Thread: Arlen Specter Lead Horse

This is part of the transcript on Fox News Sunday with Sen. Specter and Biden, about the immigration reform bill in the Senate


Senator Biden, Democrats blocked a vote recently on comprehensive immigration reform because of concern that the compromise would be watered down, would be changed, either by amendment in the Senate or in conference with the House.

Are Democrats now ready to allow a vote up or down on immigration reform in the Senate?

BIDEN: Well, I think we are. What we want to know is — we've been stiffed by the House many times where they go over in a conference, and there ends up a conference that the very thing that the Senate passed, that the Democrats signed on to, ends up being shelved but we didn't get a say in it.

But I have a lot more confidence now because of Arlen Specter. Arlen Specter has been the lead horse in this compromise. It's referred to as the McCain-Kennedy bill that I support, but it really came out of Arlen's committee. And Arlen led the fight.

The administration didn't think we'd get a bill out. I, quite frankly, think the leadership didn't want a bill, and Arlen got it out. And so I have confidence in Arlen's leadership. And I'm not laying this all on Arlen. I mean that sincerely.

But I have confidence in his leadership and I have more confidence that if he were, in fact, one of the conferrees, that we would not get rolled by the House that really doesn't want to do anything constructive, in my view, in this area.

WALLACE: Senator Specter, when are Republicans going to bring up immigration reform again, bring it to the floor for a vote? And what assurances can you give Senator Biden and other Democrats that they're not going to get stiffed, as he put it, by the House?

SPECTER: Well, I expect the bill to come up, Chris, a week from tomorrow. I've talked to the majority leader, Senator Frist, and I expect to be on the conference committee. I'm the chairman of the committee.

By the way, I also expect Senator Biden to be on the conference committee. And when Joe Biden's on a conference, you have a very, very strong voice. We're not going to be stiffed. We're going to try to work it out.

Here again, I don't think it's useful to draw any lines in the sand. We worked with Chairman Sensenbrenner on the Patriot Act and on other matters, and we have a bicameral system. We have to go to conference with the House, and we'll get it worked out.

The speaker has said he's for a guest worker program. That's what the president wants. We've got 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. We're not going to grant amnesty. They're going to have to pay a fine. They're going to have to pay back taxes. They're going to have to learn English. They're going to have to work for six years. And then they go to the end of the line. And we're going to get it worked out.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194590,00.html

Arlen Specter has been the lead horse in this compromise.

yep, and I've been trying to shoot that horse out from under him too!

Well, here it is....we don't want a compromise.

And if there is one, the American People are going to throw them all out.

Wait and see.

Americans are fed up with talk like the "House is going to stiff the Senate".

The House represented the will of the people.

When the US Senate thinks their interests are getting "stiffed" by the people of the United States, then it's waaaay time to send them packing.

What ignorance we have in the US Senate.

They are hereafter to be called "Senate Snipers".

You try and snipe us, you won't get another chance, because you'll be out on your farms cutting brush for a living...that's Dems, that's Repubs...that all of you every single one that tries to betray the American People on immigration.

Good old Arlen. He is a horse alright.

The east side of a westbound horse.
And Biden is right along side.

Originally Posted by specter

We've got 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. We're not going to grant amnesty. They're going to have to pay a fine. They're going to have to pay back taxes. They're going to have to learn English. They're going to have to work for six years. And then they go to the end of the line. And we're going to get it worked out.

This guy is so far out there!

But maybe they should give him a shot. Let Specter head up a special Senate committee to test his plan. They could round up several hundred illegals at home improvement stores and offer them amnesty if they'll go before the Senate. The committee would interview these candidates and determine beyond a reasonable doubt, how long they have been in the United States, what work was performed and for what pay and the tax liability incurred. They should collect back taxes and two thousand dollars from the candidates. A transcript of the proceedings should be maintained and titled "How to Bleed a Turnip." The Senate should also provide to the American people the number of immigrants that must be naturalized during the six year work period in order to place 11 million aliens at the back of the line. The Senate should also explain its' plan for getting the jobs done that Americans won't do since these new Americans will no longer do those jobs?
CSPAN could get PPV out of this one.