Posted on 05/29/2007 10:15:03 AM PDT by Rb ver. 2.0
GLYNCO, Ga. (AP) - President Bush attacked opponents of an immigration deal Tuesday, suggesting they “don’t want to do what’s right for America.”
“The fundamental question is, will elected officials have the courage necessary to put a comprehensive immigration plan in place,” Bush said against a backdrop of a huge American flag.
He described his proposal—which has been agreed to by a bipartisan group of senators—as one that “makes it more likely we can enforce our border—and at the same time uphold the great immigrant tradition of the United States of America.”
Bush spoke at the nation’s largest training center for law enforcement.
He chose the get-tough setting as conservative critics blast a Senate proposal as being soft on people who break the law. Hoping to blunt that message, Bush emphasized that any new options for immigrants and foreign workers would not start until tougher security is in place.
The presidential stop came during a congressional recess, with senators back home and facing pressure from the left and right on the immigration plan. Bush’s aim is to build momentum for the legislation, perhaps his best chance for a signature victory in his second term. The Senate expects to resume debate on it next week.
“A lot of Americans are skeptical about immigration reform, primarily because they don’t think the government can fix the problems,” Bush said.
“And my answer to the skeptics is: give us a chance to fix the problems in a comprehensive way that enforces our border and treats people with decency and respect. Give us a chance to fix this problem. Don’t try to kill this bill before it gets moving,” Bush told students and instructors at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
Bush repeatedly cast the matter as one of political courage.
“Those determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a narrow slice of it and find something they don’t like,” the president said. “If you want to kill the bill, if you don’t want to do what’s right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it.
“You can use it to frighten people,” Bush said. “Or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all.”
The bill would give temporary legal status to millions of unlawful immigrants, provided they came forward, paid a fine and underwent criminal background checks. To apply for a green card, they would have to pay another fine, learn English, return to their home country and wait in line.
The plan also would create a guest worker program. It would allow foreign laborers to come to the U.S. for temporary stints, yet with no guarantee they can eventually gain citizenship.
Both the new visa plan and the temporary worker program are contingent on other steps coming first. Those include fencing and barriers along the Mexico border, the hiring of more Border Patrol agents and the completion of an identification system to verify employees’ legal status.
The legislation would also reshape future immigration decisions. A new point system would prioritize skills and education over family in deciding who can immigrate.
Georgia’s senators both played leading roles in producing Bush’s deal with the Senate. Yet they have also said they may not support the final bill, depending upon how it is amended.
Bush chastised those who say the proposal offers amnesty to illegal immigrants. He called it empty political rhetoric.
“He just gets more delusional every day, what is wrong with this guy”
I think the same thing every day. I am even beginning to question his judgement in Iraq. If he can support such a bad path for the USA to go down - I just wonder about his judgement on everything.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for mentioning the tragic lot of Ramos and Compean who rot in prison while Bush insults all patriotic Americans!!! I have never in all my seventy years been more incensed and am encouraging everyone to get on the phone to their congress critters to register their outrage!!
I heard Tony Snow pushing that crap on the Neal Boortz show. He was saying that those who are opposed to this “reform” bill are the ones “copping out”.
That’s right, folks. The administration believes if you oppose them on this “reform”, YOU, yes, you are pushing a cop-out. I kid you not.
Mr. President, who are you to tell us what’s right and wrong???
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1840531/posts
Go read what another Republican president had to say on immigration...
Why should we trust Bush and Kennedy on this bill anymore than we trusted Kennedy back in 1986 when 3,000,000 got amnesty? Kennedy doesn’t care what happens to this country. He continues to act like he is guilty for the drowning. The answer is “We shouldn’t trust any politician when talking about immigration”. I am deeply disturbed with Bush and feel betrayed by Bush after voting (stupidly) for him twice. In truth, I liked the other choices less.
I will continue to call and email my Senators and Congresscritters. This bill is an abortion of justice.
I’m not joking about the following.
I would hazard to guess that if Bush’s amnesty passes there will be a small but statistically significant blip in the suicide rate.
Bush is showing himself to be the two-bit tool of a politician he really is. Daddy’s boy that couldn’t cut it in the private sector. King Midas in reverse. He’s no American.
Now let’s give the kind of response that the president usually gets around here: “Pray for President Bush!”
Voting will no longer matter for us anyway. Voting will be so much better for some others that I know of.
I seriously doubt John Kerry or any other liberal democrat would have even tried to do something as terrible as this amnesty plan. They would be too afraid of the inevitable political backlash that it would bring. This whole thing has a 'republican face' to it, and the dems who are supporting this have the convenience of using the GOP for political cover. This SHOULD be a political opportunity. If the dems had proposed this, and the republicans were united in opposition, the dems would be politically destroyed. Unfortunately this isn't the case, because the GOP are opting for political suicide instead.
Amen. No matter what happens the GOP is the biggest loser—after the country. If the bill gets killed, the Rep candidate will be excoriated as being racist and a natavist and the entire GOP will be so branded. And the Dems will say, like they did in 2006, that they favored the WH plan.
It's a captive audience. They boo and they get on the shit list. They were biting their tongues. They were used.
If this passes. I will actively work against the Republican Party. Money, time whatever. Cheaters must be punished.
“Is it plausable that the MSM polls are fabricated...in order to highlight the disagreements among the GOP?”
Anything is POSSIBLE. But I doubt it is PROBABLE. Most Americans I have spoken with over this issue - both Republican and Democrat - although I live an primarily Republican area, are OPPOSED to this bill, to amnesty and to “guest workers”.
“For example, this thread could serve as evidence to the Hispanic that their home and sanctuary is with the RATS and not us.”
This is not an Hispanic Issue. It is an illegal invader issue. If anyone of Hispanic background fails to grasp that, I suspect they are the victims of a thought process colored by real or imagined discrimination, or by adesire to ethnically, culturally and lingusitically dominate the American cultural millieu.
The problem was created by American exploiters of cheap labor, the present administration which has failed to enforce the laws of the land, and by the Mexican government, which has seeks to address the economic inequities in its social system by disburdening its disadvanted population on us.
A nation cannot exist if it has no control of its borders -unless the nation is a global state. The latter is a fiction created in the minds of the Bush Family and similar politically motivated individuals.
First his dad and now him.
We will be doing this again in about 8 or 16 years either with Jeb or George III (Jeb’s son).
Are we going to fall for it a third time?
I'm starting to believe that he has lost control of his agenda but doesn't know what else to do. Like LBJ at the end of his road--braying at the microphone, repeating the same cliches to an increasingly skeptical and downright unbelieving audience.
He must know his credibility is sinking, even as he attacks his former base. What a pathetic way to drizzle away a presidency.
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