because of a token "fine" that is paid after 8 years) and this amnesty bill if made law will have negative ecconomic consequences to the landscape of the American Society.
We have this path right now.
There is no need to change the law.
After 10 years, and proving you have REAL roots, you can have an illegal become a legal resident. (and after 5 years become a citizen)
THERE IS NO REASON TO CONNECT THIS WITH A GUEST WORKER PROGRAM.
We can have a guest worker program without any citizenship right. If you make it a convertable visa, and if you allow present illegals to have a guest worker visa path to citizenship, IT HAS CHANGED NOTHING AND MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE.
Thank you. Coolidge doesn't get anywhere near the credit he deserves.
Make that ANTI ILLEGAL immigration, now we're squared.
I am happy to give the House one last chance to compromise in good faith with the Senate. Then we can all "pick up the tab" as efficiently as possible. If not, a blanket Presidential pardon would easily be available for any federal crime. Or, you could set it up like Carter's Proclamation of January 21, 1977, which pardoned certain persons who, during the Vietnam War era, violated the Military Selective Service Act by draft-evasion acts or omissions committed between August 4, 1964 and March 28, 1973: http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/carter_instructions.htm
I don't employ any illegals.
So you are saying that Bush is no better than Carter? And that Illegal Aliens are no better than deserters and traitors?
I hope you've calmed down enough to realize that voting out Republicans will only give you Democrats who are worse on everything.
Many illegal aliens have committed NO crime (let alone felonies) after entering or staying in the country illegally.
That's his job description. Actually, Tony Snow has always supported the President's Amnesty / Open Border Program even during his radio show. He has not changed on this. Even if he did, it is his job now.
Only U.S. citizens should be allowed to vote - it is a felony for illegal aliens to vote.
Nobody in their right mind is going to agree with comparing people who cross the border illegally to murderers etc etc.
This is the sort of nonsense that totally discredits the anti-immigration (illegals) crowd.
It's absolutely laughable.
There are many people who have been waiting years to enter this country legally. Some have been waiting decades. Is there any reason why illegals should be treated better than those who have been following the law?
If I steal something from someone, does it become mine if I don't break any other laws?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.