Thread: Tancredo: "Must Now Face Reality" - Amnesty Coming

Bush eyes Democrats for help on amnesty
By Stephen Dinan
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published November 9, 2006
LINK: http://www.washingtontimes.com/national ... -5586r.htm

President Bush yesterday said he will team up with Democrats to pass an immigration bill with a guest-worker program that his own party blocked this year, and his Republican opponents predicted a bloody intraparty fight but said they cannot stop such a bill from passing.

"We will fight it, we will lose. It will go to the Senate, it will pass. The president will sign it. And it will happen quickly because that's one thing they know they can pass," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican and chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, who had led the opposition to a guest-worker plan. "I am absolutely horrified by this prospect, but I have to face reality."

Mr. Bush supported a bipartisan majority in the Senate this year that passed a broad immigration bill including a new worker program and citizenship rights for millions of illegal aliens. But House Republicans blocked those efforts, calling them an amnesty, and instead forced through a bill to erect nearly 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Tuesday's elections removed that obstacle by turning control of the House over to Democrats.

Yesterday, in an afternoon press conference, the president said he shares Democrats' vision on immigration and will try again for a broad bill.

"There's an issue where I believe we can find some common ground with the Democrats," he said.

According to Reuters news agency, a spokesman for Mexican President Vicente Fox cheered Democrats' success, saying it improves chances for getting a bill done.

And Democrats said the issue's time has come.

"With alignment now in Congress and the White House, this is a unique opportunity," said Rep. Howard L. Berman, California Democrat, a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and a leader on the issue.

He said there are a number of House Republicans who thought their enforcement approach was bad policy but good politics. He said that belief was shattered by Tuesday's elections with the loss of two Republicans in Arizona -- Randy Graf, a candidate for a seat near Tucson, and Rep. J.D. Hayworth, an incumbent from Scottsdale -- who both ran heavily on opposition to a guest-worker program.

Other losses included Rep. John Hostettler, the Indiana Republican who was chairman of the immigration subcommittee, and Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who ran heavily on border security, hoping the issue could save him.

Republicans who backed Mr. Bush on the issue said the results are clear.

"Over the last two years, people who have been in my position on immigration have done well, and people who have been more extreme have done badly," said Rep. Chris Cannon, a Utah Republican who backs a guest-worker plan.

He said Republicans goofed by not passing a bill, because they will now be forced to accept Democratic legislation far closer to amnesty.

"If we'd done this as Republicans, we wouldn't even have the argument of pathway to citizenship," he said.

Mr. Cannon said Democrats will now get credit for solving the problem, and said Mr. Tancredo will be left with "a soapbox to pound the living daylights out of people who are scared of America changing."
There are still some big hurdles to a bill passing.

While Mr. Bush and most Democrats agree that many illegal aliens should have a regular legal status, a key sticking point is whether future workers will also have a chance at citizenship. The Senate bill allowed citizenship rights for those workers, but Mr. Bush has consistently rejected that.

Immigration also could get bogged down in 2008 presidential politics.

Mr. Cannon said he worries Democrats are trying to use the issue to bait Mr. Tancredo into a third-party candidacy to split Republican votes.

"I think the goal of the Democrats is not going to be good legislation, I think it's going to be empowering a third-party candidate," he said.

Mr. Tancredo has been considering a run for the Republican nomination in 2008, and said yesterday he has not made a decision. But he said pundits will take the wrong lesson from his party's election-night losses.

"The results of this election, although they did not occur as a result of the immigration issue, will negatively affect our cause more than anybody ever anticipated," he said.

Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican who wants a crackdown on illegal immigration and opposes a guest-worker plan, said Republicans didn't lose because of immigration but in spite of it.

He said Mr. Santorum came late to the issue and "it looked like it was a political position for him rather than a conviction." As for Mr. Graf, he had to fight both Democrats and Republicans, who poured money into the race trying to defeat him in the primary.

"We know where the polls are; we saw the Democrats run on border security," Mr. King said.

He vowed to redouble his efforts to fight a guest-worker bill, but said he also sees Mr. Bush signing whatever Congress sends over: "It'll be hard for him to resist a bill that will be put on his desk by a new Democratic majority."

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The open border crowd must be salivating over the American people's stupidity I wouldn't be surprised to see 100 million illegals in this country within a few years. Way to stick it to Bush by giving him the Congress to pass this insanity

Let us see how happy the american voters are when amnesty passes and we are flooded with illegal aliens that are now "guest workers" ie: future citizens on the fastrack and their tax dollars are paying for them. Now it is legal to pay for their welfare, schools, college educations, medical bills etc. I know I would not send my son to fight and possibly die for a country that has allowed millions of illegal aliens into our country, gave them amnesty and free social services on my taxpayer dime although they have not built or contributed or fought for this country

I would say they deserve it...but then I think of our kids.

These people ...how could they have done this? There actions didn't justify one thing.

Yes, but just keep telling yourself, we stuck it to Bush

Originally Posted by JAK

I would say they deserve it...but then I think of our kids.

These people ...how could they have done this? There actions didn't justify one thing.

We totally screwed our inheritance that was paid for with the blood of soldiers since the American Revolution. I am ashamed of our generation. We were given a torch - and dropped it.

yes, well they stuck it to our kids too!

This sure does seem conveinent doesn't it? I agree with CrocketsGhost, this was planned and already decided. Funny how this is the FIRST item on their agenda.....what they can do for NON AMERICANS.

we have 2 years to draw this out. any thoughts? can the R's in the house filibuster? can we make court challenges?

start brainstorming because it will be a long 2 years.

Originally Posted by dragons5

we have 2 years to draw this out. any thoughts? can the R's in the house filibuster? can we make court challenges?

start brainstorming because it will be a long 2 years.

I wish I could think of something but there isn't anything to think of.

The truth is we are done. Stick a fork in us. Now there is nothing to stop them - it's so utterly depressing. Bush and the Fat Cats want cheap labor and the democrats want millions of new liberal voters. There's no bright side...it's OVER. We are the Army of Northern Virginia after Gettysburg.

People are going to try and say that all is not lost...that it's not that bad - we still have hope. Let me save you all more grief - move to Alaska or teach your children Spanish. They will need it to get a decent job when they grow older.

I'm not being melodramatic here...I'm just facing the crappy truth. There's no way we are going to be able to stop Bush now. This amnesty thing is going to happen whether the American people want it or not. Unfortunately when drawling up our constitution our forefathers never anticipated that their great great great great grandchildren would just let a foreign body just walk right into our country and take over without a fight.