"Building a North American Community" by TONY SNOW's Council on Foreign Relations.
Posted on 09/14/2007 9:24:44 AM PDT by SwinneySwitch
Outgoing White House press secretary Tony Snow said today that the Bush administration had underestimated the ferocity of opposition to White House-backed immigration legislation.
"I freely admit that we underestimated the (public) skepticism," Snow said over breakfast with a group of reporters on his final day on the job.
Snow said that the White House was not prepared for the anger of foes of illegal immigration, who believed that government at all levels had failed to secure the nation's borders. While the public backlash is aimed "not merely (at) the Bush administration," he conceded that the White House "made some miscalculations, as well."
The president's chief spokesman, who has waged a very public battle with cancer during his two years in the high-profile job, said that though a compromise immigration bill came close to passage, the process now "requires a much longer debate."
"We should have gotten it through last time," he said. "This is an issue that will be with us -- it will not go away."
After the 2007 debacle, he said, the government must demonstrate that the federal government can secure the border "in a competent way" before legislation that would allow American companies to hire more immigrants and permit the legalization of illegal workers can gain traction on Capitol Hill.
But Snow argued strongly for a flow of immigrant workers. "We have this big, booming economy," he said, "and we don't have enough workers."
Calling America "a nation of immigrants," he said Congress and the president needed to come up with a plan to deal with the about 12 million people who are illegally in the country today. "A lot of these people really are pursuing the traditional path to the American dream," he said.
To win political support for comprehensive legislation, Snow said the government needed to re-establish "the credibility of the rule of law" by protecting the border and requiring illegal immigrants to pay substantial penalties -- "not just a wrist slap, but something significant" -- before taking their place "at the back of the line" to citizenship. While awaiting legal status, they should not be permitted to collect welfare and should be required to maintain continuous employment and crime-free lives.
Despite the passionate opposition to illegal immigration on the Republican right and populist left, Snow said that both political parties should be sensitive to the feelings of Hispanic voters.
"No political party is going to be able to survive (without the) fastest-growing voting bloc in America," he said.
Asked what he thought of the 2008 Republican presidential candidates' repeated attacks on President Bush's immigration record, Snow uncharacteristically demurred.
"Ask me that question in a week -- or even tomorrow," he said. "As the president's press secretary, I'm not going to step into that one."
At the risk of sounding like I’m piling on, I always felt Snow was a RINO when he subbed for Rush.
Washington is so accustomed to illegal alien workers (I'd hate to guess how many of the Congress Critters have illegal alien domestic employees!!!), and so damned out of touch with the "masses" that they are incapable of really gauging public sentiment on such issues! "Focus Groups" and poll respondents just scratch the surface!!!
Still waiting for the government to enforce our immigration laws. . . . [Taps foot, checks wristwatch again, decides to go to Starbucks.]
Racist master, 2007: "But Muffy, without our Mexican illegals, whover shall pick our lettuce cheaply?"
Bingo.
Dead on analogy. It was slavery then and it’s slavery now........Where is the keep the hate live weenies on this issue......... ***crickets***
I am 100% PRO LEGAL IMMIGRATION
Illegals aren’t immigrants.
The Founding Fathers were very, very clear.
The federal government should be the weakest part of our government.
The local government should be the strongest because the closer you get
to the people, the more it is in connection with the people and its will .....
That's why you're seeing so many communities stepping up local laws against illegals.
We, the people, have spoken......NO to amnesty, and all its permutations.
They didn’t expect the opposition to mobilize so quickly and so effectively. A perfect analogy to Hillllary’s health care debacle.
Illegals, temporary workers, and those interested in welfare or sedition are not.
Got it?
Oh, give me a break, we're now illegal immigrants foes, sort of like abortion foes? This beltway mental dementia only shows how out of touch with reality our government is. It most certainly didn't start with Dubya, but he's drinking the neocon Kool-Aid. Some of us tax-paying citizens don't like our country being turned into a Spanish-speaking third world Taquería.
That was not skepticism, it was outright opposition. If our mountain of faxes, phone calls and e-mails can be so cavalierly explained away, then our next message should be a bit... firmer.
I just love to go vote these days, because the voting forms are in Spanish plus English. Anybody and their wetback dogs can vote if they "se habla Espanol". It's a bad joke, what does American citizenship mean anymore? Homeland Security is going to watch out for us? I hate to say it, but Jorge Bush has forgotten his American roots.
Yea, they underestimated it a bit. They knew it was substantial, but they thought that they could roll over it.
So that's what they did...try to roll over it.
All preening arrogance and accusations of moral depravity of opponents...no sweet reason...didn't need to win the hearts and minds because they thought they had the votes in their pockets....planning to laugh at the bigots "at the signing."
My contempt for this administration is boundless. They were wise to pick Snow, but he was unwise to lend this his good name, such as it was. Tony had already lost me by his illegal-friendly posture even before he went into the tank for Bush. So sad...really used to admire the guy. I will admit that he was certainly not the "architect" of the in-your-face WH strategy...that was vintage Bush, peeing on his base. (Still wish Tony well with his illness.)
Misjudged..Tony?
Sadly, I misjudged you both!
And I say sadly...
..I truly hope you recover completely, I wish no ill will on you or anyone.....and I feel sorry President Bush has taken this particular road.
...With your support... this administration almost succeeded in bringing down our great nation.
I egregiously misjudged you both....
..and experienced a sense of loss of whether I could trust anyone in politics again...
..but I do, and his name is Duncan Hunter....
..and I am also indebted to Senator Sessions and a few others.
They have restored my trust that good & righteous men can survive in politics.
I believe Tony still underestimates the public’s resistance to any approach granting amnesty to illegals- no matter what it is called. A rose is a rose......
I even know a couple liberal women who get the concept that if you won’t/can’t control your border, you have no country. And I was surprised because they aren’t logical on other issues.
Again - that is LIBERAL WOMEN.
This issue is a huge winner. I only hope our side gets it first.
I am going to hold off judgement on Tony until Monday because he was still on the job as of today as the sock puppet of Jorge Booosh.
Oh my GOD! NOW I UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!
I just "didn't get it"!
And here I thought the problem was the Federal Government shirking it's duty.
I guess President Bush really is worthy of my respect.
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