Thread: Bush's Immigration Comments Rile Conservatives

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Bush's Immigration Comments Rile Conservatives
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
January 24, 2007

(CNSNews.com) - While liberal interest groups were quick to criticize President Bush's State of the Union comments on issues ranging from the war in Iraq to the environment, conservatives were also upset as he continued to push for immigration reforms that they claim go easy on illegal aliens.

While Bush reported that he is doubling the size of the Border Patrol to monitor the U.S. border with Mexico and pledged to enforce immigration laws at the workplace, his temporary worker proposals are still a touchy subject for his conservative base.

"We should establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our country to work on a temporary basis," Bush said in his seventh State of the Union address Tuesday evening. "As a result, they won't have to sneak in, and that will leave Border Agents free to chase down drug smugglers and criminals and terrorists."

Bush added: "We need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country without animosity and without amnesty."

But some conservative immigration groups argue that Bush's policy amounts to amnesty.

"With the change in congressional leadership, President Bush is hopeful that 2007 will be the year he finally succeeds in passing a guest worker amnesty plan that has been consistently rejected by the American public and the majority of his own party," the Federal for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) said in a release.

FAIR President Dan Stein said Bush's "radical immigration agenda ...is designed to satisfy business's demands for an endless supply of low wage labor" and argued that it will hurt "Americans who work for a living, who pay taxes, send their kids to public schools, care about the environment or who believe that a nation is more than just a random collection of people who happen to share a piece of geography."

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), a longtime critic of Bush's position on immigration, also slammed the president's State of the Union remarks in a statement released Tuesday.

Suggesting that Bush tried to "guarantee a Congress sympathetic to his 'amnesty for all' plan" during the 2006 elections, Tancredo said the new Democrat-controlled Congress "seem[s] hell-bent on cramming this mass amnesty down the throats of the American people whether they want it or not."

Tancredo also questioned Bush's pledge for increased enforcement of immigration laws, saying that "one or two high-profile raids are not proof of a commitment." He was referring to the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on six meat-packing plants that resulted in more than 1,200 arrests and 148 charges related to identity theft.

"What we are looking for from the administration is the same degree of energy expended in the enforcement of our immigration laws as they used to seek out a drug dealer in Mexico, so he could be brought back to testify against border patrol agents who were trying to do their job," Tancredo added, referring to two border patrol agents now in prison for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler.

While conservatives are angered with Bush's stance on immigration, proponents of a guest worker program are cautiously optimistic that Bush and the Democratic Congress will work together to pass legislation enacting it.

"Immigrant communities have learned to appreciate the speeches," the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) said in a statement, "but we have become sorely disappointed in the follow-through."

"For immigrant communities, actions speak louder than words: Human and comprehensive immigration reform can begin to heal the breach," FIRM said. "While President Bush and congressional leaders have expressed sincere intentions for this year, immigrant communities are taking nothing for granted. We are preparing to work harder than ever to ensure that President Bush lives up to his promise and that the new Congress performs differently from the old one."

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Suggesting that Bush tried to "guarantee a Congress sympathetic to his 'amnesty for all' plan" during the 2006 elections, Tancredo said the new Democrat-controlled Congress "seem[s] hell-bent on cramming this mass amnesty down the throats of the American people whether they want it or not."

It sounds like Tancredo is saying that Bush intentionally threw the election to the Democrats. I think we pretty much agree with this, but I'm not sure I've seen this stated quite so clearly. If many Republicans believe this, them I imagine there is a lot of resentment toward Bush. And, if Bush did throw the election, this means he is pursuing an agenda that is not a Republican agenda.

He is pushing an agenda alright, its called the North American Union.
He also thinks the citizens in this country ARE really, really, stupid if he thinks we believe we can't fix the borders without a guest worker program. THE MAN IS TRUELY AN IDIOT!!!!!HOW DID HE FOOL SO MANY PEOPLE!!!!!!TWICE NO LESS!!!!!

Originally Posted by Kate

Suggesting that Bush tried to "guarantee a Congress sympathetic to his 'amnesty for all' plan" during the 2006 elections, Tancredo said the new Democrat-controlled Congress "seem[s] hell-bent on cramming this mass amnesty down the throats of the American people whether they want it or not."

It sounds like Tancredo is saying that Bush intentionally threw the election to the Democrats. I think we pretty much agree with this, but I'm not sure I've seen this stated quite so clearly. If many Republicans believe this, them I imagine there is a lot of resentment toward Bush. And, if Bush did throw the election, this means he is pursuing an agenda that is not a Republican agenda.

I think someone has George by the short hairs. He has been catering to the Democrats since they took control. He cleaned house pretty quickly after the election.

Yes Neese somebody does have Bush by the short hairs, Its called Corporate America, ATT, Verizon. Ford, Wal Mart ect.

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

Yes Neese somebody does have Bush by the short hairs, Its called Corporate America, ATT, Verizon. Ford, Wal Mart ect.

Good point, but no, I think someone has some real good dirt on him that we don't know about yet. We'll have to wait it out and see.

Could be Neese, Keep your eye on Cheney, He looks like an irate parent ready to pounce on a child as if he's about to say something wrong. He's also to quiet to be trusted and he looks like he has bad gas all the time, or maybe Bush gives him indigestion, thats probably it I know he does me!!!

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

Could be Neese, Keep your eye on Cheney, He looks like an irate parent ready to pounce on a child as if he's about to say something wrong. He's also to quiet to be trusted and he looks like he has bad gas all the time, or maybe Bush gives him indigestion, thats probably it I know he does me!!!

I think the gas you are referring to might be Pelosi.

Originally Posted by Neese

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

Yes Neese somebody does have Bush by the short hairs, Its called Corporate America, ATT, Verizon. Ford, Wal Mart ect.

Good point, but no, I think someone has some real good dirt on him that we don't know about yet. We'll have to wait it out and see.

I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but I think that what has him by the short and curlies is the nation's new ownership - the European banking system. He needs money to fight his War on Terrorism and they're not giving him a bump on his credit line until he provides more chattel. With China and some of the OPEC nations threatening to divest their dollar reserves, he has to walk a pretty fine line to keep from ending up with another 1929. Of course, I would take the confrontational approach myself and tell the banks where they can shove their fraudulent debt, but that's why no one would ever allow me to become President.