Thread: Clinton praises Bush on immigration

How long's it been since we have had a real American patriot? One that doesn't kowtow for votes, money, etc.?

If Clinton is out advocating for illegals, he must be supported by George Soros...I wish we could rid this country of Soros, ship him to France where he's a wanted man!

http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_4029050

Article Launched: 7/09/2006 12:00 AM

Clinton calls for unity on immigration

By Lisa M. Sodders, Staff Writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

LOS ANGELES - Former President Bill Clinton said Latinos can be a unifying force in the national immigration debate, but they need to acknowledge concerns about national security, the rule of law and the fear of lowered wages.

Clinton spoke Saturday at a "Cafe con Clinton'' breakfast meeting at the start of the National Council of La Raza's annual conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, the council is hosting a four-day event that is expected to draw at least 20,000 people.

Clinton said the immigration debate in Washington, D.C., is being shaped by a small group of Republican hard-liners who are motivated by ideology. They believe in a "financial elite'' and the concentration of wealth and power, instead of "the power and the greatness of middle-class families'' and viewing America as a family that includes everyone, Clinton said.

Taking a hard line on immigration "sounds good, and it's a way of creating a divided country and distracting people from the real challenges facing society,'' Clinton said.

"They're not bad people,'' Clinton said. "They really believe the world works better if they run it and we keep our mouths shut.''

But he praised President Bush for siding with moderate Republicans on immigration, noting that Bush is from Texas, which has a large immigrant population, and "it's hard to demonize people if you know them.''

Clinton urged Latinos to mobilize on a grass-roots level for change and said the politics of demonization won't help anyone.

"You can be a glue, because you have the ethics of work and family,'' Clinton said. "You can build up the (moderate) forces in the Republican Party'' so that the two political parties can have honest discussions and "wind up with a better solution than either of us could come up with on our own.''

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who introduced Clinton to the crowd, said the United States has witnessed "a community coming of age in America'' since the peaceful March 25 pro-immigration demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles that drew more than a half a million people.

Although some may have struggled to speak English, "the message couldn't have been any clearer, any more eloquent, fluidly and fundamentally American: They want nothing more than to live and work and raise their kids and provide for their families,'' Villaraigosa said.

The mayor urged the crowd to demand immigration reform that respects those who "work hard and play by the rules'' and doesn't criminalize someone who "reaches out and helps an immigrant only guilty of wanting a better life.''

"We all know America was not built by people with trust funds,'' Villaraigosa said. "It was made with the toil and the dreams -- los suenos -- of its immigrants.''

In addition to a host of nationally known speakers, including Republican political strategist Karl Rove who will appear on Tuesday, the conference offers a host of free workshops, many of them in Spanish, on homeownership, health and citizenship.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cut the ribbon to the Latino Expo with Villaraigosa and National Council of La Raza President Janet Murguia, who served as a deputy assistant to Clinton. The governor and mayor were mobbed by press and conference-goers who snapped photos of them.

Juana and Chanquin Naranjo, of South Gate, were pleased when the governor and mayor kissed their 5-month-old twins, Jaquelin and Karina.

But Chanquin Naranjo, 32, said he was more excited about the mayor's attention than Schwarzenegger's "because he is a Latino, too, and I know how he feels.''

"My people, we only want to work,'' said Naranjo, who is a U.S. citizen originally from Guatemala. He added that the United States should keep criminals out, but make it easier for hardworking people to immigrate and become citizens.

The Rev. John Lamb, 52, of Harrisburg, Pa., who wore a black T-shirt that read, "Who would Jesus deport?'' strolled through the Latino Expo with his wife, Maritza Robert, 51, who is the CEO of a Pennsylvania charter school.

Robert said she has attended every council conference since 1994, but thinks the national debate over immigration has encouraged more Latinos to become politically active.

"I think Bill Clinton made some good points -- Latinos need to sit down and talk about it from both sides,'' said Robert, who is a Republican.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la ... s-politics

Clinton Speaks Out on Illegal Workers
Addressing the La Raza event, he calls the debate a divisive distraction.
By Jeffrey L. Rabin
Times Staff Writer

July 9, 2006

Former President Clinton told one of the nation's largest Latino civil rights groups Saturday that the conservative wing of the Republican Party is using the immigration issue to divide Congress and the nation.

"It is a way of creating a divided community and distracting people from the real challenges facing the country, whether it is in Iraq and Afghanistan, or homeland security, or how to build a clean energy future, or how to solve the healthcare crisis, or how to create new jobs for America," he said.

Clinton made the remarks, some of his most extensive since the issue of illegal immigration heated up in Washington this year, before several thousand people at the opening session of the four-day National Council of La Raza convention in Los Angeles.

He was welcomed to the event, key for those who hope to sway Latino voters, by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and later greeted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in the parking area. Clinton's appearance comes as competing congressional proposals for immigration reform are being debated this summer in committee hearings around the country.

Clinton said hard-liners are "basically saying these undocumented broke the law, send them home — never mind that they are 5% of the workforce and a far bigger percentage in certain critical areas."

"It's crazy to think about sending 11 million people home" to their native countries, said the former president, who called the recent demonstrations for immigrant rights "incredibly moving."

He said he favors the Senate's approach to changing immigration laws, although there are some elements of the bill he dislikes. The Senate legislation would enhance border security, create a guest worker program and put most of the nation's illegal immigrants in line for citizenship.

"At least it says we ought to provide a path to citizenship for these hard-working, law-abiding people," Clinton said. "We ought to do it in a way that does not put them ahead of those who patiently waited in the legal process."

Clinton, perhaps in deference to his wife, Hillary's, presidential ambitions, has been all but silent on the immigration issue in recent months. He was careful Saturday to stake out middle ground, crediting prominent members of both parties who had shown a willingness to collaborate. (After a lengthy silence of her own, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) in May endorsed a legalization process for illegal immigrants, but emphasized the importance of protecting national security.)

Bill Clinton thanked President Bush for siding with moderates in his own party regarding immigration. He suggested that Bush had a different understanding of the immigration issue because of his ties to Texas, where Latinos have been part of the history and culture for many generations. "It's hard to demonize people if you know 'em."

Clinton said he agreed with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican, that it was important to talk about the enormous consequences to the nation's economy if the House of Representatives version of immigration reform becomes law. That bill stresses enforcement, making illegal immigration a crime and beefing up sanctions against employers of undocumented workers.

Clinton also praised Villaraigosa's view of "America as a family, an inclusive family, a family that will let everyone in."

Clinton received a sustained standing ovation from the members of the council, which includes Latino officials and activists from across the nation. Clinton, 59, appeared rested, healthy and cheered by his warm welcome. He enjoyed strong support from Latinos during his two terms as president.

Clinton's speech underscored some of his core political values. "America is and always will be a nation of immigrants," he said. "We have to create one America based on our diversity, not trying to deny it."

He urged his audience to acknowledge that steps must be taken to strengthen border security.

As Clinton left the Los Angeles Convention Center he briefly crossed paths with Schwarzenegger.

The Republican governor, who is seeking reelection in November, joined Villaraigosa in officially opening the convention's vast exhibit area, where major corporations and businesses seek to build ties with the nation's growing Latino population.

As they toured the exhibit hall, Villaraigosa and Schwarzenegger stopped at a booth honoring Latinos in the military who had received Medals of Honor. The pair later discussed efforts to combat childhood obesity by removing calorie-rich refreshments from California schools.

Before a crush of television cameras and reporters, the governor reiterated that he came to California as an immigrant from Austria.

Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on the pending bills in Congress. Without addressing the immigration issue, the governor said: "I want to make sure that other people have the chance to realize their dreams."

In his luncheon speech to the convention, Schwarzenegger recalled receiving a check in the early 1970s from champion boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. "He never asked any question about my papers or anything like that."

The remark drew applause but not of the same intensity accorded Clinton.

Schwarzenegger, however, offered advice similar to Clinton's: "Don't just reach out to one party, because you need both parties in order to be successful. You need the Democrats. And you need the Republicans."