Bush Breaks First Campaign Pledge By Renewing Call For Illegal Alien Amnesty

FAIR ^ | November 10, 2004 | Dan Stein

[VU4G10]

(Washington, DC—November 10, 2004) It wasn't quite "Read my lips," but in the last presidential debate in Arizona, George W. Bush clearly stated that he would not support amnesty for illegal aliens. One week after being narrowly returned to office, the president has reneged on that pledge. Bush has dispatched Secretary of State Colin Powell to Mexico City to open discussions with the Mexican government about the size and scope of amnesty for illegal immigrants and for a massive new guest worker program.

"President Bush and Karl Rove have seemingly missed the message of their own, and the Republican Party's, success at the polls last week," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "In spite of a poor record on jobs, further erosion of the middle class, and staggering budget deficits, the people returned the GOP to office because they believed that the Republican Party was more in tune with them on values and respect for the law. One of those gut issues that led voters to ignore the administration's poor record in other areas was the belief that Bush and the Republicans would enforce laws against illegal immigration, not reward illegal immigrants and auction off every job in America to the lowest bidder."

The immigration plan being dusted off in Washington and Mexico City is essentially the same one the administration introduced last January, which proved to be so wildly unpopular among voters that they were forced to shelve it. "Who is the president seeking to reward by reintroducing his amnesty/guest worker proposal?" asked Stein. "Not middle class workers who made it very clear that they are feeling squeezed. Not the millions of families who have lost their health insurance benefits because their employers no longer feel that it is necessary to offer such benefits to attract American workers. Not Hispanic voters, whom polls indicate do not consider this to be high priority and who voted in significant numbers in favor of an Arizona ballot measure that bars illegal aliens from receiving most public benefits.

"The only interest group, besides the estimated 10 to 12 million illegal aliens and their families who could be in line for legal U.S. residency, are cheap labor employers who have come to believe that it is their right to have workers who will work at whatever wages they wish to pay," Stein said.

The latest White House announcement will touch off yet another surge in illegal immigration and further compromise homeland security, predicted FAIR. Last January, when the president first proposed this plan, the U.S. Border Patrol reported a marked increase in the number of people attempting to enter the U.S. illegally in order to benefit from the proposed amnesty. "Aside from betraying the interests of millions of people who voted for him because they believed the president shared their core values, this irresponsible renewal of talk of amnesty will betray those who voted for him because they believed the Republicans were the party that could be entrusted to protect homeland security. You cannot have homeland security and chaos at the border. You cannot have homeland security while granting amnesty to millions of people with only minimal background checks. And you certainly cannot have amnesty and unlimited guest workers, and preserve a solid middle class," asserted Stein.

[Fatalis]

Bush said he will develop a immigrant worker plan, not an amnesty. Until he says or proposes something different, then I will take him at his word.

The reason the Bush plan gets called an amnesty is because it legalizes illegal aliens. They should not be admitted to any plan without first returning to their home countries.

We need a guest worker plan, and Tom Tancredo's BE REAL proposal looks most promising. Under Tancredo's plan, prospective guest workers would have to apply from their home countries. This would give illegals who want to straighten out their status an opportunity to go through the proper channels without being rewarded for cutting in line. Additionally, Tancredo has credibility on this issue where President Bush doesn't. A lot of folks who now oppose any guest worker plan could persuaded by Tancredo's approach, and no one will be able to call it an amnesty.

[fortcollins]

As you have pointed out, Bush has never called for amnesty for illegal aliens, and he never will. We have millions and millions of illegals in this country. They need to be identified and registered. This is what Bush wants to do. In the meantime American business needs to stop employing illegal aliens.

[dangus]

>>I'd be curious to know how many of us here have lost jobs to illegal aliens. Anybody?<<

My brother used to make $25 to $75 an hour in construction. He moved to Arizona for health and to be with his girlfriend. Problem is he found out when he got down there, the going rate for his skills are about $6 and hour. And that's with no benefits, and no guarantee of regular work. Less skilled workers get far below minimum, as little as $2 and hour. In America. In the 21st century.

[freestyle]

The article is a lie.

(Like so, so many other articles about this president.) You would think that Freepers would have the good sense not to just blindly trust this type of garbage.

[akorahil]

!!!

I haven't seen Mr. Shumway in ages!

[Howlin]

Seriously. And FGS, don't ever accuse the MSM and the left of misinformation; this article is LOADED with it.

[Revel]

Powell has been sent to do the dirty work for now. Powell is not doing this on his own. Think about it.

[Fatalis]

The "guest worker program" is far worse than an amnesty. It simply decriminalizes employing illegal aliens. The illegals get to stay, but they do not get to become Americans. Rather, we construct an entire subculture of non-American, rights-deprived slave laborers.

BZZZT. Wrong.

Guest workers would be permitted to pursue permanent residence and citizenship under the Bush proposal.

[YouPosting2Me]

Bush will draft all of the "old" people so they can die in the war and solve both the military enlistment and Soc. Security problems at the same time. /sarc

Also, if we just take Mexico would that be immigration?

[TheGunny]

I am with you...freakin fair weather freepers!!!

[dangus]

Yes, FAIR has been called racist by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the same people who call Bush a Nazi, 9/2/04 America's Krystallnacht, and Ashcroft Adolf Hitler. Thank you for spreading the lies of the radical left-wingers.

Maybe now you can wonder whether Dan Stein is a neo-con out to drink the blood of Arabs, just because he is Jewish.

[Poohbah]

Isn't FAIR one of the racist organizations? They say they're just against immigration but have funding, etc ties to leftist and racist groups?

IIRC, FAIR is run by a radical pro-abortion eugenicist and has taken donations from eugenics groups.

[Fatalis]

(Like so, so many other articles about this president.) You would think that Freepers would have the good sense not to just blindly trust this type of garbage.

Do you feel up to a blind trust test?

Describe the Bush proposal.

[Poohbah]

The article is a flat-out lie, but FReepers will surely lose their minds anyway. Sigh.

If the Force gives the authors of this article power over weaker minds, then the FReepers going bats**t over this merit this immortal description from my drill instructor:

"If brains were rifle oil, they wouldn't have enough to grease the dynamo in a firefly's butt!"

[SuperSonic]

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[JohnnyZ]

Yes, FAIR has been called racist by

See Post 32.

[raybbr]

BUSH: I see it as a serious problem. I see it as a security issue, I see it as an economic issue, and I see it as a human-rights issue. (From the third debate in answer to a question about illegal immigration)

Notice how he throws the "human rights" part in there? It will be used to justify the amnest he isn't talking abo

[raybbr]

BUSH: I see it as a serious problem. I see it as a security issue, I see it as an economic issue, and I see it as a human-rights issue. (From the third debate in answer to a question about illegal immigration)

Notice how he throws the "human rights" part in there? It will be used to justify the amnest he isn't talking about.

A little spin by Bush

[Dat Mon]

"As you have pointed out, Bush has never called for amnesty for illegal aliens, and he never will. "

I think the term is defacto amnesty.

Lets say that last year I, a citizen of Mexico only, slip across the border and get a job here in US. Im currently taking a large percentage of my American salary amd sending it back across the border, probably using Western Union ( sharp increase I understand). I dont need much to live here, as I am sequestered along with my fellow travelers in run down immigrant / alien communities.

Now, with the passage of Bush's guest worker bill, I now register to work. Do I now go back to Mexico, or do I get to stay and do the same things I have been doing, albeit with Social Security and other payroll taxes withheld?

If the government does not have the manpower to determine how many illegals are actually working under the table here, how in the 'ell will they enforce the collection of payroll taxes.

Remember, a company kicks in HALF of the Social Security taxes payed to the government. What incentive is there for the COMPANY to go legit?

[Spiff]

Bush said he will develop a immigrant worker plan, not an amnesty.

The Bush plan, as well as the Kolbe/Flake/McCain plan upon which was based, are amnesty plans - they offer forms of amnesty. No, they're not "blanket" amnesty, but they are amnesty nonetheless.