Posted on 07/04/2006 7:38:49 PM PDT by nj26
On the eve of nationwide hearings that could determine the fate of his immigration bill, President Bush is signaling a new willingness to negotiate with House Republicans in an effort to revise stalled legislation before Election Day.
Republicans both inside and outside the White House say Mr. Bush, who has long insisted on comprehensive reform, is now open to a so-called enforcement-first approach that would put new border security programs in place before creating a guest worker program or path to citizenship for people living in the United States illegally.
"He thinks that this notion that you can have triggers is something we should take a close look at, and we are," said Candi Wolff, the White House director of legislative affairs, referring to the idea that guest worker and citizenship programs would be triggered when specific border security goals had been met, a process that could take two years.
The shift is significant because Mr. Bush has repeatedly said he favors legislation like the Senate's immigration bill, which establishes border security, guest worker and citizenship programs all at once. The enforcement-first approach puts Mr. Bush one step closer to the House, where Republicans are demanding an enforcement-only measure.
"The willingness to consider a phased-in situation, that's a pretty big concession from where they were at," said Representative Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma, whose closeness to Mr. Bush dates to his days as a top Republican National Committee official. "It's a suggestion they are willing to negotiate."
In a sign of that willingness, the White House last week invited a leading conservative proponent of an enforcement-first bill, Representative Mike Pence, Republican of Indiana, to present his ideas to Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in the Oval Office.
Ms. Wolff said the president found the Pence plan "pretty intriguing."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Dream on. you can't get the Senate to conference with that bill. Sorry but Tancredo went all in with Utah and he is left with a busted flush. Pence is now the guy that has the momentum and Hastert knows that if he doesn't get a bill before November he will never get one.
Gingrich likes the Pence immigration plan
Newt Gingrich gives kudos to the Mike Pence immigration reform plan in his latest Human Events column: One positive addition to the border-security and immigration debate is Rep. Mike Pence's (R-Ind.) bill, the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act. This bill is as close to the right solution as I have seen. It sets up a four-step process starting with what is needed and universally agreed upon -- border security. Second, it does not provide amnesty for people in the United States illegally. It requires them to go home. Next, it sets up a work-visa program using electronic bio-metric security based on conservative market principles. After an American employer can, in good faith, show that no American worker will fill a job offer, a work-visa holder may be hired. The key feature is that, in order for people who are here illegally to get a work visa, they must go home, because work visas will only be issued outside of the United States. Fourth, once the program is set up, companies that continue to ignore the law will be sanctioned severely. I hope the House will take a serious look at Rep. Pence's thoughtful and pragmatic approach to solving this issue.
Well if I was NK, I would really be worried.
Maybe the greedy businesses that support Bush's amnesty are donating enough pesos to keep Mehlman from tearing his hair out, but the Pubbie accountants know that the small donors in fly-over country are fed up and are holding back on their donations. And this translates into votes drying up as the GOP money-men can deduce quite well.
I know even from reading all kinds of FR threads for months that I'm not the only one sending donation envelopes back with snippy comments on amnesty.
No national committee ever has enough money. You may think Bush can bring most of the money in himself, but it doesn't work that way. Wait till the Republican candidates in tough races start screaming at the national campaign committees for more money, more money. Then some people may find out the hard way that there's NEVER enough money for everything that's needed.
Leni
You don't recognize the pattern? Most of what happens between the two houses is totally lost to the aveage Joe. It started right off when he first took office. The pattern is always the same but it goes under the radar. That is GWB's master plan.
Even Newt is backing the Pence plan. I'm sure the Tancrenites will call him a RINO and shamnesty supporter as well.
Pence's plan is delayed amnesty.
You've all contended it's moving forward.
Hence, amnesty is moving forward (according to you folks) and yet your insecurity still abounds enough to inspire attendence on these threads and an almost obsessive need to take down someone you claim has no influence anymore. Generally when people have outlived their usefulness, they are ignored. As I generally ignore Hillary. Though I realize most conservatives don't follow my lead on that one, but it does indicate I consider her usually beneath my attention.
The more you rant and rave about tancredo, well, the more I disbelieve any of you and your claims of who "won" and who "lost".
BTW, Pence was communicating with the W.H. long before the cannon/Jacobs vote. It was all over the papers and blogs. Your contention the House no longer fears tancredo and sent Pence immediately afterwards is bogus.
"This idea that an incumbent has to win a primary challenge by 20 points or he is in trouble is nonsense."
I didn't say that. What I was trying to say was that any incumbent who is otherwise popular with the base should win any Primary by closer to 50 points, or he is in trouble.
Get used to it. The Pence bill will be in effect before November.
What is a borderbot?
That simply is not true. I don't care who the incumbent is if there is a primary challenger there will be no 20 point win. Too many "base" folks are anti-incumbent on general principle.
The good news is that if you actually research the GOP's fund raising efforts to date they are out pacing the Democrats at a better then normal rate. Apparently Democratic voters are with holding donations at an even greater rate so it still remains a net plus for the GOP...or it could be that GOP voters are contributing per normal.
Agreed.
"Get used to it..." (post 130)
or
"time to get aboard the train" (post 120 - by me)
Did I call this or what. Classic case of bullying. Works great at PTA meetings when someone has to gall to ask why kids aren't being taught to read - but has little effect at sites like this.
They clearly know that they have a LONG way to go before they are able to shove amnesty down our throats.
You really are behind the times, aren't you?
Newt endorsed amnesty (guest workers) long ago. If you had paid attention you've have known that. Or maybe you did and want to pretend this is a new development to manufacture "momentum"?
http://www.newt.org/backpage.asp?art=2873
Pence's plan is Newt's plan which is in close sync with the W.H.
Gingrich likes the Pence immigration plan
Newt Gingrich gives kudos to the Mike Pence immigration reform plan in his latest Human Events column: One positive addition to the border-security and immigration debate is Rep. Mike Pence's (R-Ind.) bill, the Border Integrity and Immigration Reform Act. This bill is as close to the right solution as I have seen. It sets up a four-step process starting with what is needed and universally agreed upon -- border security. Second, it does not provide amnesty for people in the United States illegally. It requires them to go home. Next, it sets up a work-visa program using electronic bio-metric security based on conservative market principles. After an American employer can, in good faith, show that no American worker will fill a job offer, a work-visa holder may be hired. The key feature is that, in order for people who are here illegally to get a work visa, they must go home, because work visas will only be issued outside of the United States. Fourth, once the program is set up, companies that continue to ignore the law will be sanctioned severely. I hope the House will take a serious look at Rep. Pence's thoughtful and pragmatic approach to solving this issue.
Should I click my heels and salute? LOL
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