Mumps, Leprosy, Dengue fever, Cholera, Plague, Polio and Felon Importation Act of 2007.'
Posted on 06/11/2007 1:38:54 PM PDT by 300magnum
WASHINGTON - President Bush is putting his influence within his own party to the test Tuesday as he pleads personally with skeptical Senate Republicans to resurrect his immigration bill.
Despite his confident tone Monday about the measure's fate, Bush is facing a hostile audience that has shown little appetite for following his lead on the contentious issue.
Bush left no room for the possibility that his bid to legalize up to 12 million unlawful immigrants while tightening border security might die. "I'll see you at the bill signing," he said while traveling in Bulgaria.
Still, weakened by his sagging poll numbers and a sense within GOP ranks that the president has lost touch with his core supporters on immigration, Bush may well lack the clout he would need to persuade Republicans to back the measure, say lawmakers and strategists.
"Each time this debate comes up, the president's approval ratings go down, and that's not a positive in terms of (lawmakers') willingness to listen to him on the issue," said independent pollster Scott Rasmussen.
"What happens when the immigration debate becomes dominant in the news is that the Republican base begins to have doubts, and the president's support among them drops as well," he added.
Bush, who helped shape the bipartisan immigration compromise that collapsed in the Senate last week, will huddle with Republicans on Tuesday at a luncheon in the Capitol aimed at persuading them to give the measure another chance.
The bill exposes deep divisions among both parties, but it was solid GOP opposition that stalled it when all but seven Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to put it on a fast track to passage.
Senate Democratic leaders wrote Bush on Tuesday saying it was up to him to lean on Republicans to back the measure.
"It will take stronger leadership by you to ensure the opponents of the bill do not block the path to final passage," said Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev.
Reid said he would be willing to bring immigration back to the Senate floor in coming weeks if he could be assured enough Republicans would support the bill.
So far, however, the president's efforts to give the bill a personal boost — most visibly in his recent harsh criticism of its opponents in speeches during Congress' Memorial Day break — appear to have had the opposite effect.
Some Republican supporters of the bill said those remarks — when Bush accused those who dismiss the measure as "amnesty" of trying to frighten the public — cost the president sway among Republicans.
With the measure facing a critical test last week, Sen. Trent Lott (news, bio, voting record), R-Miss., joked that Bush should stay out of the debate and instead focus on the annual G-8 meeting of industrialized nations he was attending in Germany. "His comments last week were not helpful," Lott said.
On the other side of the Capitol, some Republicans say that on immigration, Bush lacks the strong influence that helped him muscle through other signature initiatives that divided the GOP, such as the No Child Left Behind education law and the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
"President Bush is a force of nature on Capitol Hill," said Rep. Mike Pence (news, bio, voting record), R-Ind. "But on this issue, the president has certainly been downgraded to a tropical storm. He doesn't have the gale-force winds of previous years of his administration."
That's true because Bush is out of step with Americans — not just Republicans — on the issue, added Pence, a conservative who is pushing for immigration changes but opposes the Senate bill.
Still, even with his stature diminished, supporters of the measure say a strong nudge from Bush could give Republicans the political protection they need to back the contentious bill.
"It makes a difference to members of Congress that the president is pushing all-out for it, not because they want to do him a favor, but because it gives them cover," said Tamar Jacoby of the Manhattan Institute.
Jacoby said the immigration measure is "dangerously close" to being killed by a small but vocal conservative minority that is incensed at Bush for his position and fighting to keep Republican lawmakers from following him.
"The president is trying to tip the balance the other way," Jacoby said.
___
The bill is S 1348.
We were promised Border Security, Employer Sanctions, Deportations and Reduced Illegal Immigration in 1986.
Where is it?
Where is Border Security now, Mr. President? Are you failing to discharge your responsiblities under the law?
No we don’t need men like him who are hell bent on destroying our language, borders and culture. We need men like Duncan Hunter, Tom Tancredo, Jeff Sessions, John Cornyn, Tom Coburn, etc.
I used to think that, no more. God doesn’t need the misguided leaders who don’t listen. Bush is more like a Pharisee (sp?) now. Voted for him twice and now put him Carter’s class of President. Bush has gone crazy and now don’t trust what he says on anything.
“Each time this debate comes up, the president’s approval ratings go down . . . “
He’s like an Irish setter trying to pass a peach-pit (I saw this once) on his tip-toes, crouched over, bottom under him like a greyhound, legs trembling—first time I’ve seen a dog sweat—in a lather, hopping around, yipping, grunting, tensing, squeezing . . . the other dogs gathered around, watching.
He finally passes the pit, that’s the climax, so then what does he do?
Eats it again.
It is easy to talk tough when you aren't the one in charge seeing situations through the big picture and not some straw-size peep hole (that most in Congress are).
GWB has been one hell of a CinC, a man with true resolve in this WOT (while the rest of the world outside of a few have tried to run....including many within our own nation).
No, GWB calls'em how he sees'em and stands firm on what he believes is right. I don't always agree with him on certain issues....but I respect the hell out of his fortitude.
PUKE
PUKE
Perfect. LOL!
“Bush lacks the strong influence that helped him muscle through other signature initiatives that divided the GOP, such as the No Child Left Behind education law and the Medicare prescription drug benefit.”
YOU DID ENOUGH DAMAGE WITH THOSE TWO BILLS. SPARE US FROM THE THIRD ONE.
“Dad .... You .... Me .... Hillary .... Jeb ...... Chelsea ..... Juanita .....”
.
This has been batted around our office for a while......scary huh
I think that he realizes it, but could care less. He doesn’t need the conservative base to get elected again — and, the approval he wants resides, as it always has, with those on the left. He won’t get that approval either, but that’s his desire.
“Still, even with his stature diminished, supporters of the measure say a strong nudge from Bush could give Republicans the political protection they need to back the contentious bill.”
What protection. This is the Comprehensive Destroy-The-GOP bill. Bush is asking them to jump off a cliff.
“Any Republican up there that thinks that is sorely misguided.”
Thankfully, the people’s ire has woken them up. OUR job will be to make sure we will NOT get an amnesty bill through this congress, and anyone who touches it, Democrat or Republican, suffers the consequences.
We have to withold our support and keep hammering the white house. Bush needs to be told to SECURE THE BORDER FIRST. comments@whitehouse.gov needs to get 1,000,000 anti-amnesty and pro-immigration-law-enforcement messages. Bush doesn’t need support. He needs intervention.
It's dead and should stay dead because a majority of people from all across the political spectrum are against it.
The illegals largely vote democratic - look at the “blue” counties along the borders in EVERY border state with Mexico. Solid blue alone the missing “fence” from the Rio Grande through Los Angeles. The rest of the blue counties are the New England union counties, larger cities, and Indian reservations.
OK - So the democrats get the illegal votes. Both those voting illegally, and those who are getting fraudulent immigrant votes through schemes and absentee ballots and democratic (er, crooked) poll watchers.
Second thing is the 2010 census: House of Representatives are apportioned BY THE NUMBER OF BODIES (legal, illegal, green card, and no card. EVERYBODY counts - except those Mormon missionaries US citizens serving overseas for a year - THOSE citizens are NOT couted by the census, nor for House seats.)
But illegal aliens and “invisible” people -who the census claims are present but can’t be counted - according to the black caucus professionals who claim 5-6% of all blacks are not counted. They can’t tell why these are not counted, they just claim that blacks are not counted and so the black population should be increased by a factor of 105% to 110%.
Therefore, counting illegal aliens ADDS to the people in normally democratic bastions of the poor and overcrowded. Of course, every House seat that is in a safely democratic (minority/low income area) ELIMINATES a (probably republican) seat that might otherwise go to a more conservative (non-minority!) area in the west or south.
It is estimated that 1-2 Mass. House seats are democratic now because of illegals in Boston. 4-5 House seats in NY. 1 in PA. 1-2 in IL. 2-3 in FL. 2-3 in TX. 4-5 in CA.
THAT difference is Pelosi’s power.
Now - WHY is Bush pushing a democrat agenda?
Clout? We’re calling him a Moonbat on this one.
I don't agree with GWB fully on immigration...but the reality is in a true Limited Republic...a Party must allow for differecne of opinion on issues to fully thrive (over time)....But the reality is GWB takes on big issues. He doesn't push them off....he tries to address them. Reality is we have a 30 year in the making problem on immigration. We have a terribly flawed guest worker program (where a large % of those currently here illgeally now started from).
I wish he would have just addressed the border first...Then moved on down the road. But he went for addressing the whole problem....That doesn't make him a bad guy.
Again, Reagan gave amnesty, ran from Beirut, appointed the PC choice of the terrible SDO to the SCOUTS, flipped flopped and abandoned the idea of private Soc Sec....then raised FICA taxes to boot.....(they were all bad decisions) but he was still one hell of a CinC/POUTS. Just as is GWB.
There are more direct lines here:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Also, keep emailing the White house ...
OUR job will be to make sure we will NOT get an amnesty bill through this congress, and anyone who touches it, Democrat or Republican, suffers the consequences.
We have to withold our support and keep hammering the white house. Bush needs to be told to SECURE THE BORDER FIRST. comments@whitehouse.gov needs to get 1,000,000 anti-amnesty and pro-immigration-law-enforcement messages.
Now it's Kennedy again with this immigration bill - what gives?
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