Thread: ALIPAC: Heated immigration fight unlikely to cool during bre

Heated immigration fight unlikely to cool during break

Mike Madden
Republic Washington Bureau
May. 25, 2007 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON - For members of the Senate hoping to pass immigration-reform legislation, now may not be the best time for a vacation.

Lawmakers left for a weeklong break from Capitol Hill, putting off a second week of debate on a sprawling immigration bill backed by a fragile bipartisan coalition.

But with grassroots advocates on both sides of the issue unhappy with parts of the bill, pressure from constituents to change it dramatically - or scrap it - could be intense.





The legislation, drafted in private meetings with Bush administration officials and key Democratic and Republican senators over the last few months, would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to get provisional legal status almost immediately. It would also set up new legal programs to bring foreign workers into the U.S. for short stints. And it would establish a mostly merit-based system for awarding permanent legal residence, or "green cards," ending decades where family ties mostly determined who could move here.

Yet the very compromises that led conservative Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, to team up with Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy, the quintessential liberal, have left activists grumbling about it since the deal was announced.

"I have learned some new words from some of my constituents," Kyl said Thursday.

Republican supporters may have a harder time talking to constituents about it than Democrats. Conservative groups who see it as giving amnesty to lawbreakers have come out strongly against the bill. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., were both booed at their state GOP conventions last weekend for their roles in brokering the compromise.

"It got people upset," Graham acknowledged. "It's emotional."

Advocates for immigrants, whose support for the legislation has been tepid and mixed with a list of suggested changes, also plan to contact lawmakers during the break to push for a softening of some provisions.

"That energy is going to be focused very heavily next week on communicating with legislators," said Cecilia Munoz, vice president for advocacy at the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights group.

Immigration advocates plan calls, vigils, radio ad

s, visits to lawmakers' offices and other lobbying efforts next week. But many still want the bill to pass, figuring the House will pass a more liberal version and that some of the provisions they object to can be removed later.

"They're not saying, 'There are so many problems we want to stop it,'" said Frank Sharry, executive director of immigrant advocacy group the National Immigration Forum. "Failure is not an option."

For conservatives, though, the bill cannot be improved.

NumbersUSA, which advocates reducing both legal and illegal immigration, is asking its 325,000 members to attend town hall meetings and other public events that lawmakers hold next week, hoping to hammer home their message that the bill is fatally flawed.

"It is amnesty," said Caroline Espinosa, a spokeswoman for the group. "This will cost them votes in elections if they support this bill."

Another conservative activist group, Americans for Legal Immigration, is searching for candidates to challenge 13 Republican senators up for re-election next year, as well as eight Democrats. All voted for a procedural motion Monday that brought the immigration bill up for debate.

Still, supporters think their coalition will hold tight during the break. The 12 main authors of the bill met every day this week to discuss amendments, and joined together to beat back several that would have gutted the bill's major provisions. Kyl joined other supporters to brief reporters every day, hoping to counter what he called "misinformation" being spread in the media and on blogs by opponents.

"I believe what (the recess) does is give us a chance to make our case more strongly, including to our Republicans," said Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican who has been trying to sell the bill not only to conservative voters in his state but to skeptics on the campaign trail as he runs for the GOP's nomination for president.

And President Bush, who has come out strongly for the bill, is expected to stump for it while Congress is out of town.

"We have an opportunity to put a good law in place now - right now," Bush said. "And it's going to be hard work. And sure, politics will get involved. But the question is, will members of Congress rise above politics?"

Neither Kyl nor McCain have town halls planned in Arizona next week. Debate will resume when the Senate returns to Washington. A vote on final passage is expected during the first week in June.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... e0525.html

Another conservative activist group, Americans for Legal Immigration, is searching for candidates to challenge 13 Republican senators up for re-election next year, as well as eight Democrats. All voted for a procedural motion Monday that brought the immigration bill up for debate.

Well, for once this should be a no-brainer. Any dog-catchers out there???

Neither Kyl nor McCain have town halls planned in Arizona next week. Debate will resume when the Senate returns to Washington. A vote on final passage is expected during the first week in June.

Cowards as well as traitors???

And President Bush, who has come out strongly for the bill, is expected to stump for it while Congress is out of town.

Oh, yeah, that'll surely help, Mr <30% Approval President!

"

We have an opportunity to put a good law in place now - right now," Bush said. "And it's going to be hard work. And sure, politics will get involved. But the question is, will members of Congress rise above politics?"

What a lying Jack A__!!! The question is will the members of congress rise above the corruption that riddles our government and listen to the American people !!! Doing the right thing seems to be the last thing the government wants to do.

"I have learned some new words from some of my constituents," Kyl said Thursday.

Yeah, here is another one you might want to get familiar with:

Umemployment

PAF wrote:

Yeah, here is another one you might want to get familiar with:

Umemployment

Hell, he's probably been paid sooooooooo well compensated for the destruction of America, he doesn't have to worry about employment!

Advocates for immigrants, whose support for the legislation has been tepid and mixed with a list of suggested changes, also plan to contact lawmakers during the break to push for a softening of some provisions.

This is the story of the unsatisfied Goldie Locks. She broke in, took what she wanted and hasn't stopped bitching about all the amenities and freebies because they just aren't good enough. She should just shut up and leave!

This "misinformation" claim is right out of the Rove play book. Problem is, we can read the bill and see the bull crap they are saying is not there.

I think they should come clean on the "misinformation being spread in the media and on blogs by opponents". Come on Bush! Give us some section numbers and quotes as reference. Not fooling us!!!!

The Bush Admin. couldn't get the facts strait about the WMDs in Iraq and they can't get the facts strait about the disasters in this bill either. Oh and I'm not going to trust them to tell me what this bill contains either.

Want to get fooled twice?

Dixie

Perfect analogy (sp?) Dixie. I'm going to start using that.

Sorry Goldie Locks...Americans are fed up with this and the party is over.