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Privately, Bush Says He Favors Citizenship (for Illegals)
AP ^ | April 26, 2006 | DAVID ESPO

Posted on 04/26/2006 5:20:12 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative

President Bush generally favors plans to give millions of illegal immigrants a chance at U.S. citizenship without leaving the country, but does not want to be more publicly supportive because of opposition among conservative House Republicans, according to senators who attended a recent White House meeting.

Several officials familiar with the meeting also said Democrats protested radio commercials that blamed them for Republican-written legislation that passed the House and would make illegal immigrants vulnerable to felony charges.

Bush said he was unfamiliar with the ads, which were financed by the Republican National Committee, according to officials familiar with the discussions.

At another point, Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and other members of his party pressed the president about their concern that any Senate-passed bill would be made unpalatable in final talks with the House.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat, said the lawmaker who would lead House negotiators, House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, had been "intractable" in negotiations on other high-profile bills in the past. Bush did not directly respond to the remark, officials said.

The Republican and Democratic officials who described the conversation did so Wednesday on condition of anonymity, saying they had not been authorized to disclose details.

Bush convened the session to give momentum to the drive for election-year immigration legislation, a contentious issue that has triggered large street demonstrations and produced divisions in both political parties. Senators of both parties emerged from the session praising the president's involvement and said the timetable was achievable.

"Yes, he thinks people should be given a path to citizenship," said Sen. Mel Martinez., R-Fla., a leading supporter of immigration legislation in the Senate.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; Mexico; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; bordersecurity; bush; bushamnesty; bushhaters; citzenship; illegalaliens; illegals; immigrantlist; immigration; invasionusa; openborders; sellout
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To: claudiustg
Are you in favor of illegals coming into country?

Absolutely NOT.

Are you in favor of granting them citizenship once they are here?

Nope.. No rewards for lawbreakers. Back to the end of the LEGAL LINE.

521 posted on 04/26/2006 10:08:05 PM PDT by onyx (MARY MC CHRISTMAS everybody! --- FACTS DON'T MATTER.)
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To: MaineVoter2002

Bush Sr. 29%; Clinton 37%; Reagan 35%; Carter 28%; Ford 37%; Nixon 24%; LBJ 35%


522 posted on 04/26/2006 10:08:23 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: tobyhill

Exactly!

Bush Sr. 29%; Clinton 37%; Reagan 35%; Carter 28%; Ford 37%; Nixon 24%; LBJ 35%


523 posted on 04/26/2006 10:08:59 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: West Coast Conservative
President Bush generally favors plans to give millions of illegal immigrants a chance at U.S. citizenship without leaving the country, but does not want to be more publicly supportive because of opposition among conservative House Republicans, according to senators who attended a recent White House meeting.


524 posted on 04/26/2006 10:09:01 PM PDT by kesg
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To: Howlin; onyx

Hey look!

Facts!

Thanks Howlin.


525 posted on 04/26/2006 10:09:33 PM PDT by pollyannaish
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To: Vivaldi's Manifesto
Sounds like you're having a bad day.

I'm not. Tony Snow is the new Press Sec!


526 posted on 04/26/2006 10:09:59 PM PDT by A Citizen Reporter
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To: skip_intro
So did you actually read my post #457 to you with an extended quote and a link to the article in the Washington Times? If that's not good enough for you, nothing will be.

Did you read post #484. If you don't understand my response, then I can't help you.

527 posted on 04/26/2006 10:10:24 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: A Citizen Reporter

Yeah! The happy dance photo.


528 posted on 04/26/2006 10:10:30 PM PDT by pollyannaish
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To: Junior_G
the illegal immigration apologists

It must suck to have an agenda that is so pitiful you have to lie to try to score a point, but I have to say, you seem to have mastered it.

529 posted on 04/26/2006 10:10:36 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin
Truman was down in the low 20's when he left office and yet now history has judged him as a pretty good President.
530 posted on 04/26/2006 10:10:57 PM PDT by COEXERJ145 (Real Leaders Base Their Decisions on Their Convictions. Wannabes Base Decisions on the Latest Poll.)
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To: skip_intro

Oh, please don't quote me a newspaper by a reporter, FGS.


531 posted on 04/26/2006 10:11:07 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: kesg

532 posted on 04/26/2006 10:11:29 PM PDT by onyx (MARY MC CHRISTMAS everybody! --- FACTS DON'T MATTER.)
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To: pollyannaish
I feel very strongly that the whole idea of amnesty/guest-worker plan/path-to-citizenship should not even be discussed until other steps have been taken to stem the flow of illegals into this country. Unfortunately, the mere fact that this is even being debated in this country will do nothing but embolden illegals who now believe that regardless of the immediate outcome of these discussions, amnesty will happen eventually just like it did 20 years ago. As far as tangible possible solutions, I think a fence would be a spectacular start. Complaints about cost (hey, it's worth it) and incorrect comparisons to the Berlin Wall notwithstanding, it would have an effect.

I would also like to see fairly harsh penalties levied against those who hire illegals. Right now, businesses who break the law by hiring illegals gain a sizeable advantage over their more ethical competition that hires American. Such hiring practices should not be rewarded in the marketplace. Some posters at FreeRepublic have admitted to hiring illegals themselves and consider it to be nothing more than good honest capitalism. This is a sickening stance, in my opinion.

As far as how this can actually happen...well it isn't rocket science. If there is the political will to do it, it will happen. But politicians have their own motives and their own benefactors, and most of them seem to want nothing more than to kick the can down the road another 20 years so they can pat themselves on the back, say they accomplished something, and leave it to our children to deal with later.

533 posted on 04/26/2006 10:12:00 PM PDT by Junior_G
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To: pollyannaish

LOL!
Facts don't matter.
Watch those be ignored or questioned.


534 posted on 04/26/2006 10:12:07 PM PDT by onyx (MARY MC CHRISTMAS everybody! --- FACTS DON'T MATTER.)
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To: MaineVoter2002
Well then that makes our president a false accuser if he was refering to the Minutemen. The do not do any of the following.

Main Entry: vig·i·lan·te
Pronunciation: "vi-j&-'lan-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante
vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans
: a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law appear inadequate); broadly :
a self-appointed doer of justice

Ok President Bush you sir tell us just who the Minutemen have punished? American's want to know? Doer of justice means executing such. All they do is turn the illegals they find over to the proper law enforcement agencies. Now then a Rancher or group of ranchers who get DS&T of being ran over take matters into their own hand and go out looking for illegals to harm or kill now that is being a vigilante. Too bad our POTUS was able to wrongly use a term to make a political point for what now is not yet a problem.

How about this and it would have been a more accurate description of the intent. We don't need a Neighborhood Watch on our Borders which is what the Minutemen Project actually is. The Minutemen hold no trials nor dispense any punishment so how can they be called vigilantes?

Nobody want vigilantes on the border and right now there's not any there except a likely very few plus the Mexican Army and some renagade flesh smugglers from Mexico angry over getting caught. He didn't mention them either. Musn't put them in bad light sounding like his daddy.

But the real danger is if the situation is not stopped meaning a truly protected border and illegals forced to leave the Minutemen may give up and go home leaving some not so rational persons with nothing else left to loose to replace them. These will be vigilantes.

Bush thinks just because his corporate buddies want illegals or even illegals made citizens for obtaining lower wages for all Americans the rest of America will love it also. Our president is out of touch with his party and much of the nation on this issue.

535 posted on 04/26/2006 10:12:16 PM PDT by cva66snipe (If it was wrong for Clinton why do some support it for Bush? Party over nation destroys the nation.)
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To: MaineVoter2002
"I'm against vigilantes in the United States of America"

Where in that sentence does he call the Minutemen that?

536 posted on 04/26/2006 10:12:21 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin

If I ask you what you think about your wife and you say;

"I don't like whores in my house."

Am I supposed to assume you mean some other whore.


537 posted on 04/26/2006 10:12:31 PM PDT by RHINO369 (It depends what the meaning of is is)
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To: Howlin
Oh, please don't quote me a newspaper by a reporter, FGS.

Huh?

538 posted on 04/26/2006 10:12:44 PM PDT by skip_intro
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To: FreeReign

Gott dam, you've convinced me that President Bush never called them vigilantes. Question: has he ever praised what they're doing on the border (you know, keeping illegals out)?


539 posted on 04/26/2006 10:13:36 PM PDT by budwiesest (I don't do that kind of diversity.)
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To: COEXERJ145

Those are just the recent ones.

Apparently they ALL hit the skids at one point or another.

The only difference is, when the Democrats did it, the GOP celebrated.

Now, with this Bush, the "real true" conservatives are the ones celebrating.


540 posted on 04/26/2006 10:13:36 PM PDT by Howlin
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