Thread: Sen. Lott's role in immigration battle draws more heat

Sen. Lott's role in immigration battle draws more heat
By ANA RADELAT

WASHINGTON - As Sen. Trent Lott tries to round up Senate votes for a controversial immigration bill this week, a number of Mississippians who don't like what he's doing are escalating their protests.

"If it were not for Senator Lott, this bill would be dead," said Rodney Hunt, president of the Mississippi Federation for Immigration Reform or Enforcement.

The second most powerful Republican in the Senate, Lott has promised to lobby GOP colleagues to back the immigration bill, which would toughen security at the U.S.-Mexico border and a provide a way for millions of illegal immigrants to live in the United States legally.

"Are we men and women or mice?" he chastised balky colleagues when the legislation stalled earlier this month.

Lott said the bill - promoted by the White House and sponsored by Democratic and Republican senators - is not perfect. But he said the issue of illegal immigration can't wait for a perfect bill and that something must be done to identify millions of immigrants who are living in the United States clandestinely.

Hunt, like others who oppose the bill, says it would give "amnesty" to millions who have violated immigration law.

Members of his group have visited Lott's Jackson office to voice their displeasure.

An oral surgeon in Jackson, Hunt founded MFIRE because he was concerned dangerous people are entering the country illegally.

"We always have to be vigilant. You can't let your guard down," he said.

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps ... 00304/1002

GO MISSISSIPPI! Let's let this group hear from us.

Group Protests Lott's Immigration Stance

Senator Trent Lott

By Jon Kalahar
jkalahar@wlbt.net

Twenty-five people concerned with how Senator Trent Lott is handling immigration reform delivered a petition to his office in downtown Jackson Tuesday. They're asking him to stand firm rather than compromise with his Democratic counterparts. But it may not be that easy.

What's the solution to the illegal immigration problem in America? In a rally at the state capital two months ago, immigrants asked for amnesty. Currently, U.S. senators are debating immigration reform that could allow amnesty. Republican and Democratic senators are working together to iron out their differences on the issue.

"That's my whole problem with President Bush and Senator Lott," said protester Bonnie Gibson. "I have always been a strong supporter of them, but they are...making a deal with the devil."

So Gibson and others who support limiting immigration and amnesty delivered a petition signed by 2700 Mississippians to Lott's Jackson office.

"What they are doing here is letting the Mexicans and all of those people that are in here illegally get over their illegal activity; that's amnesty to me," said Bill Molitor, protester.

But the current debate over immigration and amnesty is a give-and-take between both Republican and Democratic senators. Amnesty may be given to 12 million illegals in the U.S. right now, but border security will also be increased.

The current immigration reform bill will increase the number of border patrol agents, increase fencing on the border, and call for new technologies to seal the border.

Lott's press secretary, Lee Youngblood added: "If the bill gets weaker and liberals water it down, Senator Lott will vote against it."

"They did say when they raised their hand that they would uphold the laws of the United States; they're not doing that, and we're just trying to hold them to it," said Molitor.

Senator Lott's office says they will deliver the petitions to the senator.

Debate over immigration reform was pulled from the senate floor by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid after Republican senators would not vote to limit that debate. The issue is expected to be taken back up later this week.

http://www.wlbt.com/global/story.asp?s= ... =Printable

GO MISSISSIPPI...

Immigration Debate Hits Jackson

Tuesday, Jun 19, 2007 - 06:17 PM Updated: 11:13 AM

By Emily Wood
A group of people opposing the U.S. Senate immigration reform bill gathered at U.S. Senator Trent Lott's office in Jackson Tuesday. They presented his staff with a petition with 2,700 signatures.

"They're granting full citizenship rights over to people who've broken into our country. we're asking law be enforced and border fence be built," Kim Wade, of an anti-immgration group, Numbers U.S.A., said.

Wade and his group are frustrated Lott supports the bill. The bill would offer legal status to an estimated 12-million immigrants in the U.S. It would also designate money to build border fences.

"They're stealing our way of life," Billy Andress, another member of the group said.

Another organization is fighting for the very immigration changes the Numbers U.S.A. group is trying to prevent.

"They're concerned about people of color coming to the us, whether they're African, Latin, whatever, and they're concerns are based in white sumpremacy," Bill Chandler, founder of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance said.

Chandler supports citizenship for illegal immigrants. He also wants U.S. borders to be more fluid than they are.

The immigration bill is ardently sought by Bush. If passed, it would make some of the biggest changes in immigration law in the last two decades.

http://www.wjtv.com/gulfcoastwest/jtv/n ... -0010.html

NUMBERS USA has posted a petition against Lott

MFire - already has 3,500 signatures since last night.

Good the whole country should post a petition against Lott and several other!!


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We need to send out the message that these people who even think about supporting Amnesty in any form have challengers ready to unseat them in the next election.

Lott was just on CNN expressing anger at his constituents "Don't you trust me after 35 years - do you think I'm going to buy a pig in a poke!!?"
Yippee for Mississippi!

This article repeats some of the above but adds more details.
~~~~

June 20, 2007


Lott draws more immigration heat

Some ratchet up protest of senator's efforts to revive controversial legislation

By Ana Radelat
Clarion-Ledger Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — As Sen. Trent Lott tries to round up Senate votes for a controversial immigration bill this week, a number of Mississippians who don't like what he's doing are escalating their protests.

"If it were not for Senator Lott, this bill would be dead," said Dr. Rodney Hunt, president of the Mississippi Federation for Immigration Reform or Enforcement.

The second most powerful Republican in the Senate, Lott has promised to lobby GOP colleagues to back the bill, which would toughen security at the U.S.-Mexico border and provide a way for millions of illegal immigrants to live legally in the United States.

"Are we men and women or mice?" he chastised balky colleagues when the legislation stalled earlier this month.

Lott said the bill - promoted by the White House and sponsored by Democratic and Republican senators - is not perfect.

But he said the issue of illegal immigration can't wait for a perfect bill and that something must be done to identify millions of immigrants who are living in the U.S. clandestinely.

Hunt, like others who oppose the bill, says it would give amnesty to millions who have violated immigration law.

Members of his group have visited Lott's Jackson office to voice their displeasure.

An oral surgeon in Jackson, Hunt founded MFIRE because he said he was concerned dangerous people are entering the country illegally.

"We always have to be vigilant. You can't let your guard down," he said.

On Tuesday, WJNT-1180 AM talk show host Kim Wade visited Lott's Jackson office to present a petition signed by about 3,000 constituents who don't like the immigration bill.

A member of Numbers USA, a Washington-based group that says illegal immigrants are bad for the economy, environment and public health and safety, Wade is also upset that Lott has criticized talk-show hosts like him who have stirred up opposition to the bill.

"I take that as a precursor to tyranny," Wade said.

Lott said on Tuesday that the phones to his offices in Mississippi and Washington have been jammed by calls from people who oppose the bill. But few callers, he said, are from Mississippi.

He indicated their efforts are futile.

"To think you are going to intimidate a senator, any senator, that way," he said, adding that he's not influenced by those who've urged him to change his position.

On Thursday, Jeff Fulgham, a tax specialist in Tupelo, plans to lead a small group of like-minded Mississippians to Lott's Oxford office to voice their concerns.

"The bill just simply does not secure our borders," Fulgham said.

Sen. Thad Cochran said he wouldn't make a decision on how he'll vote on the bill until all of its amendments are considered.

The next showdown on the immigration bill is expected next week with a vote to end debate. Sixty votes will be needed to end debate and move on to a vote.

"I think there's a chance we'll be able to go forward," Lott said.

But he said he wishes business groups who favor the bill would do more to persuade senators to vote for it.

"Those pushing for it haven't been as effective as those pushing against it," he said.

Some illegal-immigration hardliners say Lott has flip-flopped on the issue because he voted against a sweeping immigration-reform bill last year.

But Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant advocacy group, said this year's legislation is a "much more Republican bill" than the one the Senate considered last year.

Sharry said he's glad Lott - not a usual ally - is trying to find support for the bill.

"He is the kind of guy you need if you need to get something difficult done," Sharry said.

Sharry also said Lott can afford to upset some constituents.

"I suspect he knows that these folks who are making the noise are not numerous enough to unseat him," Sharry said

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs. ... 7706200365

"Are we men and women or mice?" he chastised balky colleagues when the legislation stalled earlier this month.

Lott's rhetorical question should read: "Are we men and women or rats?"