Published: May 19, 2007 at 9:24 AM
Conservatives furious at immigration plan
WASHINGTON May 19 (UPI) -- U.S. President Bush's embrace of compromise immigration legislation has polarized the Republican Party, it was reported Saturday.
GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney called the plan the "wrong approach" because it includes amnesty for illegal immigrants, while presidential aspirant Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has been pilloried by the GOP's conservative base for championing the immigration bill, the New York Times reported Saturday.

Conservative analysts at the Heritage Foundation and National Review call the bill a sellout of conservative principles, a characterization rejected by the White House.

While Bush faces an uproar from some Democrats, the Conservative reaction illustrates the volatile role immigration continues to play in Republican politics. Bush has had only partial success in moving his party toward the idea of an open, immigrant-friendly society, a vision he has promoted since he was the governor of Texas, the Times said.

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