Posted on 04/12/2007 9:42:14 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The terms of the immigration debate have turned less friendly for illegal immigrants as lawmakers and the Bush administration struggle to reach a deal in the next few weeks.
The landscape for an immigration overhaul has turned upside down in only a year, with a different party in control of Congress and new political realities for President Bush and the chief congressional negotiators.
Bush — in search of a domestic legacy — has morphed from cheerleader on the sidelines to broker in the fray, dispatching Cabinet members for lengthy daily meetings with senators on Capitol Hill.
Last year's GOP point man, Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) — whose moderate stance on immigration defined last year's approach — is hanging back, wary of angering conservatives while he struggles to keep his presidential run going.
And while Republican divisions were highlighted last year, this time it's Democrats — eager to show they can lead — whose fissures are on display.
In an ironic twist, the outlines of a potential deal have moved to the right — toward a more difficult road to citizenship for the nation's roughly 12 million illegal immigrants — even as the power in Congress has shifted to Democrats, who overwhelmingly favor a more permissive approach.
The White House has floated a proposal that would require illegal immigrants to pay fines as high as $10,000, face long waits and return to their home countries in order to be eligible for citizenship — far tougher conditions than in a bipartisan measure passed by the Senate last year and backed by Bush. The immigrants also would be denied a right to bring family members to the United States.
A bipartisan House measure introduced earlier this year would add a new mandate that undocumented immigrants go home before gaining legal status — a requirement that many Democrats and pro-immigrant groups have decried as "report to deport."
The changes reflect a new political calculus for Republicans, who fear that any plan passed by the centrist Senate will become more permissive toward immigrants in the more liberal House and during final Democratic-dominated negotiations.
Democrats, in turn, recognize that any immigration plan must have substantial GOP support in order to have a chance of being signed into law, so they are considering tougher measures. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., has told Bush he must deliver 70 Republican votes before she will attempt to pass any immigration bill.
The White House said the proposal floated recently was part of an effort to find an immigration plan the president's party could agree on.
"Those were discussion points on which consensus was beginning to build among Republican senators," said Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman.
As Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., his party's point man on the issue, huddles with Republicans and Bush's team in search of a deal, other Democrats are impatient to pitch their own, more immigrant-friendly plan. Many advocates of an overhaul, including immigrant advocacy groups, business interests and organized labor, are adamantly opposed to the framework under discussion.
"This is the kind of gut-wrenching moment that happens before a deal is about to be cut and before legislation is about to start moving," said Angela Kelley, the deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, a private group pushing for an overhaul.
Bush and Democrats regard the tricky issue as one of their few areas of potential compromise during a year dominated by partisan clashes on the Iraq war. Strategists in both parties say the 2006 elections — which punished many vocally anti-immigration candidates — showed that voters support action on the issue.
But the clock is ticking on attempts to compromise, with the Senate set to debate immigration next month and most insiders seeing August as a deadline for action by both chambers.
"There are plenty of Democrats who would rather just walk away and say the Republicans are racist, and the Hispanics will vote for us, and then we'll do something" after the 2008 elections, said Tamar Jacoby, an immigration expert at the conservative Hudson Institute who has consulted with the White House and Republicans on the issue.
Last year's effort collapsed as House Republicans revolted against the Senate-passed measure, calling it amnesty. They rejected Bush's call for a "comprehensive" deal that included both a temporary guest worker program for new arrivals and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already here. Many conservative Republicans, particularly in the House, still are adamantly opposed to any such measure.
Now GOP leaders have tapped Sen. Jon Kyl (news, bio, voting record) of Arizona, one of those who hung back from the comprehensive approach amid a tough re-election fight, to lead negotiations on a compromise.
McCain's office, meanwhile,denies that he has scaled back his once-prominent role.
"The more members that are involved the better, but he is thoroughly engaged and totally committed to finding a solution," said Eileen McMenamin, McCain's spokeswoman.
Privately, senators in both parties and strategists on the issue say he has faded from the forefront of immigration negotiations — leaving his staff to track them and a confidant, Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record) of South Carolina, to mediate — while he waits for the right moment to weigh in.
"He'll be there if they emerge with a bipartisan bill — he'll be there standing with everyone else — but it didn't pay for him to be the lonely guy," Jacoby said.
You’re right on the money. The old money Eastern establishment Republicans have made a deal with the Devil. They’ll keep the white Christians down and do the Demos’ (Commies) bidding. They are more cowardly than the French. I call them “country club surrender monkeys”.
How’s about a picture of those legs?
NO NO NO citizenship for illegal aliens. It's bad enough their children are citizens.
So a guest worker program will probably come. It should only be for agriculture and food processing workers. This keeps us from importing food. It's ridiculous to depend on effin' Mexico for produce and meats
Hey, but pretty soon, Mexican truckers will have totally free access to American highways.
If you can fit 17 illegals into a Volkswagon, how many can you fit in a forty foot 18 wheeler cargo container?
More than 17 I bet.
IMO this issue should not be left to old, wealthy politicians. A nationwide vote should be called for.
Awwwwwwww. Tough tacos!
I’m going to comment on how illegal immigration has effected my little speck of the US. People I personally know have lost jobs to the illegals, small business owners in the construction trade. When they move into a house in the neighborhood, instead of a normal family of say 5, it is numerous families. I recently picked up my son’s friend to give him a ride to school. Across the street is split level, probably 4 bedrooms. I swear to you, their front yard looks like a used car lot. The cars are parked 2 rows deep across the front yard, crammed into the driveway and then along the street in front of the house. The children are as cute and sweet as can be in elementary school, there are so many that there is no classroom space so they must bring in trailers. 4 years ago there weren’t any trailers at our elementary school, there are now at least 10, eating up the playground. In elementary school, the kids do the best they can but then they hit middle school. Once there they start breaking off into cliques. They turn from cute little kids to gangsta thugs. It is not unusual for the pregnancies to start in the 8th grade. By high school, they form a full fledged gang mentality. Our once crown jewel of a school is now home to the Latin Kings and MS13. They are expelled or drop out at a higher rate then any other group. They are surpassing every other group in teen pregnancy. They are responsible for a huge amount of crime. So much for coming and taking advantage of the free education. Granting amnesty is not going to help with assimilation, it’s just going to be importing a whole poverty class, more unwed mothers and more crime. Thats the reality.
bump
How about driving without a license, or not having updated plates on your vehicle? How about using fake documents? Just for starters....
Unemployment might be low in some areas but some places it is higher and getting worse.
In case you wonder about the Democrat's intentions, this will be a wake up call. IF any kind of shamesty/amnesty, or "path to citizenship" is granted it will not only destroy our culture, but it will destroy the two party system in America, and we will become "pilgrims" in our own land. We will become the same kind of nation Mexico is. Full of violence and corruption!
Here's an alternative suggestion:
The Minutemen--enforcing the laws the President won't.
Cheers!
*laughs* I like your current name better, but I understand and agree with exactly where you’re coming from. Seems there are a number of people here on this board that feel we should support the republican party at all costs no matter what.
Sorry can’t do that anymore. They have used up the last of their “just help us and’s”. Now it’s time they started paying the piper for his services or find another piper.
NADA, ZERO PESOS.
I’ve never wanted to be a single-issue bvoter, but without sovereignty, there are no other issues. Taxes can be lowered again, the military rebuilt, any of the pulic benefits can be re-worked if bad laws are passed...but what do you do to fix the loss of soverignty and the creation of a welfare state within a welfare state that has no legislative basis?
Also, the iliegals, even if they filed tax returns, do not pay taxes, because they can easily, in most cases, prepare a return with enough personal exeemptions (from all the kiddies back home in Mexico for whom they supply support) and standard deductions, that they are likely to have n o or very low income taxes.
However, they never buy insurance and always use the emergency rooms, they give false IDs and false addresses, and someone else must pay for their use of all of our public benefits, and we have not ever voted to authorize that, and no politician has run on that platform. They lie to get free medical services and never pay for those services. Should our doctor’s be slaves? Nope, they get paid by having the citizens pick up the costs...
I have never voted to donate to Mexican citizens here illegally.
If they followed the rules to get here, then I am more comfortable with that, as long as they show responsibility.
By why should illegals obey the laws of this country when US citizens have such disrespect for our laws and our government. Since half the country hates out president, it is easy to find a tacit approval of the disrespect of our laws.
Politicians in both parties are sampling the winds blowing on this issue.
Pass amnesty, and watch those winds dwarf the forecast historical N'oreaster this weekend.
“Sorry can’t do that anymore.”
You are not alone!
“One of the big Wall Street firms puts the number of illegals closer to 30 million. Since they aren’t playing politics in their calculation it’s probably a much more accurate estimate.”
Last check the pop of Messico was about 117 million. The majority of illegals are from Messico. This makes it a safe bet tht 1/5th of the population of Messico are squatters in our country.
Pictures please.
fyi, "To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the diminutive British motorcar, the Mini, 25 people in New York squeezed into one at once, breaking the previous record of 24 set at the Montreal World's Fair in 1967.
The car measures about 10 feet long, 4 feet high and 4 feet wide. The interior -- slightly larger than a Volkswagen Beetle -- was stripped bare to provide more room. However, participants didn't have to fit entirely into the car to break the record."
also "VW Beetle cramming- The Official world record is held in Austria when they fitted 25 people into the car back in 2000, although this record has been attempted several times since then its not been beaten (we think you can change that!) "
http://www.torquecars.co.uk/vw/vw-events.htm
http://www.cnn.com/US/9908/25/mini.record/index.html
It truly breaks my heart to look at those pictures. For what these people lack in education they more than make up for in arrogance. Our elected officials must really live in a parallel universe. To even consider giving these people anything more than a train ride outta here is the same thing as literally spitting in our faces.
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