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.
Funny. You sound like the Amnesty International types who were furious at Howard in Australia for sticking boatloads of "assylum-seekers" in offshore detention camps. Like the European multiculturalists denouncing "anti-immigrant hysteria" and "islamophobia". Just like do gooders everywhere insisting the taxpayer and Joe Sixpack pick up the tab for their "compassion". And guess what ? They were losers. Losers because people have this decidedly uncompassionate insistence that their government put THEIR interests ahead of liberal righteousness.
But it's not about "compassion" for you at all. It is about class war against blue collar Americans. It is about reducing their standard of living by glutting the labor market they have to compete in. It's about greed, nothing more. It is about precisely the kind of "fat cat vs the little guy", "selfish interests vs the public good" issue that traditionally Democrats have feasted on. If the GOP takes your path and Hillary can get to the right of you on it, get ready for New Deal II as Joe Sixpack has no difficulty seeing through your "compassion" and fights back to protect himself, his family, and his future.
"IMO, you have issues with people who are successful for the crime of building buildings or farmers who need people to pick their produce."
ok, clueless......
IMO you have issues with American citizens who are trying to get employment in their trades thay trained for.
IMO you have issues with LEGAL employers, trying to abide by the LAW.
Speaking about laws....IMO, you have issues with obeying the law.
Chime on....illegal apolgist.
Every post you make, your just exposing yourself as an apologist for illegal activity...
bioth on the side of the employer...as well as the employee side.
Slight historical note.
Actually, in a way Rome did import the Goths. Emperor Theodosius thought that if he settled the Goths who were fleeing from the Huns along the Thracian frontier, in Roman territory, they would be a buffer.
Rome thought it could turn the Germans from illegal aliens into loyal subjects. But they realized Rome's weakness and became invaders.
No other Democrat would have been closer ? Had Gephardt been the candidate running on a platform of economic populism Bush would today be cleaning out his desk.
Exactly. This is the real class warfare which is going on right now.
"Las Vegas employs a great number of highly paid, native born professional and blue collar workers, but they would not have jobs if there were not people willing to clean up trashed hotel rooms and scrub casino restroom floors at 3 am."
Wrong.
You pay fair market wages...people will clean toilets at 3 am. Pure and simple, amigo.
"But it's not about "compassion" for you at all. It is about class war against blue collar Americans. It is about reducing their standard of living by glutting the labor market they have to compete in. It's about greed, nothing more."
You've got the Free Republic Open Borders Lobbyists pegged dead to rights. They love competition (as long as they get an unfair advantage from the Government). What a bunch of pansies! :)
Bravo !
The Free Trade/OBL only sees America through a prism of social snobbery and class selfishness. Blue collar Americans are subhuman to them and worthy only of contempt.
Any mentality that arrogant is heading for a fall. A big one.
"Rep. Tancredo, like Newt Gingrich, appear much smaller and less deserving of respect, after their self serving public attacks upon the President."
Wrong. They are attacking his policy.
Big difference amigo.
I guess you haven't been exposed to the trend of middle class housewives cleaning other people's houses during the day. We used to call this being a "maid." It is an example of the downward economic mobility of the middle class. I personally know several neighbors who have been doing this for several years.
People who put down working class Americans by accusing them of not being willing to work (and this includes most prominently President Bush!) really must despise vast segments of the American populace and think nothing of accusing them of being lazy, irresponsible louts who cannot be trusted to take care of their own families. With that attitude about the "masses" how long do you think they will lend their support to our system of self-government which relies on the integrity, self-reliance and decency of the ordinary peopson? Basically, Bush is giving the finger to working class Americans and telling them they are not worthy or capable of governing themselves.
Americans will work when they can get a livable wage. They always have and they always will. Business wants to be able to substitute illegal immigrant labor at home and third world labor abroad for American workers because they want to pay the lowest wages availabe world wide. They have no allegiance to America or to our society. They scream loud enough for subsidies, favorable tax treatment, etc. and demand government protection in terms of courts, police departments and armies to protect their investments, but they observe no sense of oblilgation to the system or to the fellow citizen who has facilitated their enterprise.
Presidents and Congress have betrayed ordinary Americans on immigration and "free trade" for decades and have enriched themselves in the process of destroying the middle class. This issue is more important than deciding whether we have an amnesty program or not. It is about whether the desires of the vast majority of Americans can be expressed in public policy when opposed by the ruling elites in the Presidency and in Congress. If a President and Congress can deny for decades to the majority of the American people a policy they want -- enforcement of our immigration laws -- then we have already lost democratic self-government in America and have no business trying to establish democracy abroad when we don't even respect it here at home.
"It's not an amnesty. Period."
If you are effectively "forgiving" someones past lawbreaking escapades...and making it LEGAL for them to work here...it is indeed amnesty. Period.
Comprende' Amigo?
"A lot of immigration opponents appeal to bigotry and prejudice."
Since YOU are bringing bigotry and prejudice into this forum...maybe it is YOU who is promoting it.
A lot of illegal immigration opponents are pro-law.
You on the other hand can not even acknowledge that these "immigrants" are here illegaly.
Go back to DU.....troll.
The growth and retraction of the servant population is always a useful yardstick of how widely based prosperity is.
In the poorest of countries servants are cheap and plentiful. In the richest of countries they are scarce and expensive.
"You don't support President Bush. You should be ashamed."
Which is it?
Troll? or k00laid drinker?
Thank you! :)
Hang on a minute - one of the FROBLs will be here shortly whining about my "union" crane operator husband's wages being too high! Oh, but wait....he's NONUNION! His employer pays him his good salary because he (gasp!) believes my husband's services are WORTH IT!
I think some of these people were frightened by the "Look for the Union Label" song when they were children and they haven't gotten over it yet! :)
We really shouldn't be so hard on these FROBLs, though. After all - they're so helpless they have to import large numbers of third-world peasants to dump their garbage and scrub their toilets. Imagine how incompetent they would be working on their cars or fixing their plumbing! :)
"I agree with you 100%.
The Buchananites must be resisted."
I agree with you....just as Trolls., DUmmies...and k00laid drinkers must also be resisted.
So you can get inline right behind the Buchananites.
"No, I'm a free-market Republican. "
No your not. Your a troll.
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