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Bush’s Push on Immigration Tests His Base (FR Mentioned)
NY Times ^ | June 3, 2007 | JIM RUTENBERG and CARL HULSE

Posted on 06/02/2007 10:22:51 AM PDT by nj26

President Bush’s advocacy of an immigration overhaul and his attacks on critics of the plan are provoking an unusually intense backlash from conservatives who form the bulwark of his remaining support, splintering his base and laying bare divisions within a party whose unity has been the envy of Democrats.

It has pitted some of Mr. Bush’s most stalwart Congressional and grass-roots backers against him, sparking a vitriol that has at times exceeded anything seen yet between Mr. Bush and his supporters, who have generally stood with him through the toughest patches of his presidency. Those supporters now view him as pursuing amnesty for foreign law breakers when he should be focusing on border security.

Postings on conservative Web sites this week have gone so far as to call for Mr. Bush’s impeachment, and usually friendly radio hosts, commentators and Congressional allies are warning that he stands to lose supporters — a potentially damaging development, they say, when he needs all the backing he can get on other vital matters like the war in Iraq.

“I think President Bush hurts himself every time he says it is not amnesty,” said Senator Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, referring to the bill’s legalization process for immigrants. “We are not all that stupid.”

This week, in discussing Mr. Bush’s recent comments accusing conservative critics of the immigration legislation of fear-mongering, Rush Limbaugh told listeners: “I just wish he hadn’t done it because he’s not going to lose me on Iraq, and he’s not going to lose me on national security. But he might lose some of you.”

Such sentiments have reverberated through talk radio, conservative publications like National Review and Fox News. They have also appeared on Web sites including RedState.com and FreeRepublic.com...

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Free Republic; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; benedictarnold; borders; deathofthegop; enemedia; freerepublic; illegalaliens; illegalimmigration; illegals; immigration; jimmycarter2; liberalmedia; mediabias; sellout; trysellingthetruth
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To: nj26
Mr. Bush’s comments to federal law enforcement trainees in Georgia on Tuesday, in which he took the rare step of going after conservative critics in terms usually reserved for Democrats, has charged the Republican ferment, specifically his suggestion that those opposed to the plan “don’t want to do what’s right for America.”

Presidential aides said later that Mr. Bush did not mean to impugn anyone’s patriotism, and that he had ad-libbed the line during a passionate address on an issue he holds dear.

But days later, Mr. Cornyn still seemed rankled. “I honestly don’t know whether it was scripted or unscripted,” he said. “But I think it was uncalled for.”

Being unscripted makes it worse, these are Bush's true feelings, not a script agreed upon by a committee.

21 posted on 06/02/2007 10:54:42 AM PDT by RJL
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To: atomicpossum
Oh, that they would report what we think of the NYT and that garden gnome who runs it...

LOL... And his talking hand puppet moose.

22 posted on 06/02/2007 10:58:28 AM PDT by RJL
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To: nj26

Do you think the Government really works together? This is from the Selective Service site. http://www.sss.gov/

ATTENTION, UNDOCUMENTED MALES
& IMMIGRANT SERVICING GROUPS!

If you are a man ages 18 through 25 and living in the U.S., then you must register with Selective Service. It’s the law. You can register at any U.S. Post Office and do not need a social security number. When you do obtain a social security number, let Selective Service know. Provide a copy of your new social security number card; being sure to include your complete name, date of birth, Selective Service registration number, and current mailing address; and mail to the Selective Service System, P.O. Box 94636, Palatine, IL 60094-4636.

Be sure to register before your 26th birthday. After that, it’s too late!

Selective Service does not collect any information which would indicate whether or not you are undocumented. You want to protect yourself for future U.S. citizenship and other government benefits and programs by registering with Selective Service. Do it today.

As my late father would say, “This world has gone to hell, but there is no place else to go.”


23 posted on 06/02/2007 11:00:05 AM PDT by Capt_Hank (btu's...kcal's...to kJ's, but my activation energy is still high.)
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To: Anti-Bubba182

Obviously, the girly boys at the NY Slimes love it when you talk nasty...the least thing they could do is to send you a free subscription so you wouldn’t have to buy any toilet paper for a year


24 posted on 06/02/2007 11:00:41 AM PDT by Stayfree (Over 100 dead bodies lined the Clintons' first path to the White House...and now?)
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To: RJL

Yep, his true ‘passions’ betrayed his mouth.


25 posted on 06/02/2007 11:00:57 AM PDT by SeaBiscuit (God Bless America.)
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To: NormsRevenge
at least they didn’t call FR a blog. :-}

And they linked and excerpted, so JimRob won't have to sue them. ;)

26 posted on 06/02/2007 11:06:13 AM PDT by greyfoxx39 (That "broken glass" we all crawled over in 2000 has now left scars on our hearts as well !)
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To: nj26
The amnesty bill is not law yet. There is still time to change the minds of the people who have the power to stop this from happening. If President Bush heard from 10 million people on Monday morning, don’t you think he might rethink his disastrous position?

DON’T TYPE. CALL THE WHITE HOUSE. CALL YOUR CONGRESSCRITTER. DO NOT FADE AWAY.

27 posted on 06/02/2007 11:07:38 AM PDT by ishabibble (ALL AMERICAN INFIDEL)
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To: sheana
Don’t send our fine young men to die in some godforsaken foreign country while encouraging an invasion at home. I no longer think George Bush gives a dam about this country.

As a Christian conservative, what if I told you that the war in Iraq was not about terrorism at all (not like Afganistan at least), but about settling an old score with Saddam? Would you think me a tinfoil kind of guy?

What if I told you that the borders are being intentionally left open to facilitate another attack against us on our own soil, so that perhaps political power can be consolidated and marshall law declared, as well as the coming of the North American Union (for so-called security's sake)? Would you think me a moonbat?

If so,...everyone had better put two and two together really quickly, because this is exactly where we're headed if it's not derailed quickly.

28 posted on 06/02/2007 11:09:28 AM PDT by Ranger Drew
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To: nj26
President George Bush, like his father and grandfather before him is a dedicated establishment man. He is part of the ruling elite, an international one-worlder.

George Bush’s great strength was the Democrat party. His conservative base was always shallow because he had never demonstrated a dedication to conservative principals. ties.

As it was, he barely beat Gore. He has been a continuing disappointment to conservatives.

He has done nothing about reducing the size of government or the welfare state. His spending, the highest in history, pleases liberals. His political leadership has been weak leading to his party’s loss of Congress.

President Bush is continually on the defensive seeming to be unable to fight back against his opposition. He has vetoed almost nothing.

Above all, his refusal to repel the invasion of illegal aliens from across the Mexican border will probably be both the downfall of his party and his legacy.

His plus points are the economy and the war on terrorism.

Democrats got us into Vietnam. Republicans got us into Iraq. I hope it won’t take a decade of defeat to get us out of Iraq as it did in Vietnam.

29 posted on 06/02/2007 11:15:52 AM PDT by R.W.Ratikal
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To: ex-Texan
Savage is just an entertainer. He has to take no actions. The only action I’ve seen Savage take is donate the maximum amount of money to Democrat,liberal Jerry Brown who is for increasing illegal immigration and Amnesty.

I don’t buy his act just Like I don’t buy McCain’s.

This bill is the worst bill ever and Bush is wrong on this. But Savage would have more credibility if he blamed who is behind this bill, the Democrats who CONTROL Congress.Practically every democrat congressman is for this Amnesty bill as it will give these socialist Democrats 20 million instant new Democrat voters.Democrat Kennedy has been behind every Amnesty and every 3rd world immigration bill since 1965. Savage doesn’t blame Kennedy and the Democrats as Much as he blames the GOP and Bush.

I don’t buy the line that most GOP congressmen are so willing to cut their own throats by voting for this Amnesty. There is an anti-Amnesty Republican coalition in the House even though Republicans are in the minority.

Do you or Savage support Republican Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo for president or just bash the GOP?

Do you or savage call for impeachment of Kennedy and the democrats like you do for Bush?

For the first time the liberal media is noticing conservatives and quoting them when they bash Bush. Savage has been bashing Bush on everything for years while giving Pelosi, his buddy Chucky Shumer, and Democrats a pass on many things. Savage is for the mininmum wage so that proves that Savage is liberal communist who is for the government telling businesses what they have to pay their employees. if Savage were a conservative and his rants weren't an act then why isn't this liberal cretin for the free market? FYI , a principle of conservatism is the free market.

30 posted on 06/02/2007 11:19:06 AM PDT by rurgan ("Government is not the solution to our problems.Government is the Problem" - President Reagan)
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To: nj26
President Bush’s advocacy of an immigration overhaul and his attacks on critics of the plan are provoking an unusually intense backlash from conservatives ...

Where am I on this? See tag line.

31 posted on 06/02/2007 11:26:17 AM PDT by Barnacle (Barred from posting on "A Day in the Life of President Bush" threads.)
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To: nj26
It's not his base any more.
32 posted on 06/02/2007 11:30:58 AM PDT by oldbill
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To: shrinkermd
Destroying respect for the law, and the Presidency, and Senate are not good things.

They should try enforcing existing laws, first, and inversely allocating visas, trade bennies, foreign "aid" by country on the number of their illegal exports choking our prisons, health, and educational systems.

We don't need people that fail to respect our laws. We don't need to alienate those that have followed our laws by rewarding ne'er-do-wells.

Reunite the families by shipping the illegals back.

We don't need to eliminate the exceptional skills visas either,

33 posted on 06/02/2007 11:31:25 AM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: ishabibble

“If President Bush heard from 10 million people on Monday morning, don’t you think he might rethink his disastrous position?”

______________________________________________

No. He would just think that 10 million of us were bigots.

Nevertheless, call and fax anyway.


34 posted on 06/02/2007 11:32:45 AM PDT by Ikemeister
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To: RJL

“Mr. Bush’s comments to federal law enforcement trainees in Georgia on Tuesday, in which he took the rare step of going after conservative critics in terms usually reserved for Democrats, has charged the Republican ferment, specifically his suggestion that those opposed to the plan ‘don’t want to do what’s right for America.’

“Presidential aides said later that Mr. Bush did not mean to impugn anyone’s patriotism, and that he had ad-libbed the line during a passionate address on an issue he holds dear.”

It might not have been his true feelings. It might instead have been a rhetorical habit of his when arguing. He uses similar rhetorical expressions against those who oppose his policies in Iraq.


35 posted on 06/02/2007 11:33:00 AM PDT by edweena
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

If Shamnesty comes to pass it will be worse than anything Carter did. And Carter was by far the worst president of the 20th century.


36 posted on 06/02/2007 11:34:14 AM PDT by SmoothTalker
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To: nj26; Anti-Bubba182
Yes he is, as is another unnamed poster at FR:

The Republican and conservative critiques on the Internet are not so polite. “Bush has turned on his own people, his political supporters, his citizens, his conservative base, and the integrity of America in general,” wrote a visitor to a message board on the conservative Web site FreeRepublic.com. Another visitor, Anti-Bubba182, wrote, “Why have I cared that liberals not attempt to impeach this man? He’s gone crazy.”

37 posted on 06/02/2007 11:36:06 AM PDT by kristinn
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To: R.W.Ratikal

“George Bush’s great strength was the Democrat party. “

A very good point. In both elections he faced very poor opponents from a very disorganized party with a vocal wing of moonbats whose message turned off 85% of Americans. And yet he barely won both elections. Rove should not be considered a genius for beating those two dolts. I said in 2004 that he should be questioned because of how close Bush came to losing.


38 posted on 06/02/2007 11:37:11 AM PDT by SmoothTalker
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To: rurgan

>>Do you or savage call for impeachment of Kennedy and the democrats like you do for Bush?<<

I would if the Constitution had a provision to do so.

But impeachment is not the solution. The immigration bill would have passed by the time Bush would be impeached (assuming that it can get thru congress), and even if we could impeach him instantly, Cheney would sign it.

We need to

1) Kill this bill

2) Elect better people for POTUS and congress. Otherwise another amnesty bill is coming after 2008.


39 posted on 06/02/2007 11:39:33 AM PDT by ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas (Illegals: representation without taxation--Citizens: taxation without representation)
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To: Ranger Drew

I dunno, Ranger Drew. It does seem as though you might benefit from donning some of Reynold’s finest wrap.

Yet I admit I’m completely baffled. I simply cannot reconcile the aggressive long-range policies that President Bush pursues in the Mideast with his cavalier attitude toward illegal aliens right here in our country. I simply cannot put the pieces together. Does he think that fighting in the Mideast will magically protect us against terrorist activity by small numbers of militants who sneak into the country through our worse than porous southern border? Why is he so blinkered to the threat of an insecure border? It’s as though he had tunnel vision.


40 posted on 06/02/2007 11:43:05 AM PDT by edweena
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