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

[garbageseeker]

I have seem it myself

[garbageseeker]

ping

[Arizona Carolyn]

I'm shocked you got an answer, most I ask and they never respond as to "why" because it certainly isn't going to increase votes for the GOP and heaven knows with the shenigans Calfornia and some other legislators are pulling (casting the states votes to the candidate getting the most NATIONAL votes vs the winner of the state) we could end up losing or more Gore v Bush elections.

Look at the election in Mexico Calderon winning by 1/6 of a percentage point. Can you imagine if that is the case here with our lax voting rules?

[garbageseeker]

Please neutralize the thread. It is a duplicate

[Arizona Carolyn]

ping

[garbageseeker]

bump

[ClaireSolt]

Where is the barf alert? This is too much to stomach! Clinton's only immigration plan was to overrun the country with new democrats as fast as he could. He is in no position to even comment.

[garbageseeker]

Where is the barf alert?

It gets all over the place in its too hard to clean up.

[garbageseeker]

What is nice though, that he is on the record supporting illegal immigration and supporting the Senate's bill.

[Altura Ct.]

Just like peas in a pod...

[Republican Wildcat]

Yes, he did.

[prairiebreeze]

Not breaking news, IMO.

[tubebender]

Which one is here legally?

[fish hawk]

If only he would have gone to Motel 6 where they left the light on for him, he may not have been impeached. I will sleep better tonight knowing that Mr. Slimeball approves of Bush's plan.

[Paperdoll]

This should come as no surprise. NAFTA, GAT and the WTO were the precursers to The New World Order, which does not include a sovereign U.S.A.. Clinton merely passed the torch to Bush, and Bush is running with it.

[garbageseeker]

I agree with you very much

[Arizona Carolyn]

or Bush to Clinton to Bush --- to Clinton? The President did make a comment to that effect a few months ago.

[leadpenny]

Seriously, I've thought that Bill Clinton's purpose since he left office is to help see to it that Hillary doesn't get back into the White House. It would do nothing for his legacy. He will continue to kill her with a thousand cuts and for that we should be thankful.

[NapkinUser]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Jimmy Carter already did.

Found it.

Carter praises Bush's immigration stance

[Paperdoll]

Yes, Bush to Clinton to Bush to Clinton to.......Bush?
(Call 911!)