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.
That is one of the dumbest posts in years because noone is talking about LEGAL immigration, it's all about REWADING criminality, you know, as in ILLEGAL..
We will have to agree to disagree then - there have been people right here at FR against "legal" immigration too.
Let's say I break into your house. When you find me in the house yo tell me to leave and I say: I made the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors... all the things you don't like to do.
Except when I broke in (to your house) I'm honest and hardworking so I want to stay. Actually, not only must you LET me stay, but you have to add me to your health insurance policy and provide benefits for my family members, too (my husband will do your yardwork since, except for breaking in) he is honest and hardworking.
If you try to call the police or force me out I'll call my friends and they will come over here and surround your house and picket you until you see the light and let me stay.
It's only right because, after all, you have a nicer house than I do and I'm only trying to better myself by moving into your house.
And, what a deal this is (for me) because I can live in your house and contribute a fraction of what it will cost for my keep and there is nothing you can do about it withou being accused of sefishness, prejudice and be anti-housebreaker.
If this sounds reasonable to you then grab a sign and go picket with the rest of the illegals, but if it sounds insane then call your senator and congressman and enlighten them since they are stumbling in the dark and really need enlightening by all of us.
There have been people right here at FR against "legal" immigration too.
Then argue with them to find out where they really stand, but when the subject is clearly about illegal immigration and what to do with all the border-breakers here and still coming here, and the rediculous legislation, passed last Friday, that gives illegals here in the country more rights than your or I have, as legal citizens of the USA, recognize the difference and argue your points accordingly.
Here's just ONE person talking about stopping LEGAL immigration:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1608201/posts?page=77#77
So, who has the dumbest post in years again?
I have argued with them:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1608492/posts
Also, I don't think the Senate bill was that bad, especially once some of the harsher enforcement provisions from H.R. 4437 are added.
Have you read the bill???? You think illegal's should be paid more than people living here? or employers should not be able to fire them as they can you or I (without cause)????? just for starters?
Yes (to all your questions), but I think ALL minimum wage laws should be abolished.
Just wondering what some of those harsher enforcement provisions? Are they yet to be added?
If it is passed forget conservatism, welcome socialism and tax hikes, because to support this it will require more government intrusion into our and employers' lives and more govenment spending to support the provisions.
Any questions about what is coming to a state near you with this rampant influx -- take a hard look at California. This was once a conservative state and rampant illegal immigration has driven it into the liberal, La Raza direction. California is lost, I don't want to lose the rest of the USA.
I'm not an anti-immigration person, but do agree that we need a slow down to get a handle on what has happened the past 20 years... and we need to get a handle on who we have representing all of us in the senate -- because most are not representing us they are representing someone, something else, but not us.
Republicans are not representing us???
Republican's like John McCain may be one of my two state senators, but he certainly isn't representing my views in the senate.
Why are you utterly incapable of differentiating between legal and ILLEGAL immigration? Why are you so bound and determined to reward criminals? You're not taking a conservative position on this at all. Stop fooling yourself.
If we were only talking about LEGAL immigrants, and if that 3 million number was accurate, it probably wouldn't be. But the illegals will keep coming, in larger numbers than ever, and the 3 million will end up being far larger.
You're a fool.
So I'm wrong, one out of 100,000 FR posters is still more than "noone", I guess. I still have to agree to disagree.
You certainly haven't demonstrated that skill in this forum.
As I've always said too, had we not killed 40 million plus under Roe v. Wade, maybe we wouldn't need all these illegal aliens.
Yes, we've all read your ridiculous assertion that 60 million wrongs (40 million abortions + 20 million criminal invaders) somehow make a "right".
I'll make you a deal. Stop abortion and then we'll talk about how to replace those killed by it. It's common sense. Stop the leak and then figure out how to replace what leaked out.
Well, I've been here longer than just about anyone and I haven't seen them. Even so, what does that have to do with the topic of this thread? Were we discussing the opinions on immigration policy of a few unnamed FReepers and I missed it?
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