Thread: Kerry lambastes Bush, GOP-backed immigration bill

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Kerry lambastes Bush, GOP-backed immigration bill
By Beth Fouhy, AP Political Writer | April 7, 2006

NEW YORK --A defiant Sen. John Kerry on Friday lashed out against President Bush and his team of advisers, calling them "the Katrina Administration" and "the most incompetent people I've ever seen."

The Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential nominee also suggested Republicans hope to scuttle comprehensive immigration legislation pending in the U.S. Senate in order to prevent immigrants from becoming voters.

Kerry made the remarks via teleconference at a breakfast gathering of the National Action Network, an advocacy group founded by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who competed against Kerry in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries. Kerry had been expected to attend the breakfast in person but canceled because of votes on the immigration legislation in Washington.

Kerry criticized a bill passed in the U.S. House late last year that would criminalize illegal immigrants and those who offer them assistance, echoing controversial comments made last month by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who said the legislation would penalize "even Jesus himself."

"Jesus reached out to the poor, the sick, the prisoners and the lame," Kerry said. "The notion that people in the church who help people who are here illegally would somehow be criminalized would be to say they can't even walk in the footsteps of the teachings of the Scriptures."

Supporters of the House bill and similar legislation being considered in the Senate say it would not target religious charities or aid workers, but would instead crack down on immigrant smuggling gangs. But the bill has met wide resistance from Catholic church leaders, who say it would jeopardize humanitarian efforts to help immigrants.

President Bush has staked out a more moderate position than some in his party on the divisive immigration issue, urging the Senate to craft legislation that would create a guest worker program for illegal immigrants already living in the United States.

Kerry suggested a deeper political motivation for Republicans taking a hard line on immigration, saying they were actively seeking ways to depress voter turnout among groups who might not back the GOP.

"You've got a party that doesn't want America to vote," Kerry said. "You have a party that stands up in front of people and intimidates them, suppresses their vote, finds excuses to purge them illegally from the voting rolls and now they are trying to prevent a whole group of people from achieving the American dream."

Kerry told the gathering he was supporting sweeping changes to the Voting Rights Act to ensure the votes of minority groups were protected.

Kerry is thought to be considering a second run for the presidency in 2008, but polls show him badly trailing Clinton in a hypothetical Democratic primary matchup.

For her part, Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt dismissed Kerry's charges.

"John Kerry deserves credit for continuing to take himself so seriously, despite the fact that no one else does," Schmitt said.

The Massachusetts Democrat and 2004 presidential nominee also suggested Republicans hope to scuttle comprehensive immigration legislation pending in the U.S. Senate in order to prevent immigrants from becoming voters.

And that's what alot of this amnesty thing is about, right, Mr. Kerry? The hell with the wishes of the American people, just make sure you get those illegals legalized so you can get those votes

"You've got a party that doesn't want America to vote," Kerry said. "You have a party that stands up in front of people and intimidates them, suppresses their vote, finds excuses to purge them illegally from the voting rolls and now they are trying to prevent a whole group of people from achieving the American dream."

Excuse me, Senator, we are not trying to prevent this group of people from achieving their American dream, they did that on their own when they entered this country illegally.

I especially like the statement the John Kerry made yesterday on a radio talk show in Boston. "We are not going to deport 12 million americans". We all called in and I emailed his office stating no John we are not going to deport any americans, we are going to deport illegal immigrants! I also told him to get his mush brain working and realize what his constituents want as next election he may be deported from office.

Originally Posted by lsmith1338

I especially like the statement the John Kerry made yesterday on a radio talk show in Boston. "We are not going to deport 12 million americans". We all called in and I emailed his office stating no John we are not going to deport any americans, we are going to deport illegal immigrants! I also told him to get his mush brain working and realize what his constituents want as next election he may be deported from office.

He's already decided that those illegals are Americans? Americans who stomp around in our streets and wave Mexican flags, yelling in Spanish..............now that's something I was NEVER taught in school, pertaining to being an American.
I loved your response to him!

Senator Kerry haS BEEN and Always Will be a Trator to this country. Everything he says should be documented and printed out on toilet paper and used with carefull consideration. :P :P

Originally Posted by BldHnd

Senator Kerry haS BEEN and Always Will be a Trator to this country. Everything he says should be documented and printed out on toilet paper and used with carefull consideration. :P :P

printed out on toilet paper and used with carefull consideration.