Thread: McConnell Wavering on Immigration Bill

http://www.newsone.ca/piercelandherald/ ... s&id=19964

McConnell wavering on immigration bill

Staff and agencies
21 June, 2007


By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer 18 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The Senate‘s Republican leader says he is unsure whether he will vote for the immigration bill President Bush strongly supports, underscoring the measure‘s precarious status.

But in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, McConnell said he would not decide how to vote on the measure until a long series of amendments are disposed of next week.

"At the end of the process," he said, "we‘re going to have to make a call as to whether this is an improvement over the status quo. I‘m not ready to make that call yet."

"In the end, I frankly don‘t know whether this thing will fly or not," McConnell said. "But we will have given it our best shot."

Many business groups, hungry to fill low-wage jobs, support the bill. Many social conservatives, backed by talk show hosts, denounce it as amnesty for illegal immigrants.

The immigration debate has squeezed many politicians, but perhaps none more so than McConnell, a strong White House ally. Some see the legislation as Bush‘s last hope for a major domestic achievement, and McConnell himself has repeatedly said an immigration revision is one of the "big things" a divided government can achieve.

McConnell is "not riding two horses, he‘s trying to decide which horse to ride," Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., a bill supporter, said in an interview. "He has a very difficult role, with the caucus so badly split. He has a duty to represent the caucus."

Some Republican backers of the bill grumble that McConnell has been too tepid. But others defend his approach, saying browbeating colleagues on such an emotional topic might backfire.

Lott has been more outspoken in saying the bill is flawed but needed, and in criticizing those who denounce it. Conservative talk show hosts have blistered Lott in return, while leaving McConnell largely alone.

Privately, some Bush allies say they wish McConnell would openly back the immigration bill. Publicly, colleagues who support the bill have placed McConnell‘s comments and actions in the best possible light.

"I take him at his word," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., noting that McConnell repeatedly has said the Senate bill is preferable to the status quo. "He has been helpful in making sure it comes back" for more amendments and votes, Graham said, referring to last week‘s hiatus that nearly doomed the bill.

McConnell agreed that keeping the process moving, without embracing or rejecting the bill, has been his aim. Pressuring reluctant Republicans to back the president "would be exactly the wrong way to operate on a bill of this type," he said. "It would have been counterproductive."

McConnell noted that earlier this month he voted for an unsuccessful amendment that would have eliminated so-called Z visas for immigrants who lack legal status. Bill supporters called it a killer amendment, but critics call the Z visas the key to granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.

"Substantively, there are things to like and things to not like about this bill," McConnell said.

McConnell is "not riding two horses, he‘s trying to decide which horse to ride," Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., a bill supporter, said in an interview. "He has a very difficult role, with the caucus so badly split. He has a duty to represent the caucus."

Well guess what specter, his FIRST AND HIGHEST duty is to represent the American people, not the caucus.
And it isn't the caucus that is split, it is split between the OBL's (such as yourself) and the REAL Dem and Rep patriots.
Don't cloud the issue w/ your BS, it is as simple as "ABC"
Every senator in opposition with this bill are representing the majority of Americans who don't want amnesty, and the ones who are supporting it (again, such as yourself) have been bought out by big business and special interest groups anc backroom deals to further your own personal political agenda.
Senator specter, IT IS THAT SIMPLE.

Our local talk radio mentioned about 30 minutes ago to hit McConnell hard
today.

sounds like he is waiting to see which 'horse' is going to win the race then jump on board for the trip to the winners circle...
#1 either he is too stupid to see what a dangerous bill this is to our country.

#2 or he is to weak to stand up and do his job and protect this country from these invaders.

Let me tell you simple like... this bill sucks Senator Sneaky Snake...I will take the status quo first ...Kill the Bill and then enforce the Damn laws we already have...

You see who Specter represents. He's toast in 2010. He just made it in in '04. I didn't vote for him then and will do all I can to see that he doesn't represent the good people of Pennsylvania as their Senator again.

sounds like he is waiting to see which 'horse' is going to win the race then jump on board for the trip to the winners circle...
#1 either he is too stupid to see what a dangerous bill this is to our country.

#2 or he is to weak to stand up and do his job and protect this country from these invaders.

Or #3 - He has been in Washington far too long and no longer knows the difference between right and wrong.

Or #4 - Bush and masters bought his backing of the NAU a long time ago so he's trying to figure out how he can continue pushing this agenda and still win his next election in '08.

Originally Posted by Kate

sounds like he is waiting to see which 'horse' is going to win the race then jump on board for the trip to the winners circle...
#1 either he is too stupid to see what a dangerous bill this is to our country.

#2 or he is to weak to stand up and do his job and protect this country from these invaders.

Or #3 - He has been in Washington far too long and no longer knows the difference between right and wrong.

Or #4 - Bush and masters bought his backing of the NAU a long time ago so he's trying to figure out how he can continue pushing this agenda and still win his next election in '08.

his cover has been blown... he needs to be put out to pasture.