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."

[sinkspur]

Looks as if the Tancredo base is driving policy if this story is true, and path-to-citizenship is dead.

Tancredo has called the Pence plan "Amnesty light."

Tancredo is now officially irrelevant. Pence is driving this debate from the enforcement side, not Tom Terrific.

[pollyannaish]

his base support would would return with enthusiasm

An example of how "talk is cheap" can cut both ways.

[Texasforever]

Might be more sensitive today. Sat on my front porch and had about 40,000 people stroll past on the beach walk so far and suspect that 10,000 illegal aliens were in the crowd.

Man it must suck to be that obsessed.

[McGavin999]

The Pence bill is a good one. I'm glad he's finally coming to where he'll sign that one.

[Paladin2]

I've listened to AG AG being interviewed and heard him talking around the issue in all cases. It's seems clear to me that AG AG doesn't believe that the US is a nation of laws wrt illegal immigration. He certainly has no interest in enforcing same.

[Fenris6]

You mean the Tancredo base. That base is now irrelevant.

No, the GOP base wants border security before any anmesty/guest worker program is voted on. Thats why the HOUSE is badgering the Senate over it, they are more in touch with their constituents. If you can't see that, then you're just an agitator.

[COEXERJ145]

That site makes my computer feel dirty.

[Texasforever]

I predicted a month ago that if Bush get's the Pence bill he will sign it gladley.

[JCEccles]

Tell us about your obsession with shamnesty.

[Texasforever]

Tell us about your obsession with shamnesty.

I have supported the Pence plan from the day it was published.

[scatterbrained]

I election season. It's that wonderful time when politicians start talking as if they are going to uphold the values and ideals that got them elected in the first place.

[RFEngineer]

"The willingness to consider a phased-in situation, that's a pretty big concession from where they were at," said Representative Tom Cole"

Ok, Then implement Phase I, the enforcement/border security phase by referencing existing legislation and laws.

The president can do this tomorrow if he wanted to - just issue a policy statement that there will be a renewed emphasis on the specific relevant laws against illegal immigration, and emplyoment of illegals and their enforcement, and then direct all government agencies to do exactly that.

This would be a show of goodwill to the House Republicans that will show he's serious about illegal immigration.

But of course, the reality is that he won't do anything and so it is easy to conclude it's just a cynical attempt at political manipulation to save face at his loser immigration ideas.

[CWOJackson]

"No, the GOP base wants border security before any anmesty/guest worker program is voted on."

LOL! You mean like the voters in last weeks national referendum on immigration...who said no to Tancredo and his people.

[BnBlFlag]

"Good news....."
The Pence plan is little different from Bush's plan. All the illegals have to do is show up at the Border, register and then they go back to whstever they were doing before.
There's no requirement to actually go back home. It's a Wolf in Sheep's clothing.

[BobL]

We'll see what happens.

But if the issue is not "resolved" by election day, it actually helps the Republicans big time, as they can rightly claim (in large part, at least in the House), that they are holding back a tide of new immigrants (both illegal and amnesty'd). For if Miss America takes over, all bets are off, as it's clear that Bush will sign the most immigrant-friendly bill that reaches his desk, even if only 10% of House Republicans (i.e., RINOs) support it.

The Dems well know this, and would just love to have the Republican base tee'd off at their own on election day (due to a signed amnesty bill). Unfortunately for them, the House hearings this summer may well scuttle that plan and the Dems may be forced to present ideas to the table, which, of course, they're incapable of. That is what angers them - they just saw their shot at power defeated.

[CWOJackson]

"The Pence plan is little different from Bush's plan. All the illegals have to do is show up at the Border, register and then they go back to whstever they were doing before. There's no requirement to actually go back home. It's a Wolf in Sheep's clothing."

Don't be too hasty, Tancredo supports the Pence Plan. Well, he supported Jacobs who supports the Pence Plan, but then Jacobs wasn't his first choice and originally he called Jacobs weak on immigration and Jacobs called him an opportunist, but when Tancredo's first choice to oppose Cannon went down in flames him and Jacobs kissed and made up and Tancredo supported Jacobs and by extention the Pence Plan.

[McGavin999]

I really wish he would have gotten behind Kyl/Cornyn from the beginning. All this trouble would have been avoided.

[nj26]

I still doubt that we will see a signed immigration bill this year.

What about the Senate? Will McCain and his huge ego go along with the Pence bill? I doubt that McCain and his best RINO pals (Graham, Specter, etc) will be voting for the Pence bill. And, if Harry Reid can hold his caucus together (and he probably will), there won't be a bill this year.

I agree.. my fear is that Nancy Pelosi is driving this process in 2007. That's why I am unsure whether it would be better to have no bill, or a somewhat bad bill like Pence's plan.

[Shermy]

Re: Bush/Rove plan.

They've been advertising this "Pence" plan for a while, that Bush might "move" to it. The "Pence" plan has been long toted as the "moderate" plan. It's not. It's a radical plan just like Hagel.

And it's another Naitonal Chamber of Commerce plan, they saw what was happening to Hagel and concocted a "plan" that hid better some obviously odious stuff. The move will be called "moderation" because the MSM is locked into the Bush-Democrat radical plan.

Pence plan is little different, and loopier.

[Fenris6]

You mean like the voters in last weeks national referendum on immigration...who said no to Tancredo and his people.

/via Pence press office "Pence would dedicate massive, no-nonsense resources to securing the border and then – only then – implement a guest worker plan that did not reward illegality and that did not add a new layer to an already unwieldy bureaucracy."