Posted on 08/07/2006 12:17:48 PM PDT by NapkinUser
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Chairman of the 104-Member House Immigration Reform Caucus, condemned the White House’s plan to actively campaign against the House’s strong stand on border security leading up to the midterm elections.
National Journal’s Congress Daily reported this morning, “President Bush and top deputies will wage an aggressive campaign in coming weeks to sell their comprehensive approach to immigration, trying to overcome the stubborn resistance of House Republicans who want to address only border security.” Administration officials said that they are trying to get invitations to the House’s summer field hearings on immigration to “rebut[] arguments against Bush-backed policies.”
“House leadership has announced nearly two dozen field hearings across the country to push our tough stance on illegal immigration. If President Bush still identifies himself with conservative Republicans, his shadow campaign for amnesty is political suicide,” said Tancredo. “President Bush was our political General during the 2002 and 2004 elections, helping Republicans win historic majorities in Congress. But this year, the General is declaring open war on his own troops.”
“It’s no secret that Republicans are betting the House on border security. How then does the head of our party think that going across the country advocating the Democrats’ position two months before the election will help us?” Tancredo continued, “We’re trying to brand this as a fight between the Reid-Kennedy bill and the Republican bill. Nothing will do more to destroy our progress with voters than to have the Republican President follow us hearing-to-hearing arguing for the Reid-Kennedy approach.”
Good for Tancredo! The last thing we need is more WH arm-twisting like on the Medicare Drug Plan.
Is the neocon empire cracking?
I'm voting pro border control here tomorrow.
The headline is extremely misleading.
""We’re trying to brand this as a fight between the Reid-Kennedy bill and the Republican bill. Nothing will do more to destroy our progress with voters than to have the Republican President follow us hearing-to-hearing arguing for the Reid-Kennedy approach.”""
Whoever gave you these House people the "branding" idea is tone-deaf. You have to run against the President and explain your positions, he is running against you. The National branding strategy is stupid and candidates should run on their own opinions on this issue.
Imagine, instead of putting asking the House to put this off until after the election, the President is pushing it now in hopes of getting his bill for his buddies he'll be chumming around with after 2008. That's his loyalties.
The Media has taken the Bush memes HL&S, the narratives show no Democrat dissent. Time to link these House meetings with a straight up plan, and firm and regular statements to Bush to stop it and support our border.
I also suspect Bush staff who expects lobby payoffs after they leave fear a new congress will be less amenable to their awful plans.
What is with the GOP ? Is the leadership tonedeaf.
"The headline is extremely misleading."
Misleading about what? It's a press release! Are you claiming Tancredo is misquoting himself?
"Is the neocon empire cracking?"
shouldn't you be posting on an Iraq thread?
Not really. During campaign season, the last thing you need is the president coming into your district and personally insisting that your positions are too extremist for the American public. President Bush is making war against the Right.
I am behind Tancredo on this one. Give us solid border security and then other issues can come to the table.
It's good politics too, Mr. President.
More like suicidal.
Clearly, the "Masters of the Universe" in both parties have finally given up even pretending to listen to the American people. They know best, and we ignorant sheep need to get over our antiquated notions of patriotism and national sovereignty.
"What is with the GOP ? Is the leadership tonedeaf."
I think the party leadership is ducking their heads in the war between Bush's radical policy and the public.
Bush wants this wage depression/sovreignty bill like nothing else I've seen. The ooze of lobbyists like Norquist ganged up with Bolten and Rove to push this - is Bush being duped? No, IMO. When he uses code words like "growth" for wage depression and impoverishment of middle and lower classes, he knows what he's doing. The ethnic attachment to Mexicans is just a cover to keep guilty liberals from asking questions.
He's making stuff up, like he always does.
The president should consider what the Donk-dominated House will consider its first issue of business.
And I will stay home election / primary day. Let that be a warning.
I plan to attend and hope "administration officials" show up. I have some VERY pointed questions for them.
If there is any truth in this, then the President is playing a very foolish game here. He could actually cost the House the majority. Now that would certainly accomplish a lot for Conservatism.
SECURE OUR BORDERS FIRST!
It might mean we soak up the last two years of W's administration with a political show trial. Its like he's playing right to them...
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