Posted on 05/31/2007 11:46:52 PM PDT by Baladas
President Bush sounded like he hoped to sever ties with the remaining 30 percent who like him when he went after critics in his party this week over opposition to his latest immigration plan.
"If you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill's an amnesty bill," Bush said during a stop in Glynco, Ga. "That's empty political rhetoric, trying to frighten our citizens."
It was his harshest public backhand yet to the conservative bloggers, commentators, politicians and CNN anchor Lou Dobbs, all gassing about how the bill amounts to amnesty.
"People shouldn't fear our capacity to uphold our motto, E Pluribus Unum," Bush told McClatchy Newspapers.
The compromise Senate bill is drawing fire from Republicans and Democrats. Critics on the left don't like the high fees and penalties for illegal immigrations, or the shift away from reuniting families and toward valuing education and skills in deciding who gets in. Conservative critics are calling it amnesty because it includes provisions for those in the U.S. illegally to eventually become citizens.
Points to Texas' diversity For Bush, the fight over immigration reform is a personal one — unlike Social Security or education reform, which were mostly political.
"I feel passionate about the issue. It's something I have felt strongly about ever since I was the governor of Texas," he said.
"Texas is a very diverse state, Houston is a very diverse city, and through that diversity, if you're open-minded, you get a great sense of how it invigorates the society," said Bush, a Houston resident in the 1960s and '70s.
Growing up in Texas, Bush said, "you recognize the decency and hard work and humanity of Hispanics. And the truth of the matter is a lot of this immigration debate is driven as a result of Latinos being in our country."
Or to be more specific, an unhappiness about Latinos being in the country. Bush, for the first time, is putting opponents on notice that he's going to call them out on their xenophobia if he needs to. In last year's failed effort at passing immigration reform, he never went that far.
"A lot of us in Texas were very aware of the immigration issue way before the rest of the country," Bush told McClatchy. Bush is working to keep the bill intact and moving forward.
His brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, joined former Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman in co-authoring an op-ed in Thursday's Wall Street Journal, calling on Republicans to support the bill.
In addition to arguing the merits, the two noted the political damage to the Republican Party after California in 1994 passed Proposition 187, a measure denying many public services to illegal immigrants.
"The GOP won the governor's mansion in the short term, but alienated the fastest-growing constituency in the state," they said.
With Congress out of town on recess, Bush had the microphone largely to himself on immigration. But he may not be getting traction because of the war in Iraq. The unpopular, long-running conflict has eroded public trust in the president and makes it harder for him to pass a domestic agenda. It also makes it easier for members of Congress to oppose him.
He is apparently delusional enough he thinks there are people who will like him for attacking the right. Um, dude, those all left your reservation way back around Katarina...
The reporter seems almost in awe that the President is
B!t(h slapping the last 30% who have marched lock step with him.
News Papers have to face facts.
Liberal reporters coming out of college have preconceived notions and have no qualms distorting the facts to suit their personal agendas.
Well, it ain’t like he wasn’t warned...
“In addition to arguing the merits, the two noted the political damage to the Republican Party after California in 1994 passed Proposition 187, a measure denying many public services to illegal immigrants.
“The GOP won the governor’s mansion in the short term, but alienated the fastest-growing constituency in the state,” they said.”
Uh... illegal immigrants are NOT a constituency. The fact that they even think so completely negates any other point they might have been trying to make.
“(please don`t say just follow existing law, that`s a dead pony)”
How about we just follow existing law?
LOL
Yeah, stupid enough to be President, worth millions, millions more when he retires and stupid enough to laugh all the way to the bank.
Kind of sickening, isn't it?
“If you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill’s an amnesty bill,”
I guess the “Bush lied” crowd finally has it right now.
Amnesty = pathway to citizenship.
Bush said, “..the truth of the matter is a lot of this immigration debate is driven as a result of Latinos being in our country.”
NO! LIAR! The ‘TRUTH of the matter’ is the result of MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL INVADERS in our country.. of all sorts.. and while we are at war with terrorism.
>>Can you share with us your plan to get this Congress to approve the laws and funding to do what we all want? (please don`t say just follow existing law, that`s a dead pony)<<
A new bad law is worse than the status quo. I can’t believe you are defending this bill. Suppose you went to a doctor with stomach pains, and he said that to cure you he would have to implant hemorrhoids inside you. And he said that “doing nothing is not an option.”
If the bill is passed, we get amnesty and even more illegal immigration in the future, not to mention more socialists eventually. For a promise of doing something that they have never, never, never kept. And the Great Wizard of Failed Immigration Laws, Teddy, put this all together.
Can I have my two votes for this fool back now?
There is no way around this. This bill... from a historial perspective of border enforcement of this administration and the absolute lack of intent for sanctuary cities/states to enforce the laws that already exist, this bill is amnesty. The problem won't change, it will become worse and worse because they won't or don't have the courage or will to address a real solution. It's surrender.
And surrendering our borders is the ultimate insult to our brave and courageous heros in our armed forces who are dying to protect this nation. How can we allow the government to betray all of us like this?
With a nod to "Country Joe and the Fish". Hopefully they've explored the dark mysteries of personal hygiene since this tune was last popular.
***
1..2..3...What are they dying for?
What's this crap with AMNESTY?
GOP's gonna screw you and me...
and it's 5..6..7..
Twenty Million illegals...
Well they're on their way, WELCOME, JOSE!
Yippee!
GOP's gonna die...
***
And with 20 million new socialist voters, the GOP is going to die, nailing their casket closed in the next election. My mind is spinning. What are they thinking?!?
Unlike the Clintons, GWB isn't going to demand heavy fees as a speaker, and if he writes a book, I seriously doubt it will be a bestseller unless it is a massive mea culpa.
W is old money, and doesn't have extravagant tastes, as anyone who has been to Crawford knows. He'll never be hurting for cash, but he'll never hit it big like Slick did.
Points to Texas’ diversity For Bush, the fight over immigration reform is a personal one — unlike Social Security or education reform, which were mostly political.
So gb is willing to die on the hill of fighting for amnesty, but Soical Security reform was
“Mostly political”?
U-N-B-E-L-I-E-V-A-B-L-E
I think gb and rove and the bushian elements of the Republican Party have drank the kool aid laced with stupid pills...
But by then we won't even be Americans. We'll be CanArMexicans or some such. Bush has a big part in this happening but it's been in the works for years. At least 90 years and before. It's the brain child of the CFR and the Trilateral Commission in current history. It looks forward to the One World Government - The New World Order.
It's coming. It will ultimately be headed by the Antichrist. The Bible explains those final stages. Don't believe it? Google the Council of Foreign Relations and the Trilateral commission and dig a little for the truth. It's history that has yet to be rewritten. Then check out end times prophecy in the Bible. That is Googlable too.
How about we just ENFORCE the existing laws?
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