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."

[CWOJackson]

Strange. There were several "Republican" voters from Utah on the election night threads and they had an entirely different take on the primary, within the state...not like yours at all.

[BobL]

"Here in Utah among Republican Party regulars Cannon's defeat at convention and his hard push during the primary were widely seen as a double humiliation for Cannon and a strict rejection of his pro-shamesty sentiments--the spin outside of the state by administration sources and the six shamnesty supporters at FR notwithstanding."

Thanks for the verification. This was obvious to me, but others seem to have trouble with it.

Basically what the shamesty proponents are saying is that if Senator Lieberman wins his primary 56-44 over that DU clown, then the entire Democratic base now fully supports Bush on Iraq. The fact that someone as well liked as Lieberman (in fact, he's one of the few Dems respected on this site, and probably the only liberal Dem respected here) is in a fight is the BIG NEWS. The outcome is virtually unimportant.

[longtermmemmory]

So a graduated amnesty rather than a full on amnesty.

The courts will reject the no citizenship as "inhuman"

I say forget the whole legalizing concept.

THEY CAN USE THE PRESENT SYSTEM IF THEY HAVE BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS!!!!!!

THE PRESENT SYSTEM ALLOWS FOR LEGALIZATION IF THEY HAVE BEEN HERE FOR TEN YEARS AND THEY HAVE NOT COMMITTED ANY FELONIES (LIKE VOTING IN AN ELECTION)

IT IS A ROLLING AMNESTY THAT HAS EXISTED FOR DECADES.


There is no reason for a "blue" card or any other BS virtual amnesty.

The Pence plan seems just as much an amnesty because it coddles the illegals in SOME fashion.

[Texasforever]

And it isn't where you stand.

You are like a broken record. I told you where I stand.

[Reagan Man]

If Bush buys off on the Pence plan, it will be a big old waffle move by Dubya,but it will change nothing. The House still wants HR4437 to become law and will settle for nothing else.

[Texasforever]

So, you just want the status quo so you can continue to whine and complain.

[CWOJackson]

"Thanks for the verification."

You should go back to the Utah election night threads and read through them. Republican Utah voters were fairly well represented and they portrayed a far different picture of the situation within the race and how Utah voters viewed it...which was also apparent in the vote count.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

I bet they are still afraid of Tom Tancredo. I love the spin we get on this by the AG, the president,the senate. they are trying to make it sound as if this is going to fly.Well Mr President,with all due respect,it has the glide ratio of a... brick. Here in georgia the governor and the legislature passed really tough anti illegal immagration laws so we are not playing in georgia.Border enforcement only or back to the wilderness for the republicrats period.

[JCEccles]

Cannon got the message, even if the six shamnesty supporters at FR didn't. Or pretended not to.

[Rex Anderson]

Leni, don't discount something many of us knew:

Bush needed to do anything he could to outwardly support the PAN Party in Mexico, and I'm not at all surprised this news comes right after their election.

I have more faith than ever in this administration. And I don't believe it has anything to do with a trickling spigot.

[Texasforever]

The borderbots are to Utah what the libs were to the death of Zarqaway. Zarqwaway was a master terrorist while alive but when dead he really wasn't that important after all. Utah was a national referendum for Taqncredo, when Tancredo was humiliated, Utah was not important at all.

[TomGuy]

Count the number of NG on the border.

So far, the actual number for June was less than 20% of the 'projected number'.

And catch-and-release is still going on.

===

The Admin has little credibility on border related issues.

[KevinDavis]

Didn't St Tancredo proposed a similar bill???

[JCEccles]

Hastert has got to hold firm on this. Security but no shamnesty!

[Texasforever]

He now calls Pence a traitor to the cause.

[Vince Ferrer]

Let's not underestimate the impact this debate would have had on the results of the Mexican election. Now that the ballots have been cast, we can talk more openly about enforcement first options.

[Texasforever]

Wanna bet? There will be a bill before the election.

[BobL]

"You should go back to the Utah election night threads and read through them. Republican Utah voters were fairly well represented and they portrayed a far different picture of the situation within the race and how Utah voters viewed it...which was also apparent in the vote count."

I was watching that night, and yes we would have preferred a different outcome - so yes we were disappointed. But to say, that a clean, well-liked, conservative Republican in a conservative district getting just 56% in a Primary does not still send a big-time message is simply disingenuous.

[Texasforever]

That is the same percentage he got in his 2004 primary.

[Marius3188]

Do you know if the Pence plan covers the Guest Workers having babies in the US? Does any plan tackle that issue?