Clinton praises Bush on immigration reform

Yahoo News ^ | 07/08/06 | By ROBERT JABLON, Associated Press Writer

[garbageseeker]

LOS ANGELES - Former President Bill Clinton praised President Bush on Saturday for supporting reforms that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to seek citizenship but said the debate in Congress is being fomented by Republicans who want to divide America.

"I'm proud of him for doing it and I thanked him for doing it," he said of Bush during a "Cafe con Clinton" breakfast speech to the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights advocacy group.

Clinton said Bush's roots in Texas — which has one of the nation's largest Hispanic populations — have helped him view immigrants as people rather than statistics.

"It's hard to demonize people if you know them," he said.

But Clinton also argued that the nation's government is controlled by Republican ideological hard-liners who want to use immigration to divide Americans and distract them from issues such as the war in Iraq and the health care crisis.

Instead of equal opportunity, they support a "financial elite" because they favor "concentrated wealth and power," Clinton said.

"They believe in a government that is secret, unaccountable and that maximizes its own power," he said. "They really believe the world works better if they run it and we keep our mouths shut."

Clinton supported an immigration reform measure passed by the Senate that would provide a way for many of the estimated 12 million foreigners living in the country illegally to become citizens. A House-approved bill would make illegal immigrants felons and build 700 miles of border walls. House and Senate negotiators so far have not been able to work out a compromise.

Bush has said he wants to enforce the borders so fewer people sneak across but also provide a way for those already in the United States to become legal. He has praised Hispanic immigrants as hardworking and family oriented. Clinton used similar language in his own speech.

The message played well with La Raza, which opposes the House bill and whose current president, Janet Murguia, was an assistant in the Clinton White House.

Before Clinton's speech, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa noted a string of rallies over the immigration issue, including one in March that sent 500,000 people into the streets of Los Angeles and garnered international attention.

"You literally reshaped the political landscape of our nation ... we can still see a movement blooming before our very eyes," he said.

Both Democrats and Republicans have been looking for ways to court Hispanics, whose fast-growing population gives them the potential to become an enormous voting force. Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was scheduled to address the convention on Tuesday

[La Enchiladita]

You're not making sense. You say there are 500 troops at the border, then you say there are no troops at the border.

It's bedtime ... at least for me.

[garbageseeker]

There are 500 in total at the border but none sent by California

[garbageseeker]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1658891/posts

[trickyricky]

"I do not think he is a Democrat.
He is certainly not a Ronald Reagan conservative.
He is what you call a "country club Republican"
or also known as a RINO."

You just stepped on a lot of toes around here.
Calling all 3 Bushbots!
Calling all 3 Bushbots!

[garbageseeker]

Harriet Miers.

[Barney59]

Ole Bubba would be a 180(degree) rule in my book.

I've not been too thrilled with the BUSH/CLINTON love-fest of late...

[panthermom]

"But Clinton also argued that the nation's government is controlled by Republican ideological hard-liners who want to use immigration to divide Americans and distract them from issues such as the war in Iraq and the health care crisis."

This man is a jackass! From what I read and from what I hear, it seems to me that like 80% of the nation is against illegal immigration, and amnesty, idiot. Those ideological hardliners are the ones that are actually listening to their constituents, thats what they're supposed to do. And as for the healthcare crisis, the biggest crisis right now is the fact that the illegals are bankrupting the healthcare system so we are well aware of the crisis. And as for Iraq and the war on terror, sorry pal, whether one likes it or not we're cleaning up your mess.

[ovrtaxt]

Because I haven't seen anything that said he endorsed Martinez in the primary other than your assertion.

Well he did. He flew to Miami and gave this big elaborate speech about what a grrrreat guy Mel the RINO is. McCollum was done after that. Castor, the Dem candidate, was no competition. The RNC could have put Spongebob out there successfully.

Back to my assertion- the GOP doesn't want a conservative Congress, and the Senate is the easiest place to maintain the threat of liberalism, which keeps the conservatives on the RINO plantation.

[panthermom]

The coziness between Fox and Bush, Karl Rove and his stance on illegals etc, makes me very nervous. There is no way an organization such as this should be able to bring in any heavy hitters. The United States belongs to we the people. I usually don't wear a tinfoil hat but there is a hidden agenda here and its not good. The behind the scenes powerplayers have a plan and they are ignoring us and filling us with proganda. I really think it's to make North America more like the EU, with we the tax payers bearing the burden for their plan.

[lentulusgracchus]

Wait 'til La Raza decides it's time to make their move.

You'll wish you were back in I Corps dodging the Golden Hose. At least back then, you had someplace to go to if it all went south. These guys want to drive us into the sea. They hate our guts and want our house.

Capiche?

[do the dhue]

I was kinda behind the Bush plan until Clinton came out for it.

[lentulusgracchus]

If Arizona is being invaded, and the U.S. President calls for California's Militia to help out in Arizona, I don't think Gov. Schwarzenegger can refuse.

I think the Governator got this one wrong, constitutionally. Not that the President's call was strong or urgent.....it was an uncertain trumpet to be sure. But constitutionally, it's there in black and white. California has to send their Militia to help a sister State suppress invasion or insurrection.

[lentulusgracchus]

Slick's endorsement and warm encomiums were the lightning-bolt that struck the scales from your eyes, were they?

Welcome to Damascus.

[lentulusgracchus]

I would not be surprised whatsoever, that Chavez is funneling money into La Raza.

Did you see the photo that just appeared in the papers the other day, of the two Sukhoi Su-27 "Flanker" fighters that Chavez flew in his national independence-day celebrations? Or the thousands of troops he paraded carrying those brand-new AK-103's that he bought from Russia? He even got Mikhail Kalashnikov himself in town for the week, sitting in a round of discussions about starting production, under licensure, of Kalashnikov's AK's in Venezuela. I don't know whether these would be AK-103's or older models, like the AKM or the AK-74 "Krinkov" (the short-barreled, subcaliber one Osama and Abu Ayman are always parading around with).

The significance of the Su-27 is that it has the range to interdict the Caribbean approaches to the Panama Canal from Venezuelan territory, and it can cover all of Colombia.

[do the dhue]

Yes, usually the way I judge things is by the reaction of the commie left.

I don't know if it will work, but I wrote my President and email:

Hello Mr. President,

You're going to see a couple things that look like humor, but I am really serious here. I now have a serious problem with your immigration bill. I was kinda for it. I could understand it and I believe I could have lived with it. I didn't think that it would address all of our problems, but I thought it was a decent start.

Now, here is my problem with it:

Clinton praises Bush on immigration reform
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1662533/posts?page=1

Here is the deal: If you want to be successful with the middle American, do the exact opposite of the liberal left.

Right now, I would love to hear them say, 'we went to war for oil'. We should be pumping it at an alarming rate until the world supply has increased and our prices are back to normalish and the liberals are screaming we went to war for oil. I wouldn't hear the liberals, like they don't hear the WMDs that we find.

You can call me polarized and I don't care. I like it that way. I don't want to belly up to the bar with those Commie Aholes. I can not and will not stand with a bunch of flag mangling traitors. They can just git mad if I call the pinkos a traitor. IF they have the freedom to act like a traitor, then I damn sure got the freedom to call them a traitor. Just let one of the hippie freaks spit on one of my troops like they did during Nam. I'll sit behind bars for battery for a just cause; just like one of them code pink people would sit behind bars for what they believe in. Liberals are no friend to me, they have never helped me, or done anything nice for me. I don't think like them and I don't want to. If I tried to think like them, the first thing I would have to do is blow 90% of my brains out and I am not willing to do that.

I don't like it when I am on the same side as the commie left. It makes me very uneasy. I was going to stand for your bill. I was going to compromise my belief to be on your side. I wanted to work with you on this. You can forget it now. If a Clinton likes the idea, then I must stop in my tracks and ask, 'is this really a good idea'. Look, I am a Hawk, I appreciate Hillary's fine support on the war on Terrorism. But because I am a Hawk, I expect that from everyone, including the New York Times. Anyone who is not standing united is out of uniform, out of formation, out of touch, and into treason. So, I would naturally assume an American's loyalty , no matter who they are. But on domestic issues, if you got liberals liking your idea, you got problems. If liberals like your idea, then apparently you not solving the issue and you are making a damn mistake. The natural way to reaffirm that you are doing the right thing is by the reaction from the commie left.

President Bush, I honestly believe that for you to be successful, you need to go to the House and work out a deal. Why are we not addressing people over staying VISAs? Why are we not addressing the Northern Border. We have turned this into a dag gone immigration bill when it needs to be a border deal. A border deal that protects us from an outside threat. Aint that you and your friends in Congresses job anyway? And all we really need to do is use the laws on the books to bust businesses and the illegals will go away when the demand does. I am not seeing enough of this from your Administration. I can not understand how you all went to Princeton, Harvard, and Yale and y'all think you know what is best for me. Maybe the fact of the matter is, y'all know what's best for the people lining your pockets. I don't know, I aint there. But if you want to alienate your base and you want to make it hard on yourself for the next couple of years, you go ahead and pass that simple immigration bill.

I am pleading with you as a friend. If you want a sixty percent approval rating, then dump your bill because Clinton likes it (the base will love you for it) and address the real issues (the Conservative Independents will love you for it). Then tell the Mexicans you want a border bill and not a immigration bill. I believe the next couple of years will be a lot easier if you do this. Otherwise a majority of hate filled demorats will be on the Hill.

I love you Mr. President and I would not lead you down the wrong road. I have my word backing you. I hear it when you make mistakes because I stand tall for you. I can take it because I hit folks with facts and usually win. When I can not win, it is because we made a mistake. Don't let us make a mistake regarding our Border. This is serious business with Al Quada hanging around. Please rethink this immigration bill and turn it into real border security. Adapt, improvise, and overcome and may you never find yourself standing with the commie left.

I support the War on Terrorism and always will. I also support defending my borders because I think that is part of the war on terrorism. You say you are a strong fighter against terrorist, then I don't understand why you don't want to protect the south AND northern border. Please rethink your plan. I suffer from Post Traumatic Bill Clinton Stress Disorder (PTBCSD). Y'all make me nervous when you work together. Please don't do that. Stay away from Socialist and Communistic people please. You and Bill Clinton could ruin the Republican Party if you tried.

Thanks for listening,


Probably wasted my time, but I feel a little better.

[Sam Ketcham]

"... Clinton praised ... Bush ... for supporting reforms that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to seek citizenship but said the debate in Congress is being fomented by Republicans who want to divide America.

The opening statement by Clinton says a few things. 1. The US is in trouble 2. GWB, as does the DNC wants to give law breaking ILLEGAL ALIENS citizenship 3. The GOP is doomed because First Gen Americans tend to vote DIM and Conservative, such as myself get screwed by both parties. I am for all of the Traditional American values; if n elected representative betrays those values for political or monetary gain, there is nothing I can do, but I will not vote for those treacherous traitorous politicians or contribute to them and their campaigns.

Remember these people came here seeking employment and now the politicians want to make them citizens.

[conservative blonde]

The name of this coffee katch should have been changed to Clinton Con at Cafe.

[democrats_nightmare]

Interesting both Bubba and the Bush Robots support the president on immigration... I guess great minds think alike.../sarcasm off

[staytrue]

That right there should be enough evidence that Bush's Amnesty plan is a really bad idea.

Hello. Clinton has some disgusting personal habits, but policy wise he eventually embraced welfare reform. Was that a bad idea also.

He invaded Haiti which probably was not a bad idea.

Clinton set a new low for personal behavior and corruption for cash, but policy wise, he had few if any convictions and reflexively disagreeing on policy is not a good idea.

[Arizona Carolyn]

La Raze = the race... to me that is the premier racist organization and we know they have one agenda, to take over our country. Receiving support from either party is treasonous.