NUTS to him...
Posted on 06/14/2007 11:16:52 AM PDT by 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
Oh jeez, not this shit again.
If you don't read the prior posts, then your declaration that we are all just ranting and trashing the president is groundless.
Go ahead tell the President of the United States you are going to withdraw the support you never gave him in the first place.
I did support the president (beginning at the time he won the nomination in 2000) and held my tongue when he pushed through other liberal agenda items, out of respect for the work he was doing to defend the country in the GWOT. So again, your declaration against Freepers is groundless.
How glorious, an opportunity to thrash the president directly to the White House person seeking discussion.
It would appear that this WH spokesman was not seeking discussion; rather, he was seeking to post his boss's spin on the amnesty bill. No further comment from him since that time.
Enjoy it - it will be the last time and will blow away your opportunity to get heard by those who have the power to bring about any change. The temptation was just too great - a chance to personally trash the President of the United States and make yourself look like an absolute fool. Just too wonderful.
The American citizen has the power to bring about change, and the administration, the RINO wing of the Republican Party and the SurrenderCRAT party all know this very well. That's why the president is sending out "spokesfolks" to the internet - to try and spin their amnesty bill in such a way as to save the RINOs rumps in the '08 elections.
Who needs to discuss - just rant.
It may help if you would go back and read the comments. Many Freepers have posted facts and suggestions, as well as debunking many of the myths that the RINOs, 'RATS and president's spinsters are floating in the media and the 'net.
scuze me CM, I gotta call old Mel again - you know Mel Martinez doncha?
Disgusting isn't it, Oklahoma passes the toughest laws to date and this travesty of a bill would take it away. I agree that JRochelle is right that this is about taking the power from the local state/counties/cities to deal with the problem of Immigration. They get the expenses just like when twice vans of illegals crashed on OK highways, people were killed, and seriously injured and the State (us taxpayers) picked up the tab.
I have gone from mad to livid at this bill being brought back! I think a lot of people from all backgrounds are starting to wake up -- I hear people against this bill that never expressed an opinion one way or the other before this.
Two blasts from the past in one post.
she’s a good woman...handsome too.
I am in her district by only 200 yards from Cooper’s urban fortress
NUTS to him...
Just a little,,,Pour It On Em’...!!!
So, I am not supposed to want to be heard?
I am supposed to want to be considered a whiner?
I have serious reservations about the immigration bill as I have stated above - I am upset with the president as I have stated above.
On this thread many may be intelligent but they are not coming across as intelligent - they are coming across as out-of-control radicals. Not all, maybe not you but you know the tone of many of these posts. Are you proud that they manage to demean the site into only a ranting place?
But, just ignore me. Nobody is listening to my fussing anyway. Maybe we should just enjoy the place to blow off steam. But, I kinda thought that maybe some people with actual power would come to FR and gather the views of conservatives on issues. Call me naive.
Ole Mel is on our side donchaknow. /sarc
great post, tgsl.
This poster comes into Jim’s house and bad mouths us and condescends when we don’t fawn over their every word. I have two words for them all.
We are in a fight for our country (they are having babies at least thrice the rate we are) and our president is helping them!"
~ <> ~
Deserves bold print.
I checked the Bush ping list from 2004 and a lot of the ones including me objecting to this bill were on that list and the one for 2000. I will not be a cheerleader for the President when I feel he is so wrong and he is dead wrong on Immigration. Choosing between Senator Inhofe and his ENFORCE bill and the President and this debacle of a bill was a piece of cake. Senator Inhofe wins hands down and will spend my time working for his reelection.
As far as I am concerned the President and others have insulted Sen Inhofe when they keep saying give me a better bill. There is one right now by Senator Inhofe they have locked in Judiciary that is not getting a fair hearing. Guess they don’t like the acronym ENFORCE.
You ever been rabit huntin’?
That is a great acronym.
What does it stand for again?
rabbit
At night?
Bears repeating!
lol
And what has he lied or spinned about?
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