Republican to Lead Immigration Revolt Against Bush

Reuters ^ | Jan 12, 2005 | Alan Elsner

[GOPXtreme20]

Republican to Lead Immigration Revolt Against Bush

By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican member of the House of Representatives vowed on Wednesday to lead a revolt against President Bush (news - web sites)'s immigration reform proposals and predicted that up to 180 party members would support him.

Bush in an interview with the Washington Times published on Wednesday said he plans to force a debate in Congress this year on his proposal that would allow some illegal immigrants to obtain legal work permits in the United States.

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who heads the House Immigration Reform Caucus, said he was determined to block the legislation. The caucus, which had 71 members in the last Congress, argues for stronger action to stop illegal immigration and a reduction of legal migration.

"Why is this so important to the president?" Tancredo said. "Is it just the corporate interests who benefit from cheap labor? Do they have such a strong grip on our president so that he is actually willing to put our nation at risk, because open borders do put our nation at risk?

"Is it petulance, because we were able to stop it in the last Congress? Why is it so important to give amnesty to people who have broken the law?" Tancredo said.

"I'm willing to lead a fight against this and I would say there are at least 180 members of our Republican caucus who are willing at least to stop amnesty for illegal immigrants," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Bush has repeatedly said he views immigration reform as an important issue for his second term. In the Washington Times interview, he said it was near the top of his agenda.

"Look, whether or not you agree with the solution or not, we have a problem in America when you've got 8 million undocumented workers here," he said.

BUSH CONFIDENCE

Bush expressed confidence he could win over opponents, as he did in passing tax reform during his first term. "Initially out of the box, some people said, over my dead body would they pass tax relief ... If I listened to all that, I'd just quit, you know. But that's not the way I think."

But analysts agree that immigration reform could be much more divisive for Republicans since growing numbers of rank-and-file voters are becoming concerned at the continued influx of illegal immigrants across the Mexican border.

"No issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration," said David Frum, a former White House speech writer in Bush's first term.

"There's no issue where the beliefs and interests of the party rank-and-file diverge more radically from the beliefs and interests of the party's leaders," he wrote in the National Review last month.

Bush insists he is not offering amnesty to illegal immigrants but Tancredo said that was a "manipulation of language, the kind of thing (former President) Bill Clinton would have done. There is an issue of integrity here and an issue of honesty," he said.

[Southack]

"Okay. This I've heard before. Do you happen to have a link where I can examine Tancredo's plan to contrast it with what the President is wanting?"

http://www.mnforsustain.org/immg_congressional_immigration_reform_tancredo.htm

Establish a Genuine Guest Worker Program

"Enact a genuine Guest Worker Bill (HR 3534) to allow any foreign national to enter the US legally to work for up to one year in a job that cannot be filled by a citizen.

Require employers to advertise all jobs on an internet bulletin board and for two weeks before hiring a Guest Worker.

Require illegal aliens already in the U.S. to first return home and apply for jobs through the legal processes."

There is a *myth* that Tancredo's program is not available to illegals already here. As you can see in the last line above, it is available to them, they just have to go back home temporarily to apply.

That's the difference in Tancredo's plan from Bush's. Under President Bush's plan, illegals can pay a fine and register themselves and their employers while here, *or* they can return to their home countries, apply, and avoid the fine.

Under either plan, all illegals are eligible; the difference is in from where they *must* apply.

That tiny difference will be compromised, and an immigration plan will be passed.

The news media will point to this issue as being a great "wedge" in the Republican Party. In reality, one difference in two immigration proposals (Bush's and Tancredo's) is hardly enough to drive Republicans into the waiting arms of Democrats and fringe-Party radicals.

Won't happen.

[Sam the Sham]

I recognize that it is in the interest of cheap labor types. But that interest is directly contrary to that of every blue collar, non-college educated American who competes with illegals underbidding the value of his labor.

This is an issue that is taking money from Joe Sixpack's pocket for the benefit of cheap labor types. He is being screwed by elites and he knows it. Frum was right. People like you are exactly like Democrats in the 70's who insisted on "root causes" and "society is to blame" attitudes to crime and dismissed people mad about crime as "racist". People whose polite phrases and enlightened sentiments blinded them to the size of the political tsunami that was about to hit them.

Or you might be compared to the Dutch politicians of five years ago oozing polite talk about "multiculturalism" and "assimilation".

Throughout the developed world, from England to Australia, immigration is an issue that gets people mad. It pits the working Joe against the "compassion" of the intelligentsia or in this case the greed of cheap labor apologists because he is fed up with the cost in his quality of life.

[television is just wrong]

I've been waiting for this to happen.

[Sam the Sham]

Do you think the West is solidly GOP ? Western Republicans (non-Mormons, that is) don't tend to be social issue conservatives if you hadn't noticed. They can switch to a Democrat who at least is willing to recognize a problem as opposed to a Republican who hands out "jobs Americans won't do" slop.

[PokerGod]

Be quiet Tancredo.

Bush is 100% correct on this.

Tancredo is just a closet racist.

[Sam the Sham]

That is the difference. I am a Republican. You are a divine right royalist.

The president works for us, not we for him. It's called democracy.

[Barlowmaker]

The vast majority of Americans want the problem acknowledged and addressed pragmatically. The Bush proposal does that. This will be a large part of his State of the Union, and Americans will support him. Mark my words.

You guys are going to lose on this one. The Bush proposal will be modified and improved where needed - and passed.

[Howlin]

OMG, are YOU in for it.

[Howlin]

Yep, yep, yep.

And the "slash and burners" are going to be SO disappointed.

[PokerGod]

Bingo.

The Ku Klux Klansmen and assorted others who oppose this plan and detest Hispanics will all lose, while President Bush will be victorious. Don't forget the Buchananites. Those idiots have never taken an economics class.

Don't drag the party down with your BS.

[PokerGod]

I don't care. It's what I think.

[engrpat]

It's clear that the President has a national mandate to impliment his immigration reform. I relish watching the Tancredo/Lamm/FAIR faction become road kill.

Mandate to implement his immigration reform. If you will remember he didn't run on immigration reform..didn't even talk about it. Bush, like Kerry would not go there. Bush does not have a mandate on this subject.

[Howlin]

The president works for us, not we for him.

He sure does; and the vast majority of US don't want a plan where the Gestapo goes door to door to drag people across the border.

[PokerGod]

AILPAC is worse than the White Knights.

[judgeandjury]

Folks want a solution, and most folks understand that locating, processing and deporting 8-10 million illegals already living, moving and working among them through law enforcement actions is a whimisical pipedream.

There's no need to locate, process, and deport 8-10 million illegal aliens. Crack down severely on companies that hire illegal aliens, and deny all taxpayer funded benefits to illegal aliens. If you were an illegal alien in the U.S. and you couldn't find a job or get welfare or any other free benefits, would you let yourself starve to death, or would you go back home to Mexico (or whatever country you're from)?

[Barlowmaker]

I recognize that it is in the interest of cheap labor types. But that interest is directly contrary to that of every blue collar, non-college educated American who competes with illegals underbidding the value of his labor.

You can't sell that politically in 2005 America.