Spokesman for President Bush Posts on Free Republic About Immigration Bill

Thursday, June 14, 2007 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

A spokeman for the Bush administration sent an e-mail to Jim Robinson and myself confirming the authenticity of a post on Free Republic this afternoon regarding the immigration bill currently before the Senate as having been posted on behalf of the White House.

The spokesman, Nicholas Thompson, works for the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives. The Politico reported yesterday that Thompson and Kerrie Rushton, associate directors in the Office of Strategic Initiatives who work under Karl Rove, would be engaging the blogosphere on the immigration bill.

Thompson's post is on the thread titled Penalty Mitigation in the Immigration Reform Bill, a vanity posted by philman_36. Thompson posted at comment #53.

Thompson's e-mail to Free Republic included a brief introduction and the text of his posted comment:

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know that I just posted a response to the post "Penalty Mitigation in the Immigration Reform Bill."

The White House appreciates the opportunity to respond on Free Republic.

Response:
I would like to point out that the Secretary is authorized to reduce or mitigate penalities against employers who in good faith are trying to comply with the law. Certainly, we understand that not all employers knowingly hire illegal immigrants; this will remain the case, especially before the bill’s new secure documentation requirements are fully phased in. We do not seek to wrongly penalize honest employers who unknowingly hire illegal immigrants, therefore we reserve the right to reduce or mitigate their penalties if the employer can show good faith compliance in following the law.

For those employers who do knowingly hire illegal immigrants, please know that we intend to penalize these employers strongly, and the Administration has already stepped up these penalties in the last couple of years. For example, a 2005 program, “Operation Rollback,” assessed $15,000,000 in civil fines to employers, an amount greater than the sum of administrative fines collected in the previous eight years and was the largest worksite enforcement penalty in US history. In the first quarter of FY07, criminal and civil forfeitures have totaled $26,700,000 for employers.

As a reminder of what’s in the bill, fines for hiring an illegal worker are $5,000 maximum per illegal worker for the first offense, $10,000 maximum per illegal worker for the second, $25,000 maximum per illegal worker for the third , and $75,000 maximum per illegal worker for the fourth. In addition, the bill increases the maximum criminal penalty for a pattern or practice of unlawful hiring twenty-five-fold, from $3,000 to $75,000, and would impose a prison term of up to six months. This represents a significant increase in fines for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Nicholas Thompson
White House Office of Strategic Initiatives

[ClancyJ]

Well thought out reasoned views need to be blasted in their ears so they might have the chance of getting a clue to solving these problems.

[txhurl]

Brioche are those cute little puff-type pastries with a little ball of pastry on top. Only found in royal dining rooms.

The complaint was that the masses had no bread to eat. Her response was 'well, then eat your pastries in the meantime until you baker delivers your bread'.

[dstarr]

Oooh, I think that should definitely be one of the main points. Doing away with the anchor baby program would solve much of the problem with the illegals. A big incentive for coming here would be lost.

[CottonBall]

Then make those views be heard and respected - not ignored as mere ignorant rantings of the uneducated masses

That's your opinion about what's been posted here. Very elite and condescending of you. I find it all very informative, real and not sugarcoated, straight to the point, and in most cases, very well stated.

The only posts I find that don't address the issue at hand is yours.

[anglian]

http://www.immigrationcounters.com/

[txhurl]

Then make those views be heard and respected

What, you want we should kidnap George Will and forge his column? What on earth is your suggestion we do? Storm CSPAN tapings? Paint them on our barn roofs?

[anglian]

ImmigrationCounters.com provides the public key statistics resulting from illegal immigration in America. Using the latest government and private sources, research and analysis trending data is factored at their individual rates of increase.

[P-Marlowe]

We need to think of how we would speak if trying to sell our views to a boss.

we're not trying to sell these clowns anything. They are trying to sell us a bill of goods.

When you realize a salesman is defrauding you, you stop playing nice and you pick him up by the seat of his pants and throw him into the street.

They tried to sneak this one by us in the dark of night.

BTW Bush has lost all credibility by sending his cronies out to try to convince us that this Amnesty bill is not an Amnesty Bill. Why should I give a crap if they don't give me any credibility? I'm not trying to sell them anything. I'm trying to tar and feather them all and run them out of town on a rail. That is how Americans have traditionally treated flim flam men. We need to let these Bozos know who is the boss and where they can put their Amnesty plan.

Hey Jorge, if you are lurking:

[GitmoSailor]

Very good post!!!...

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

I've Been "Home" Since `68,,,My House-Mate's Son Is On His 2nd Tour,,,10th this time,,,just got word He won't be Home till November,,,2nd Extention,,,That Will Be !!19MONTHS IN COMBAT In MAHMUDIYH(in the shi'it)His Mother Worries Alot, Me Too,,,That Said,,,Ho'Hay Arbusto Is Now Down Below LBJ With What He Is Tryin' To Do To The Country "I" Swore An Oath To,,,After All,,,LBJ Only Got A "FEW" Of My Brothers Killed,,,58,219 Sticks In My Mind,,,More Now I'm Sure,,, TONK JUST DIED TOO,,,HO'Hey Arbusto Is Sellin' The USA Down The Rio Grande With His NWO/NAU Push,,,BULLSHI'IT Sezz ME.

[CottonBall]

I knew the story, but not that it was brioche. That makes it even more elitist.

*But they sound yummy.......time for dessert!

[ClancyJ]

Wow, think you have hit on something here. Very well put and you got my attention.

In the back of my mind I have remembered Bush pushing for an eventual north american bloc to compete with European Union or the other alignments to come our way and his view that immigration will never be solved until the need for immigration is removed by equalizing the economy so they do not need to flee.

You have probably the most powerful post I have read tonight and you just might have hit on what is going on.

[ex-Texan]

Here is what will soon happen. Beginning later this year IF our corrupt Congress passes this immigration bill. Millions of Mexicans will cheer:

"Free medical care. Free food stamps. Free education. Top priority in college admissions. Free scholarships. Social Security. #1 priority in job hiring and our kids will learn to speak two languages . . ."

All corrupt politicos should be prosecuted for treason and taking bribes.

[airborne]

‘ClancyJ’ thinks if we just talk nicely, the folks in DC will get it and change their minds. She doesn’t actually offer any of her own ideas, just criticism of others whom she deems to be ‘ranting’.

Meanwhile, back in Washington -

“Immigration Bill Will Return to Senate”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1850565/posts

[Travis McGee]

AMEN X 1,000!

[jedward]

“Gee, I’m afraid to go view your link. I’m having trouble handling irate posters here - are you trying to kill me?”

I think that post right there pretty well sums you up. You are the one wasting other people’s time. Why don’t you work on the proposals you mentioned and then post a thread with it and ping us all to it.

[CottonBall]

Thanks, Gitmo. (BTW, were you really there? I bet you have some stories to tell, if so!)

The Security Moms T-shirt has been a car rag since the first amnesty bill and the ‘W’ stickers have been long scraped off. He could’ve had so much from us.....now I sound like a wronged wife!

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Boo-Koo Numbah 1 GI...

[anglian]

Someone from the WH was shilling for amnesty on FreeRepublic?

This year's immigration debate has made one thing crystal clear: the White House is intent on winning "comprehensive" immigration reform. Its messaging operation was in overdrive for three solid weeks, producing eight fact sheets and four documents that "debunked" so-called "myths" about the bill. It dispatched Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Press Secretary Tony Snow to meetings of conservative leaders in Washington, D.C. Perhaps most surprisingly, it also monitored conservative blogs such as RedState and National Review and dispatched counter-arguments to their criticisms with the kind of speed and intensity one would like to see among those charged with enforcing immigration law.

http://cboldt.blogspot.com

[P-Marlowe]

Thanks Travis. Good to see you back.

You were missed. Boy were you missed!