Free Republic

George Bush’s political strategists have long promoted amnesty for illegal aliens as a device for increasing the Republican vote among Hispanics. They also warn that denying rights to illegal aliens will hurt the GOP. A Hispanic backlash in California after Proposition 187 (the 1994 voter initiative that denied illegal aliens many publicly funded services) turned the state from red to blue, they claim; a similar rout awaits the party if it does not embrace liberal immigration policies. There is scant evidence for either of these ideas. The 1986 amnesty signed by President Reagan did not trigger a Latino surge into...

WASHINGTON -- These days, Mel Martinez begins each morning in a room just off the Senate floor listening to 11 of his colleagues argue the intricacies of a potentially historic immigration proposal. Sometimes, Martinez tries to lighten the intense atmosphere that builds up when polar opposites debate an emotional issue. Other times, the Senate's only immigrant sits quietly in an overstuffed crimson leather chair only to have someone ask: "Mel, certainly you have an opinion about this?" Martinez is one of the so-called "Gang of 12" senators who are taking the lead on one of the hottest topics on Capitol...

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in the United States are against the immigration reform proposal developed by their federal lawmakers, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 48 per cent of respondents oppose the plan, while 26 per cent are in favour. In March 2006, the Pew Hispanic Center calculated the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. at somewhere between 11.5 million to 12 million. 72 per cent of respondents think it is very important to improve border security and reduce illegal immigration in the country. In May 2006, U.S. president George W. Bush addressed the nation...

With just five months to go before the midterm elections, President Bush, whose once-faithful base has abandoned him in droves, is turning to the same conservative hot-button issues that won him re-election in 2004 -- homosexual "marriage" and judicial nominees. The president, now fully aware that his plummeting approval ratings could cost the Republicans control of one or both congressional chambers in November, will use his radio address today and a speech Monday to push a constitutional amendment banning same-sex "marriage," just as the Senate prepares to vote on the issue. The crux of his argument is simple: A majority...

Adults in the United States hold mixed views on the progress of the global effort to fight terrorism, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 39 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. and its allies are winning the war on terror, down five points since mid-January. Conversely, 36 per cent of respondents believe the terrorists are winning the war on terror—up 10 points in six weeks—and 18 per cent believe neither side is ahead. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people. The war on terrorism was initiated in October 2001 after...

A new Zogby poll indicates a majority of Americans want Congress to consider impeaching President Bush if he wiretapped American citizens without a judge's approval. Respondents were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: "If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment." The poll found that 52 percent agreed, 43 percent disagreed and 6 percent said they didn't know or declined to answer. "The American people are not buying Bush's outrageous claim that he has the power to wiretap...

A top US Republican senator for the first time mentioned impeachment in connection with President George W. Bush's authorization of electronic surveillance inside the United States without a court warrant. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, cautioned it was too early to draw any conclusions as his committee prepares to hold open hearings into the growing controversy early next month. But in his appearance on ABC's "This Week" program, Specter insisted the Senate was not going to give the president what he called "a blank check." When asked what could happen if Congress finds Bush in violation of...

Bush's unpopularity means that GOP office seekers, including its 2008 presidential aspirants, may see themselves as better off by shunning the party's incumbent in the White House. Ask Americans if they'd prefer the next president to be similar to George W. Bush -- or completely different -- and surveys show a burgeoning market for the UnBush. Just as the law of supply-and-demand dictates, we're now witnessing an abundant supply of politicians challenging, critiquing, even castigating the president. That would be typical of the Democrats, of course, but it's now becoming the norm among Republicans -- including some who aspire to...