Thread: For Bush, fight over immigration bill is personal

President Bush sounded like he hoped to sever ties with the remaining 30 percent who like him when he went after critics in his party this week over opposition to his latest immigration plan.

"If you want to scare the American people, what you say is the bill's an amnesty bill," Bush said during a stop in Glynco, Ga. "That's empty political rhetoric, trying to frighten our citizens."

It was his harshest public backhand yet to the conservative bloggers, commentators, politicians and CNN anchor Lou Dobbs, all gassing about how the bill amounts to amnesty.

"People shouldn't fear our capacity to uphold our motto, E Pluribus Unum," Bush told McClatchy Newspapers.

The compromise Senate bill is drawing fire from Republicans and Democrats. Critics on the left don't like the high fees and penalties for illegal immigrations, or the shift away from reuniting families and toward valuing education and skills in deciding who gets in. Conservative critics are calling it amnesty because it includes provisions for those in the U.S. illegally to eventually become citizens.


Points to Texas' diversity
For Bush, the fight over immigration reform is a personal one — unlike Social Security or education reform, which were mostly political.

"I feel passionate about the issue. It's something I have felt strongly about ever since I was the governor of Texas," he said.

"Texas is a very diverse state, Houston is a very diverse city, and through that diversity, if you're open-minded, you get a great sense of how it invigorates the society," said Bush, a Houston resident in the 1960s and '70s.

Growing up in Texas, Bush said, "you recognize the decency and hard work and humanity of Hispanics. And the truth of the matter is a lot of this immigration debate is driven as a result of Latinos being in our country."

Or to be more specific, an unhappiness about Latinos being in the country. Bush, for the first time, is putting opponents on notice that he's going to call them out on their xenophobia if he needs to. In last year's failed effort at passing immigration reform, he never went that far.

"A lot of us in Texas were very aware of the immigration issue way before the rest of the country," Bush told McClatchy. Bush is working to keep the bill intact and moving forward.

His brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, joined former Republican Party Chairman Ken Mehlman in co-authoring an op-ed in Thursday's Wall Street Journal, calling on Republicans to support the bill.

In addition to arguing the merits, the two noted the political damage to the Republican Party after California in 1994 passed Proposition 187, a measure denying many public services to illegal immigrants.

"The GOP won the governor's mansion in the short term, but alienated the fastest-growing constituency in the state," they said.

With Congress out of town on recess, Bush had the microphone largely to himself on immigration. But he may not be getting traction because of the war in Iraq. The unpopular, long-running conflict has eroded public trust in the president and makes it harder for him to pass a domestic agenda. It also makes it easier for members of Congress to oppose him.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 52625.html


Bush is an insane maniac!

I voted for him twice, thinking he would best represent the people of the USA. Now I realize he is seems to be a globalist who is totally sold out to Mexico!

If Bush knew about the immigration problem before the rest of the country like he says, why didn't he do something about it.

It's getting pretty obvious he's trying to change the culture in this country to suit his personal preferences.

Mr. Bush, if you don't like this country with it's American culture, move to Mexico!

Bush is full of manure!!!!!!!!

I grew up in a diverse Texas where the Hispanics were American and they spoke English. Most of my Hispanic friends never even traveled to Mexico.

Don't talk that smack to me. There is a big difference between a Hispanic that wants to become an American(the legal way) and an illegal alien.

Bush didn't grow up in a community that was overrun with illegal aliens. They weren't even receiving a public education back then. Will someone please drop him off in one of these cesspool communities and let him get a good dose of the illegal alien lifestyle.

Out of touch with America.

Ann Richards was right, "He can't help it - he was born he was born with a silver foot in his mouth".

Dixie

Dixie is right there is a big differance between the two types of people.
I cant think of one thing That bush will gain if the million of criminals stay ... Unlles he is afraid of hurting another counties feellings... We dont need them and they dont have to be here
in either case he should be worried about my feeelings and the rest of Americas feelings, not mexicos.

Gang violence and grafitti invigorate a society. This guy is on Mars. He must have taken up coke again.

Originally Posted by GREGAGREATAMERICAN

Dixie is right there is a big differance between the two types of people.
I cant think of one thing That bush will gain if the million of criminals stay ... Unlles he is afraid of hurting another counties feellings... We dont need them and they dont have to be here
in either case he should be worried about my feeelings and the rest of Americas feelings, not mexicos.

What he has to gain is a giant step toward the completion of his NAU plan, which seems to be well on it's way to becoming a done deal. Have a look at this article and tell me there's no plan for a NAU, and not just the type that promotes free trade. I really think Bush is an egomaniac and sees this NAU thing as his "mark" on history. God help us all.

http://www.corruptionchronicles.com/200 ... lth_2.html

Originally Posted by SamLowrey

Gang violence and grafitti invigorate a society. This guy is on Mars. He must have taken up coke again.

I don't think he ever stopped the coke or the alcohol. He is a FRAUD and closet Nazi!

"The GOP won the governor's mansion in the short term, but alienated the fastest-growing constituency in the state," they said.

Gee, all this time I thought Arnold Schwartzenegger was a Republican.

A lot of the friends George Bush has had in the Latino community have businesses which profiteer off of illegal aliens.
He also has no concern for the American Blacks who he now have rights he feels they do not deserve and he feels that America would be better with more latinos and fewer Blacks.