Thread: State GOP chief defends Bush policy. Republicans be Silent!

6/23/2005
By MATTHEW BENSON
Fort Collins Coloradoan
Topics: Republican, President, Congress, illegal immigration, Bush, Tancredo, Hayworth
State Republican Party Chairman Bob Martinez on Wednesday called on Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo and other lawmakers to "back off" of their criticism of President Bush's immigration policy.

Read the latest headlines about illegal immigration.

The comments came during a question-and-answer session that followed Martinez's remarks to the Larimer County Republican Luncheon Club. Martinez was asked why Bush hasn't helped Republican Rep. Tancredo in his quest for tighter borders and a tougher stance against illegal immigration.

Martinez, recently named chairman of the state party, said it's his job to support the president and called on congressmen to halt their "demagoguery" on the immigration issue. When approached following the meeting, Martinez said lawmakers - including Tancredo - are using terrorism fears to inflame the immigration debate.

"Ninety-nine percent of the Mexicans that cross that border are not coming across the border with the intent to kill anyone," Martinez said. "I'm defending the president's position. That's all I'm doing."

But he conceded that his "back off" comment to elected representatives went a bit far - especially for a Republican chairman usually bent on unifying and healing rifts among party faithful.

Tancredo, who has been one of the president's most ardent critics on the issue of immigration, declined comment on the matter.

But local Republican Perry Lorenz, who raised the issue with Martinez, disputed the chairman's characterization of the president's detractors.

"I don't believe when a Republican congressman like J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) or Tom Tancredo calls for securing our borders, it's demagoguery," said Lorenz, a former candidate for the Poudre School District Board of Education.

With Bush in his last term, Lorenz said he expects Congress will begin exercising greater independence on illegal immigration. Bush has increased border security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but also has advocated a limited guest worker program that critics have labeled "amnesty."

As recently as last week, Tancredo called on the president to deploy military technology and manpower to secure the border.

Specifically, Tancredo requested that illegal immigrants be registered into the National Crime Information Database. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be required to respond to state and local requests for assistance with immigration enforcement.

Lastly, Tancredo asked the president to direct the Justice Department to take action against local governments with sanctuary policies that shield illegal immigrants.

"The American people elected President Bush to a second term largely because of the war on terror," Tancredo wrote in a statement. "If the president disregards border security, he's disregarding part of his mandate."

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... le&sid=494

I agree with Tom Tancredo and I applaud Mr. Lorenz for his questions. I hope he is right that Congress will begin working on immigration more independently from GWB.

Cong. Tancredo is correct. Security is the main reason I voted for Bush.
It only takes ONE or TWO terrorists to get through and cause a disaster.
The terrorists may already be here, and it may be that they only need to deliver something deadly across the border. It could even be delivered by someone who is not from the Middle East. That's easy enough to figure.

Why do they continue to take us for such fools? That excuse is pathetic.
Cong. Tancredo is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

This is another example of state GOP leaders bumfuddled about whether to support the President when they know their constituents and members don't.

GO TOM TANCREDO!!

Stand with Us, and We'll Stand With You!!

GOP leaders need to understand this simple premise. A Candidate put in office by the GOP is owed nothing when he has betrayed the American People; laid down on his back doing nothing when foreign nationals are pouring into the country in violation of US Immigration Law; wrongfully accused American Citizens doing his job for him of being "vigilantes"; and working behind our backs sneaking around to END OUR NATION through Open Borders, Security Prosperity Partnership, CAFTA and soon FTAA.

I'm a GOP...4th generation...and this President has lied to us; let us down; schemed and plotted behind our backs; flooded our nation with more people than we wish to sustain; jeopardized the physical, economic, social and political security of the Americans; and ignored our pleas for law enforcement to stop it....all to fulfill some sicko-wacko dream to END OUR NATION and become King George IV.

Illegal immigration isn't about the "immigrants"....it's about ENDING OUR NATION.

Everybody knows that...now....so for any GOP Leader in any state to suggest we should be "silent" or support this President's immigration policy either doesn't understand the problem or is in cohoots with the Pres to dissolve the United States.

NO THANKS!!

Get Straight GOP....or there won't be a GOP worth mentioning in future elections.

AND, that's not to be mean or anything; that's not to be "tough talk"; that is just a simple fact. Americans will not tolerate a Traitor in the White House working to end their country. That is just a simple fact of life and law of the Universe as it applies to free people....most especially....GOP.

VIVA BUSH? You let these buttons be sold at political gatherings with the Mexican Flag on TOP of the US FLAG? What's next Viva/Vive Bush? What will that one look like? Mexico on top of Canada?

ARE YOU NUTS?

Get Straight and Get this Maniac and all his Hacks Out of the White House NOW!!

Good one, Judy.

Like Cong. Tancredo's comments; to the point. No pretty little flowers dancing around his words or yours. Thank you both for the truth and good night!

I got my copy of the July 4 issue of Business Week today
There's a 2 page article on the rise of grassroots movement to
crack down on illegal immigration.

The authors occasionally threw in words like "undocumented", but I got the feeling they were fairly sympathetic to the movement.

The best line was, regarding politicians claiming they are going to enforce the border:


"A shift in the rhetoric may not be enough, however."



(ya think?)

Regarding Bush.

I am appalled that many Repblicans still support Bush, but I do think that his low popularity ratings among the public have got to be partly due to his stance on illegal immigration.

If Bush had the power he would be seeking to pass legislation to destroy the United States as a sovereign nation.

As it is, he is so weak his legislative agenda is dead as a doornail. All of it.


And remember the Neocons having orgasms over the Iraq election and a few hopeful signs in other places in the middle east a few months ago.

Haven't heard a peep from them about the Iranian election the other day.


The House Republicans told Bush the other day, if you want a guestworker program you first have to show a commitment to enforce the border. (don't hold your breath)

That's a step in the right direction, although what they should have said was you had better start enforcing the border, and when it comes to your guestworker program you can shove it up your ass.

Bob Martinez, Why dont you BACK OFF from those who are actually trying to do what they were elected to do?