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.

[bayourod]

Several days ago I asked you if your organization was not-for-profit, or if it was a personal business venture. You are constantly spamming FR with promotions for your website, you should at least have the courtesy to disclose that basic information.

[Dane]

Sorry about the third person usage. A lot of the activities I mention involved several people working on projects under the ALIPAC banner. Just trying to reflect some due credit. My preciousssss

No problem, at least, IMO, in a indirect way, you have admitted that one of those "activities" that you and your collegues do is, IMO, spam under one screen name, ALIPAC.

[Barlowmaker]

This is a comprehensive immigration reform proposal. Let's correct all the holes you've identified as part of the legislation. That's the job of our elected congressional representatives. Bush proposes big objectives, they craft the bill.

[politicalwit]

"Yes, the immigrants are socialist."

Perhaps you should change the word "immigrants" to illegal aliens....

[Barlowmaker]

"Okay. Fine. House Republicans should attach a provision in any Social Security bill that includes strong measures against illegal immigration."

I'm lovin' it

No Republicans are going to mess with that bill IMO. Social Security reform is going to be a bloody enough partisan battle without that stuff. They'll work all the kinks of border security and illegal alien disposition out in an Immigration reform bill, some form of which will pass simply because American citizens are concerned about border security and want something meaningful done this session. At least I hope something is done, the status quo is unacceptable as we all agree.

[Southack]

"Not offering the guest worker program to 15-20 million illegal aliens till they leave the country and apply from their home countries (Tancredo Plan) is not "the smallest of details"

To you. But politically, the differences between Tancredo's immigration plan from that of President Bush's immigration plan are minor, especially compared to the extreme differences between pro-tax and anti-tax congressional legislation, budgeting differences, pro-abortion and pro-life legislation, etc.

When the dust settles, the only noticeable difference between Tancredo's immigration plan from that of President Bush's immigration plan is that illegals must go home to apply for Tancredo's guest worker card.

Tancredo has no new deportation scheme in his immigration plan. Tancredo doesn't limit the numbers of illegals who can apply to work legally here. But to apply under his plan, illegals *must* first go home.

Under President Bush's plan, illegals can go home to apply if they don't want to pay Bush's new fine for being here illegally. So under the President's plan, illegals have two options instead of Tancredo's one way. They can apply here and pay a fine, or they can go back home to apply and then pay no fine if they choose that route.

That's a pretty minor difference that won't take long for a Congressional committee to work out.

Thus, regardless of what radical hype Newsweek convinces your organization to say (e.g. something bad in your forthcoming issue about Bush, their primary target for news/attacks - READ: using you), the reality is that there simply isn't a big divide between Tancredo's plan from Bush's plan.

There will either be a compromise, or else one of those two plans will pass untouched...but either way that means that Congress is about to pass immigration reform in 2005.

Under any of the above scenarios, that means that illegal aliens are about to be registering themselves and their employers with the federal government.

As every gun owner knows, such registration is the first step on the road to confiscation and banning.

In this manner, the formerly anonymous 1 million+ employers of illegals are about to lose their key defense: their old anonymity. We're about to know precisely who and where illegals are all employed; and we're going to know this information in an institutional, actionable manner. Why will we know this new information? Because the new immigration plan will register illegals and their employers.

This further means that we are finally going to be able to limit the scope of this immense problem enough to actually gain the upper hand in enforcement. No longer will our agents have to search among our entire population; instead, they are about to know *precisely* which employers to audit.

Now granted, the Old News Media will portray a win by Bush's plan as "divisive" and a win by Tancredo's plan as a "loss for Bush," but the reality is that both plans and any compromise between them will deliver the one thing that we need for effective, efficient law enforcement: the precise names/addresses of the employers of illegals.

America wins with either plan. So long as we get *registration* of illegals and their employers, new immigration reform will deliver a victory to American patriots.

[Barlowmaker]

I believe it is patriotic, smart, beneficial, effective and maximizes our national security and our economic interest.

[FBD]

Have you not heard of the MS-13 gangs and their connections with Islamic terrorist groups?
...or how they come into this country through our border with Mexico?

[Jim Robinson]

"America wins with either plan. So long as we get *registration* of illegals and their employers, new immigration reform will deliver a victory to American patriots."

Careful, patriot. With all due respect, registration is simply one more rip in the fabric of the Constitution. Next thing you know, there will be calls for a National ID card and federal ID database for all. I'd rather suffer the ills of illegal aliens than be forced to carry papers to prove I'm a citizen. Papers please?

[A. Pole]

As Machiavelli demonstrated, a state which wants to become an empire needs to import many people.

These republics which want to remain free and stable for a long time should emulate Sparta or Venice, but they have to forego the hegemony and imperial glory.

See The Beginning of Machiavelli's Rome's

[Southack]

Your point is well taken, but neither Tancredo's immigration plan nor President Bush's immigration plan calls for a national ID for Americans.

On the other hand, registering who in our great nation is/are breaking our immigration laws strikes me as fair, lawful, and the necessary next step.

In other words, we shouldn't leave criminals anonymous.

[Barlowmaker]

He's championing the invasion of our country

You will be in a tiny minority of Americans with that perception of guest workers; most of whom are doing menial labor work to support their families back home with perhaps the hope of a new life of freedom and prosperity in our American blessing from God.

Invaders? Most Americans just don't see these foreign born laborers that way, legally resident or not. I'm certain of that.

[Barney59]

Well said... couldn't agree with you more!

[Jim Robinson]

As a prospective employer, how do you know I'm not an illegal alien?

[Barney59]

Oink, imagining the Hildabeast foraging in the Rose Garden...

Makes me ill...

[FBD]

"What Mohammad Atta had to do with Mexico, I'm still trying to find out. But the hate Mexicans crowd continues to try and exploit the 911 tragedy to promote their poisonous agenda."

Good grief, get informed.

.Terrorist Alley: Terrorists using the Arizona/Mexico border to cross into the U.S. .

.Mara Salvatrucha Street Gang (MS-13 gangs; The threat at our southern border)

.

[PGalt]

Ronald Reagan had no plan.
George H.W. Bush had no plan.
William Jefferson Criminal had no plan.
(In fact the human tsunami on our south border seemed to peak during his regime.)

President Bush HAS A PLAN and is lambasted from many who didn't say a word about it for the previous 20 years!

SHEESH!