Thread: DIVISIVE IMMIGRATION MEASURE ON HOLD : POLITICIANS FEAR

Divisive immigration measure on hold as senators return home to hear from voters

By: JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS - Associated Press
NORTH COUNTY TIMES\
MAY 26, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers are bracing for political blowback from liberal and conservative critics of a broad immigration reform measure that's on hold as they head home for a weeklong break.

Supporters and opponents said they would use the time off to influence senators who will face major immigration votes when they return to complete the bipartisan measure. The bill would legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, tighten border security and mandate that employers verify they are hiring legal workers.

"As we head into the Memorial Day weekend, members of the Immigration Reform Caucus will go back to their districts and remind their constituents about the long-lasting damage passing an amnesty bill would have on our efforts to address illegal immigration," said Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., a vocal opponent of the measure.

A coalition of organizations actively pressing for passage of the bill -- including labor, Hispanic advocacy and religious groups -- also was planning a strong push to encourage lawmakers who support it not to back down.

"They're going to be targeted by a small but loud anti-reform minority," said Clarissa Martinez of the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. "They must not buckle under the pressure."

Lawmakers have already begun hearing vocal opposition to the measure.

"I have learned some new words from some of my constituents," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., an influential conservative who is under intense criticism in his border state for crafting a bipartisan deal to create a guest worker program and a path to citizenship while tightening border security.

The Senate began considering the bill this week and will return to it in June.

The measure includes conservative-backed initiatives such as the worker verification program to prevent illegal immigrants from getting jobs, and a new point system to prioritize skills and education over family in deciding who can immigrate in the future.

Liberals decry the point scheme as unfair to families and are vehemently opposed to a guest worker program that would allow laborers to come to the U.S. for temporary stints without a guarantee they would be able to stay and eventually gain citizenship.

But it also includes a long-sought liberal priority: granting legal status to the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. Conservatives view that as an unacceptable amnesty program.

President Bush, who has made enactment of an immigration measure a top domestic priority, said he wasn't surprised at the tenor of the debate, and he urged lawmakers to look beyond it and deliver him a bill anyway.

"We've been through immigration debates in this country, and they can bring out the worst sometimes in people," Bush said. "But the question is, will members of Congress rise above politics?"

Backers of the deal said they were confident about facing their constituents over the break.

"I look forward to going back home and standing up for what I believe to be the right answer, listening to criticism. But time is on our side because our product is better than those who want to do nothing," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Some lawmakers were uneasy, however, about trying to explain the complex bill to voters.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, said opposition from the political extremes is "pretty obvious from the phone calls that all of us are getting."

However, he added, "the American people would like us to do something."

There's wide support for the changes proposed in the immigration legislation, according to a New York Times-CBS News poll conducted May 18-23 and released on Friday.

Two-thirds of the 1,125 adults polled said they supported letting illegal immigrants with good job records and no criminal histories win legal status. That was supported by roughly equal proportions of Republicans, Democrats and independents.

Another two-thirds also said they supported creating a guest worker program for future immigrants. Of those who favored it, more than half said the guest workers should ultimately be allowed to apply for citizenship, if their job records are strong and they don't commit crimes.

Three-fourths supported stronger penalties against those who employ illegal workers, while eight in 10 said the government should strengthen border security.

Half favored giving more of a priority to job skills and education, while a third said immigrants with families in the U.S. should be first in line for entry.

The telephone survey had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Architects of the bill planned to spend next week in intense negotiations on proposed changes that could upset their delicate bipartisan deal and doom its chances for passage.

These include Republican-backed limits to the legalization program for unlawful immigrants and modifications sought by Democrats to give foreign family members of permanent residents and U.S. citizens more opportunities to join their relatives in the U.S.

-- Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05 ... _25_07.txt

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I am sick to death of the amnesty pushers trying to frame constituent criticism as a fringe "vocal minority" issue when they know that's not the case. And Lindsay Graham is delusional---how can you credibly claim to have a "better product" when the only way you can defend it is by cutting off all counter arguments? And, yes, you idiot McConnell---the "something" that the American people WANT is for you to defend and enforce our existing laws.

Three-fourths supported stronger penalties against those who employ illegal workers, while eight in 10 said the government should strengthen border security.


Let's see here :

That is 75% of the people want stronger penalties against the employment of Illegal Aliens

and

80% of the people want our Borders Secured

I know how to solve the problem,
Let's just make all of the Illegals; Legal !

WHAT ILLEGAL ALIENS?

Nowhere in this story do you see the Government term "Illegal Aliens" Instead you get "unlawful immigrants", "guest worker", "illegal immigrants", "immigrants", "laborers", "illegal workers", and "unlawful immigrants". WHAT A TAP DANCE ! Here is a suggestion for the next poll; try using the word AMNESTY in the poll and then see what the results look like. After all this bill is not an AMNESTY.

"We've been through immigration debates in this country, and they can bring out the worst sometimes in people," Bush said.

He must have been looking in the mirror, when he said that.

"They're going to be targeted by a small but loud anti-reform minority," said Clarissa Martinez of the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Nice spin, Ms. Martinez! However, it won't work!

That poll is the opposite of all other polling data, including Rasmussen last week, and designed as a cover for the corrupt snakes in Washington.

"We've been through immigration debates in this country, and they can bring out the worst sometimes in people," Bush said. "But the question is, will members of Congress rise above politics?"

That is what I want to know too President Bush. Senators such as Kennedy, Graham, Menendez, McCain and Kyl are certainly showing us what the worst can be. Utter greed and putting the good of their own constituents who have made their feelings well known, after the money and pressure of the elites and the Chamber of Commerce.
Will the senators buckle to the big business, special interest and racist groups such as La Raza, Mecha and Aztlan, greedy corporations, and political sharks or will they do as they have sworn to do and protect the American people and do what is in the best interest of our nation?

This is the time when we will find out what men are really made of.
This is the time when we find out who is the patriot and who is the sell out.
This is their moment to choose their future and our destiny.

I hope they will not give this president what he wants at the expense of the American family.

Look at all the amnestys given in the past... don't you think...this time ... it's about time to start listening to AMERICAN CITIZENS?!!!!

AMNESTY has only brought the wrong message. IT'S TIME TO START SENDING THE RIGHT MESSAGE!!!

JAK wrote:

Look at all the amnestys given in the past... don't you think...this time ... it's about time to start listening to AMERICAN CITIZENS?!!!!

They are going to see how long they can ignore us.......and put us off and twist words to make it seem they heard us......but we are wrong so they cannot do what needs to be done. The Senate is following Dictator Bush's lead. He loves steam rolling right over the American people

We need to keep ROARING so they know we are NOT going away. NOT THIS TIME......NOT WITH OUR COUNTRY AT STAKE!!!!!