Immigration Reform on Bush Agenda

Washington Post ^ | December 24, 2003 | Mike Allen

[sarcasm]

< SNIP >

Lobbyists working with the White House said Bush is developing a plan that would allow immigrants to cross the border legally if jobs are waiting for them. The sources said the administration also wants to provide a way for some undocumented workers in the United States to move toward legal status.

Bush will try to make the plan more palatable to conservatives by including stricter entry controls, including increased use of technology at the border and steps toward better enforcement of current visa restrictions and reporting requirements, sources said.

< SNIP >

The White House plan is being designed by Bush's senior adviser, Karl Rove, in consultation with the domestic policy staff. Sources said the White House's biggest concern is that the new mechanism not penalize people who had followed the law and reward those who had not. McCain's plan, which was introduced in the House by Reps. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), tries to mitigate that problem by creating a new type of visa for previously undocumented workers who would be allowed to live in the United States legally for three years. Then the workers could apply for the temporary worker visa, which would be the path to a green card, or legal permanent residency. That would amount to a three-year advantage for those who entered legally.

[Victoria Delsoul]

But what if the cost would be more than offset by the amount of saved healthcare and welfare payouts? I am not certain on that point, but it certainly is worth looking in to.

I have no problem with that.

[HennepinPrisoner]

However, if we are for smaller government we can't demand results that will require much more government.

If it saves more money in the long run, then in effect it is downsizing the government.....we would have more border patrol, but we would have MUCH less social workers, welfare clerks, and welfare hospital workers.

[dagnabbit]

But we cannot take the chance of Dean as commander in chief.

Who knows, he might even invite the leaders of the country most responsible for 9-11 over to his Vermont summer cabin for BBQ and backslapping.

[VxH]

>>People who break the law as soon as they come here
>>will break the law whenever it is in their interest.

>>To assert that criminality is a perfectly
>>acceptable behavior is ridiculous.

I agree - but, unfortunately, these people have been watching the American charade unfold via Satellite TV.

Klintoon, O.J.,Enron, Keating...

The transmitted messaged was loud and clear - "The American legal system is a joke and there are no consequences."

So hey, come one,come all - "jump the border" and join the rest of the vultures in picking off what little meat is left on the bones of the Republic.

[Sabertooth]

I agree with your implication that there is substantial grassroots opposition to illegal immigration. It is, however, highly uncertain whether such opposition would be sustained throughout the duration a crackdown campaign lasting months or even years.

We can never know the future, with certainty.

However, there's far less evidence that appeasement to the Illegal Alien lobby is a political winner. It has the additional disadvantage of being morally wrong, as well as cowardly.

If you won't follow your moral impulse when every past experience indicates it will win, and only failed Leftist agitprop weighs against it, when the heck won't you appease?

When one considers the political risk associated with a crackdown on illegals, and couples that with the fact that many elected officials who would have to support such a measure don't personally have to deal with the negative effects of illegal immigration, a crackdown is a non-starter.

He said, forcefully wringing his hands.

It's a non-starter only so long as people like you, who claim to know better, openly and knowingly support appeasement.

[Jodi]

so the president should stick his finger in the wind and do whats right for the polls? were the white euros, who wrote the federalist papers and the declaration of independance, immigrants or not? and, yeah i suck at math. i should've typed 48% instead of 50%.

[Jorge]

People who break the law as soon as they come here will break the law whenever it is in their interest.

Oh..OK. So the son who over stays his visa in order to send money back to his impoverished mother in some 3rd world country is no different than any common criminal who will rob or rape when it is in his interest. What kind of stupid moral equivalency is this?

You people need to stop making Republicans look like anti-immigrant bigots with these sort of stupid arguments.

[honeygrl]

"Doens't sound like your friend is too interested in becoming 'legal'. "

Sounds like he prefers tax evasion.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

"My next novel takes place in the state of Nuevo Mexico, 2010. Stay tuned."

Just don't go too reactionary... But you would know better than me. ;-)

[Reaganwuzthebest]

But we cannot take the chance of Dean as commander in chief. That is a nightmare scenario.

Well I don't want Dean either.

For now the plan of action should be to bombard Congress with our dislike of the bill. Bush knows the democrats will try to push amnesty as a campaign issue so this may blunt that and what's really going on. He probably figures Congress will never pass it but we can't take any chances, we have to let them know how we feel.

[Metternich]

When you think about the politicians who support amnesty and related policies, which of the following statements do you most agree with:

1. These politicians understand the cultural and economic consequences of amnesty, and they just don't care.
2. These politicians simply do not understand the cultural and economic consequences of amnesty.

[Sabertooth]

Gimme an alternative, or throw away your vote, your call.

No, the President needs to give me an alternative, or throw away my vote.

It's his call.

I'm actually not hard to please. I know that this President's flaw is that he has a big, appeasing heart for Illegals. I don't expect miracles. I'm prepared to set the bar very low:

President Bush simply has to not suck up to the Illegal Alien lobby.

Just refrain from sucking. No Amnesty, by any name.

If he can manage that, he's got my vote.

[KDD]

Right. According to your logic everybody who ever exceeded the speed limit said "F*** you all!" to every other car on the road..."I hope you all F****ing die!".

As someone who drives a lot and doesn't speed, I can tell you that speeders are indeed saying that when they speed in traffic...at least it seems that way to me.

[texastoo]

Why don't we just advertise in all 3rd world counties to come to the USA? Why just Mexico. shouldn't we include them all? After all, we offer free health care, free education, free welfare ect. All you have to do is come illegally. What do you think the final total would be?

[Steel Wolf]

You people need to stop making Republicans look like anti-immigrant bigots with these sort of stupid arguments.

You people? What's that supposed to mean?

There's a big, big difference between being anti-illegal and anti-immigration. The difference is about as wide as the difference between parachuting and falling out of an airplane on accident. Superficially they make look similiar, but there's a world of difference.

[BOBTHENAILER]

He probably figures Congress will never pass it but we can't take any chances, we have to let them know how we feel.

That's the ticket, and I agree, but saying the usual FR rant of "I ain't gonna vote for Bush because......" doesn't cut it.

[Jodi]

were the pilgrams immigrants?
was thomas jefferson an immigrant?
was goerge washington an immigrant?
were they illegal? I'll bet the indians thought so. you people have got to get a grip!

[Steel Wolf]

Most people don't know that 1 Jan 2004 nobody will be able to do anything without an ID in the USA. Yup, the patriot act now mandates any bank, business etc. verify your drivers license or official ID to work, open any bank accounts etc.. Anything or any account you open to move any money will require your ID to be verified ! Try opening a paypal account after 1 Jan and they will require you to fax your drivers license.

Now that is interesting. Veeerry interesting.

[txdoda]

More likely he simply knew nothing about the opportunity's for amnesty you cited. I sure didn't.>>>>>>>>

LOL.......I don't know *what* state your friends been in for 17 yrs, but word spreads real fast here in TX (and in MEXICO) anytime there's any talk of another amnesty, or a *new deadline*.

Most people like him are scared to death to go to immigration for anything..for fear they will be sent back.>>>>>>>

SHEESH.....there are *organization's* country wide set up to address *any* illegals problems here in the US, plus churches, and foriegn consuls.........Illegals sure don't have any problems finding our *welfare offices*.

Would you want to leave the US for life in some 3rd world country? I sure wouldn't.>>>>>>>

Sure wouldn't, but with legal steps available, I wouldn't live years in fear of being deported either.

So why do you think our immigration shou

[RinaseaofDs]

In a couple of words: frog boiling.

Those guys must think we are idiots.