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.
We can fix the part about Americans not being willing to work. End welfare. Thats about all it takes.
End Welfare and those Mexicans would not want to come over here. I know of what I speak, in W. Texas we have plenty of non-english speaking welfare, food stamp people.
They are not cleaning toilets, they are taking hand-outs.
And there ain't no way in h3!! I'm voting for the H-Beast!
Quote please. She never said that.
I hear the twilight zone music whenever I see you post.
"They aren't going to get citizenship, just the privilage to pick vegetables or clean toilets, that native born Americans on welfare refuse to do."
Don't forget masonry, carpentry, plumbing, electrician, truck-driver, fast food worker, land-scaping. Some of them are even Freepers.
I despise the sanitized description, "undocumented workers". But it just occurred to me why it is such a bad term. It not only softens the term "illegal alien", but it allows for a lot of pfutzing around with numbers.
According to President Bush, there are 8 million "undocumented workers". But that very term obscures the fact there are probably twice as many more who are not "workers" but loafers, criminals, nonworking mothers and children who are not in the workforce. It allows these vast numbers to be ignored and not even be mentioned when spouting already appalling numbers!
Doesn't "8 million undocumented workers" sound so much more benign and unthreatening to America than "20 million illegal aliens"?
And the new political messiah to some on FR, hillary is going to get these people off welfare?
Hillary is a liar and speaks from both sides of her mouth, I never said Hillary could do much of anything. That does not make Bush right on Amnesty for illegals.
If Mexicans want to come clean our toilets, that's fine with me, so long as they come over here legally. No Amnesty, Go back to Mexico, try again!
I'd like to see these employers in jail.
I'd like to see a legal theory developed to sue these employers for civil rights discrimination (discrimination against those of certain nat'l origins--like US citizens).
I'd like to see these employers in bright orange suits (and their damned lazy wives, too) picking up trash along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
As for my own work history, if it's any of your stupid business, I've done my share of LEGAL menial labor just exactly as you described.
Mow your own lawn. And tell your shiftless wife to scrub her own toilet.
And when they don't have their guest worker card, they will deported and what is wrong with trying to document these people, I think it is a great idea.
Look this problem has been festering for 40 years and 8 million people are not going to be deported, JMO it is better to use a carrot to document the hardworking ones doing honest jobs(such as dishwashers etc.etc) and leave the rest of the resources to find the bad guys.
Okay. It was imbelishment on my part. Sorry. But if you'd click here, you'll see she did in fact say, "I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants."
"You know." Man, I hate when folx say that!
Voted for Bush, love Pres Bush as a person & president....broken glass republican. BUT....I am P.O.'d about immigration, so this is welcome news.
I'd like to see these employers in jail
And to further your theme let's bulldoze these "impure" buildings built by illegal labor, damn the people who may lose their house or business, we have a purification process to go through.
I live in SoCal and observe the same. I have a pretty good career now, but I have worked as a mechanic and driven truck to pay for college and grad school. Such work is below no one. It may not be pleasant, but it is honest labor.
Karl Rove though he could walk all over Tom Tancredo. He was wrong and Americans are right who are against your insane amnesties and cave ins to the illegal alien lobby.
Dittos!!!!
Read later bump
She didn't say she hated them, and I guess her next quote will be is that she is against pardoning FALN terrorists.
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