Bush never took an oath to enforce, selectively or otherwise, the myriad laws we have. Rather, he took an oath to uphold the Constitution. Article 2, sections 1-4 nowhere make mention that it is his job to enact the laws of Congress, or to zealously enforce them, or anything like that. In fact, issues related to the border (repelling invasions and uniformity of naturalization) are SPECIFICALLY under the purview of CONGRESS, not the president.
Congress has had YEARS to deal with this festering problem. It has been a REPUBLICAN house and senate and they have sat on their fingers and done nothing. No border enforcement, and no relaxation of immigration statutes to accomodate the underlying economic reality of what is happening.
Bush is for more relaxed borders than his base is. OK. So they don't agree. CONGRESS is the party responsible for legislation in this area, and whining because the house was more "enforcement now, quotas later" and the senate was the opposite is just idiotic. I am for more relaxed crossings than most, but EITHER EXTREME WOULD BE SUPERIOR TO WHAT WE HAVE NOW. And the blame lies clearly with the branch of Government whose job it is to address the issue..... it ain't the executive branch.
I have huge problems with the president on a number of areas, but it is unfair to lay the border problems at his feet.
“I have huge problems with the president on a number of areas, but it is unfair to lay the border problems at his feet.”
He’s had 6+ years to make a dent in “the problem”....more people are crossing our borders now than at any time in history.