Posted on 01/12/2005 12:50:36 PM PST by 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.
You sound anti-American to me. You seem to be more concerned about the needs and well-being of foreigners than you do about your fellow Americans.
Then your vote will be as valuable as your immigration agenda.
Tancredo is as finished as last June's four-pack of Charmin.
Rove, Bush and Cheney will squash him like a bug.
Even if all the 'true believers' here revolt in unison.
Tancredo and his posse are hard on to run for president.
It's as transparent on the surface as the lace camisole on a Victoria's Secret 'model'.
"I am presidential, I am facing down the president"
rofl
. . . and FAIR . . . and ALIPAC . . .
I wasn't denigrating Iowa. Salt of the earth folks. I was simply saying that the prevalent economies of places like Las Vegas and Southern California is far more dependent on low wage immigrant labor ... unmet through traditional immigration channels ... that the corn, soybean or livestock industries of Iowa are. That's why illegals are here. They fill a necessary economic niche, an economic need that evolved far faster than the bureaucratic ability to process their entry as visitor workers. Markets conquer all.
There are already plans to take him down. Rove's on this one big time. This will be one of those interesting bipartisan, silent political knifings where you never find the evidence. It will make for good fodder for the conspiracy nuts.
More anti-American rhetoric.
Its more like this.
I certainly understand the inclination. But, as a social and political issue, those on both sides of the fence will not be able to avoid this issue much longer. It is coming to a head.
As I said a few time4s before, If Hillary or another liberal Democrat gets in 08, the result will be a bad combination of Western Europe and Brazil.
They havent been able to take down Rep Ron Paul yet, I doubt they will be sucessful here.
Great post.
What nonsense you talk, ClintonBeGone !
From England to Holland to France to Spain to Australia, all over the developed world, anti-immigration populism is a political tsunami. All driven by the same quality of life, burden on the taxpayer grass roots anger we see here. Howard triumphed in Australia because he flatly told the Australian people, "I don't care what Greenpeace or Amnesty International think. I will put every 'assylum-seeker' on an island detention camp. I will not impose on you the cost of do-gooder compassion. Parasites will not overrun our country."
Now here you are, as oblivious as the Dutch politicians were before Pym Fortyn.
Who are you to say?
My immigration agenda doesn't consist of pulling the race card and spreading lies about Tom Tancredo.
Every time you post something, you make yourself look like an even bigger fool.
Don't bother. He is no more.
"It's called democracy."
Really? Have you never heard of a Republic????
Bush will leverage that expertly. He'll grab the vast middle of American support and the cynical anti-American MEChAn welfare pimps of the left and the Neo "Know-Nothings" of the right will yelp angrily from the sidelines.
Americans want something done NOW. They'll support Bush's plan after it is improved and approved through Congress.
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