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A big issue is immigration. It's important for us to get this issue solved so that we can be competitive as we go out into the 21st century. First of all, the obligation of the federal government is to enforce our borders, is to make sure that -- (applause.) And I want to thank Leader Frist for passing a strong appropriations bill to provide resources necessary for more Border Patrol technology along the border. Listen, the border is long, and it's not easy to enforce. But with proper use of technology, some physical barriers, I think we'll be able to do a much better job.

The second issue along the border, by the way, is that when we catch somebody sneaking into our country illegally, we just can't release them out into the system. We've got to have more detention space -- (applause) -- we've got to have more detention space so that -- it used to be they'd catch them, a lot of the folks, they'd say, all right, check back in with your immigration judge here in 45 days. And the guy would say, yes, you bet. (Laughter.) See you later. So we're changing that along the border.

I do want to talk about the worker issue. A lot of people here in America have come to do jobs Americans won't do. And they're here because they can make money for their families. I used to tell people in Texas that family values didn't stop at the Rio Grande River. If you're a mother or a dad and you want to put food on the table for your children, and you had the choice between $5 and $50, you'd head for $50 if you could.

I believe a very significant part of enforcing our border, make it easier for our Border Patrol to do the job, is to end this system that encourages smuggling and pressure on the border by people sneaking across, and saying if there is somebody that's willing to do a job an American won't do, let's give him a fool-proof pass so they can be here on a temporary basis.

Now, I'm against amnesty, and the reason I am is I believe if you grant amnesty to people that are here, it will cause another wave of people to want to come. (Applause.) But I am for recognizing reality and saying that if you're doing a job, if you're an employer and you're looking for somebody to do a job an American won't do, then here is a card for a temporary worker. That's a humane way to treat the issue. I can't stand a system that has caused people to get stuffed in the back of 18-wheelers and they're driving across the desert. We have -- because of our policy, we have caused there to be a whole smuggling industry, and a forgery industry. If you're out there working and somebody shows up and you can't find somebody to find work, and they show up and you say, show me your card -- you don't know whether it's real or not real. There are people forging cards in order to help these people find work.

The above is from a speech that the President gave today in Nashville as a followup to last night's State of the Union speech.

Note the first sentence of the last paragraph. He says he is against amnesty. Now note the second paragraph of the last paragraph. He proposes giving illegals a temporary worker card. He says he is against amnesty and then in the very next sentence he proposes it. To say his plan is NOT amnesty is bull. He does not even go as far as McCainneddy. At least they propose a fine as part of their Shamnesty. Bush just rewards the lawbreaking with legal status and no punishment what so ever. That IS AMNESTY! He has used this same formulation in numerous speeches on this topic. He proposes amnesty but thinks he can fool us by calling it something different. His contempt for our intelligence is stunning.

He proposes giving illegals a temporary worker card. He says he is against amnesty and then in the very next sentence he proposes it.

You just found an answer to the people who ask the question, "just how are we going to round up the illegal aliens?" Or I should say, perhaps President Bush gave you the answer but you don't even see it.

What better way to find the illegals and create a papertrail with their names and other personal data, than to offer them a "temporary worker card". It's not like the illegals would get one out of a magazine insert. They would have to APPLY for one. And perhaps they will even get a photo I.D. of them. Sounds like this could be a huge step in the right direction.

And you want to call this "amnesty"?

What Bush said: Now, I'm against amnesty, and the reason I am is I believe if you grant amnesty to people that are here, it will cause another wave of people to want to come. (Applause.) But I am for recognizing reality and saying that if you're doing a job, if you're an employer and you're looking for somebody to do a job an American won't do, then here is a card for a temporary worker. That's a humane way to treat the issue. I can't stand a system that has caused people to get stuffed in the back of 18-wheelers and they're driving across the desert. We have -- because of our policy, we have caused there to be a whole smuggling industry, and a forgery industry. If you're out there working and somebody shows up and you can't find somebody to find work, and they show up and you say, show me your card -- you don't know whether it's real or not real. There are people forging cards in order to help these people find work.

Your interpretation:

Note the first sentence of the last paragraph. He says he is against amnesty. Now note the second paragraph of the last paragraph. He proposes giving illegals a temporary worker card. He says he is against amnesty and then in the very next sentence he proposes it. To say his plan is NOT amnesty is bull.

If people come across the border illegally, they are illegal aliens. If they come across the border as part of a guest worker program, they are LEGAL aliens.

If you take someone who is illegally in the country, give them a temporarey worker card and call them legal, that is amnesty. If you don't allow people here illegally to apply for the guest worker program and only open it to people here legally or people applying from their home countries, then it's not amnesty.

Bush's original plan did provide amnesty for illegal aliens who had jobs here.

Kyl and Cornyn's plan is much better and almost there. Here's a good article on it.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/HomelandDefense/em982.cfm

It's problem is that it would still allow some illegal aliens to apply as a guest worker, leave the country and then come back in under the program. It therefore still encourages illegal immigration to an extent and still provides amnesty to some.

People learn and refine their opinions on things.

When I first getting interested in illegal immigration, I was convinced that the issue couldn't be addressed without a plan that granted amnesty to some. As I learned more about the problem through reading and discussing it, my opinion changed.

I still thing that addressing illegal immigration without a plan that allows limited amnesty for people who would qualify to enter legally under the plan is going to be extremely difficult to implement. However, I now feel that we cannot afford a plan that grants such amnesty. We cannot afford to once again show people that undermining our immigration laws works.

The horrific sight of rounding up and deporting over 5% of the people in the US is going to be difficult to handle regardless of if we allow those with jobs who are self sufficient to stay. However, we cannot simply absorb all the illegal immigrants into our society. There are simply way too many that are not making a possitive contribution.

A temporary guest worker program also doesn't solve the problem of needing to deport people. It can be a path to citizenship for a few, but for the most it's a temporary work visa that will end, and we will be back at the same point we are now or worse.

I've surrendered my delusions that a guest worker program will do much to solve illegal immigration. It merely provides legal workers that will likely be needed only after real enforcement takes place. I believe such a program is necessary to protect our economy, but it doesn't need to be large enough to handle nearly the number of illegal immigrants we have in the country now.