Bush Signaling Shift in Stance on Immigration (Moving Toward Pence Plan)

NY Times ^ | 7/5/06 | SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

[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."

[Texasforever]

You folks are more desperate then even I thought.

They all think "Certificates of Participation" are trophies.

[MrEdd]

You keep calling those who disagree with you borderbots - as if using an all encompassing derogatory term helped your argument. Please leave that sort of thing over at DU, and debate civilly.

[Texasforever]

You mean like "BushBOT"? If you don't like borderbot how about Tancredo Sock puppet?

[CWOJackson]

Congressman Cannon best be careful in the future and follow the Tancredo line...they will be watching him to make sure he does.

What are they going to do, come in from a lot of different states and throw away thousands of dollars humiliating themselves if he doesn't?

[Texasforever]

Tancredo will end up endorsing the CP candidate in the general. Mark my words.

[Reagan Man]

Wow, so Tancredo said it was time for Delay to step down. BFD. Fact, Delay's time was up. He became a liability to the House GOP and the President. Opposition to the Pence proposal is consistent with Tancredo's (and Sensnebrenner's) opposition to amnesty. Jacobs was a nobody! The idea behind challenging Chris Cannon, was to expose Cannon for being a double-talker on immigration reform. And it worked. While Cannon supports HR4437, he's voted against some specific amendments in past immigration reform proposals.

Reagan challenged a sitting POTUS in 1976. Reagan criticized Ford from the get-go, through the primaries and into the GOP Convention. Reagan wasn't afraid to speak out. Tancredo isn't afraid to speak out either.

Tancredo is a Reagan conservative, to the core.

[CWOJackson]

I wouldn't bet against that.

Some folks tend to dismiss that he didn't just break President Reagan's Eleventh Commandment, he went well beyond that and is actively campaigning against his peers in other states. He also has a PAC with direct links to VDARE.

I know a lot of folks think the days of the candidate being selected by anonymous people in a smoking back room are long gone but those people still control the purse strings and a lot of power. If they think that Tancredo's national referendum in Utah went unnoticed they're in for a surprise.

[Texasforever]

Wow, so Tancredo said it was time for Delay to step down. BFD. Fact, Delay's time was up.

I know know you are a Reagan Man. Ron Reagan.

[Texasforever]

Reagan Man is now Ron Reagan.

[kabar]

No they aren't jumping "all" lines. We've only established that they cut the guest worker line, the W visa being another guest worker visa. But we haven't established how many people if any they are cutting, as your 6 million figure was unrelated to any guest worker visa line.

It depends on what the meaning of "is" is. These so-called 12 to 20 million, self-selected "guest workers" are really immigrants on the path to citizenship. Many would not even qualify for a visitor's visa into the US.

If you buy the Pence solution of having these illegals leave for a week and come back as "guest workers" then you are easily fooled. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck even if Pence calls it a cat. This is a transparent [for most of us] sham.

Yes, it is an amnesty type advantage to wait in country for a a green card, but three things. (1)They aren't cutting in front of others waiting in the green card line; (2) they aren't voting as citizens; (3) we don't see a slug of new voting citizens like we did under Reagan's amnesty without an increase in the green card quotas.There's the "amnesty".

"Amnesty-type advantage." LOL. That's a euphemism for amnesty. Getting a green card entitles you to permanent residency status, which includes sponsoring family members to immigrate to the US and allows, at the option of the individual, the person to apply for citizenship. Not being allowed to vote is not that big a deal if you have all the other advantages of citizenship. They will be allowed to vote if they apply for citizenship. Any children born here will be allowed to vote eventually as citizens.

Now add to that an enforcement first HR4437 type plan and I will gladly consider the above-type of amnesty if enforcement works over time.

The Pence amnesty is similar to the Senate bill except the Senate deports anyone who has been here less than two years. Pence also applies no caps to the number of "guest workers" who can come here for the first three years of his plan. As long as an employer is willing to sponsor someone, they can get in.

[Texasforever]

I saw a thread last night about congressional influence ratings of House members. Tancredo was in the bottom 3rd. By this time next week he will rank just above John Conyers.

[CWOJackson]

I never associated him with Ronald Magnus anyway.

[Reagan Man]

Is that all you have Tex? Ad hominem responses. Well, that's what happens when some FReepers lose a debate. You lost your cool and you lost this debate, Tex. In fact, you're stick'en up the place.

Btw, zing me, ping me. Those are unwritten the rules on FR, and you know it.

[Texasforever]

I never associated him with Ronald Magnus anyway.

The Gipper would slap him silly.

[Texasforever]

If I respected you I would ping you.

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>If I respected you I would ping you.

That cuts both ways, mister Texas liberal.

[Texasforever]

Now now don't get snippy Ron.

[CWOJackson]

I think President Reagan would be aghast at how many scoundrels try to hide behind him or use him for their agendas. I think the most hilarious example was when some of the pro-dope crowd tried to claim Reagan's favor based on his admiration of "some" libertarian principles.

They'd failed to look at his actual record and comments regarding the WOD. I was particularly touched how he signed into law a provision which would provide the death sentence to major drug dealers...and dedicated it to Nancy.

[Reagan Man]

Right, mister Texas liberal.

If you ever make it up to Colorado, look me up. I'd love to debate you face to face.

[gaussia]

Texasforever, speaking on the topic of illegal immigration, you said last week that "there are a hundred other issues that are more important to the well being of this country." link

If you believe that, why do we see you pop up so quickly in every single thread on this topic?