Posted on 05/31/2007 6:58:57 AM PDT by truthkeeper
McClatchy Exclusive: Bush Accuses Conservative Critics of Fear-Mongering on Immigration
Firing back at conservative critics, President Bush defended his plan to overhaul immigration laws Tuesday and accused its opponents of "trying to rile up peoples emotions" with misinformation.
In an exclusive interview with McClatchy Newspapers, Bush expressed his determination to fight for changes that would let millions of illegal immigrants gain legal status. He cast the debate as a struggle over Americas soul and its reputation as a welcoming nation.
"Im deeply concerned about America losing its soul. Immigration has been the lifeblood of a lot of our countrys history," the president said during an interview on Air Force One. "I am worried that a backlash to newcomers would cause our country to lose its great capacity to assimilate newcomers."
Bush underscored his commitment to the proposed overhaul despite harsh criticism from some conservatives as he traveled to Georgia for a speech that blasted the legislations critics.
"Im sure youve heard some of the talk out there about people defining the bill. Its clear they hadnt read the bill. Theyre speculating about what the bill says, and theyre trying to rile up peoples emotions," he told an audience at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, near Brunswick. "If you want to kill the bill, if you dont want to do whats right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it, you can use it to frighten people. Or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all."
Bush acknowledged that the proposed overhaul faces a difficult time in Congress, where its under attack from both ends of the political spectrum.
(Excerpt) Read more at sanluisobispo.com ...
“I am worried that a backlash to newcomers..”
Does he ever worry about the backlash of Americans that are sick and tired of invaders!?!
Perhaps Bush is showing his true colors.
In order to push his globalist ideas he will use taxpayer funds to pander to the liberals.
His North American Union will depend on bringing the status of our people more in line with the rest of the world, except of course, the elites, which he is one of.
Mexico is a failed state, for what else can you call a nation that, for example, encourages the departure of tens of millions of its often hard-working (albeit uneducated) citizens while harboring tens of thousands of ultra-violent drug criminals who influence national and local policy makers? Unfortunately, a nation reflects the character of its people, and millions of Mexican failed-staters have made (and are making) their way into every nook and cranny of the United States. Anyone who thinks that this is a good thing does not have the vital interests of the United States uppermost in his heart and mind.
"Ted, if anyone ends up in camps, it won't be our friends, the illegal aliens.
It will be the suckers that comprise, what they think is, 'my conservative base'."
Suggesting the laws be followed is not misinformation, a loss of soul, or riling up people’s emotions.
All we’re saying is give LAW a chance.
“He has turned into a bleeding heart liberal.”
e.g. millions for African AIDs, `cause: “We all have
AIDs . . “
“compassionate conservatives”: take a hike!
I stopped reading.
Is he so ignorant that he thinks we don't recognize the differences between legal immigrants who assimilate and illegal immigrants who do not?
And still, he ignores the simpleton concept of enforcing the immigration laws we already have.
New laws, no matter how "comprehensive", will not be any good if government choose not to enforce them. Duh.
(chuckle)
No harm, no foul.
Here’s a great idea. Enforce the current laws we have and make the borders secure. Every other country in the world (except maybe Mexico but who wants to get in there) does this.
Below is the response I just sent to NRCC Chairman Tom Cole in regards to an invitation to come to Washington for a ‘townhall meeting’ where the President would be in attendance.
Chairman Cole,
You’ve got to be kidding me. Yesterday, the President - who I voted for twice, made the public observation that people like me are ‘using fear tactics’ because I oppose the Amnesty legislation, and because I sincerely believe we should secure the border first, then consider what to do about the illegal aliens within our great nation. 13 months ago the President stated in a prime time address ‘the border is out of control’. Here we are, and the situation is the same. Yet the President finds my point of view ‘troublesome’? I find his failure to secure the border in these times frightening.
Sorry, at this point the President has made it crystal clear he finds me irksome at best. Perhaps you can offer those two tickets to the President of Mexico and his wife. I’m quite sure he prefers their company to mine.
Regretfully,
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! TILL YOU RUN OUT OF INK IN YOUR PEN!
Bombard the Democrats as well, especially the ones that ran on an anti illegal immigration plank and the ones in marginal districts who could be vulnerable. keep pounding on them. This is a bipartisan issue not a Conservative or Liberal issue BUT AN AMERICAN issue.
Ergo, instead of initiating removal proceedings, ICE will be initiating amnesty applications.
This is the equivalent of turning the Drug Enforcement Agency into a needle distribution network.
I tell you, “raised in a barn” would be a compliment! These people have zero class. Nada.
Not yet, but its getting to that point. Between the corruption of the Ohio GOP (where I’m located) and the President’s ‘hug and illegal today’ insanity, I’m just a tad frustrated (understatement).
I think he's off the wagon and only sobers up long enough to do what his handlers tell him to do/say/sign.
Maybe.
That does it for me; I'm registering as an Independent.
Kiss my ass, GOP.
Bush doesn’t have to rub elbows with them every day. Here in North Texas, there are huge neighborhoods made up almost exclusivly of llegal aliens. At almost every house, there are 10 cars parked in the yard at night, houses that nightly are on the recieving end of drive-by shootings. The cars have no tags, inspection stickers, or insurance.
Just two days ago an illegal hung her four young daughters and herself. One baby, an eight month old, managed to survive. Live in boy friend also illegal is missing. Our county will get to bury them and pay for saving the baby.
He is worried about a BACKLASH: Perhaps he should read this.
It’s an article written by Jim Kouri, a vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. Or you can just read this paragraph I lifted out of his article:
In the population study of a sample of 55,322 (incarcerated) illegal aliens, researchers found that they were arrested at least a total of 459,614 times, averaging about 8 arrests per illegal alien. Nearly all had more than 1 arrest. Thirty-eight percent (about 21,000) had between 2 and 5 arrests, 32 percent (about 18,000) had between 6 and 10 arrests, and 26 percent (about 15,000) had 11 or more arrests. Most of the arrests occurred after 1990
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