Thread: Sen. Kyl should be hammered with phone calls!!!

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/ ... nabout.php


Leading Republican conservative searches for immigration deal a year after shunning one

WASHINGTON: In just a year, Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona has transformed from being a determined opponent of a bipartisan immigration overhaul plan to a key player in President George W. Bush's efforts to enact one.

The turnabout for Kyl — the No. 3 Republican in the Senate and one of his party's steadiest conservatives — illustrates how dramatically the complex debate has shifted in the wake of the 2006 elections.

A year ago Kyl was in the midst of a tough re-election race in a border state racked by strong feelings about immigration. He was adamantly opposed to a Senate-passed plan that allowed illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship and created a guest worker program for new arrivals. He called it "critically flawed" and said it put the interests of illegal immigrants before those of American workers.

Now, Kyl is spending hours virtually each afternoon cloistered in a Senate office with administration officials and Democrats, hard at work on just such a measure.

A discussion draft floated by the White House recently proposed giving America's roughly 12 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship — albeit a much tougher one than last year's plan — though Kyl and others have called it amnesty.

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His new role in the efforts to strike a bipartisan compromise is heartening to the White House and many Republicans, who view Kyl as essentially a proxy for what most in the party consider tolerable on immigration. But it is deeply disturbing to some liberals. They see Kyl's involvement as an impediment to compromise and a sign that Republicans will insist on a more hardline approach.

Kyl's presence is equally worrisome to some conservative lawmakers and activists, who fear that if the influential Arizonan embraces a more permissive immigration plan, he could bring many others with him.

Kyl says his position has not changed since last year, when he sought unsuccessfully to toughen the 2006 measure and at one point warned its supporters that American workers would someday demand to know, "How could you have let this happen?"

With no election pressures this year, he argues that there's room for a more conservative immigration measure.

"People were not in a negotiating mood last year. There wasn't time. Everything was political, and it was very difficult to get anyone to even think about making compromises," Kyl said in a brief interview. "We have a chance to make it better than it was last year."

Kyl and a majority of Republicans ultimately broke with Bush to vote against the bill that the Senate passed last May. It died in the House, where Republican conservatives instead pushed tough border-security measures.

Now Kyl says his goal is to "create a bill that is more in tune with a majority of the Republicans in the Senate."

The White House draft circulated last month appears heavily influenced by Kyl and other conservatives whose support Bush sees as vital to a deal.

Illegal immigrants could stay in the U.S. and work after paying fines, but they would have to go home, endure long waits, and pay penalties as high as $10,000 (€7,360) to have a crack at citizenship. It would be more difficult for them to bring family members to the United States, and new temporary workers couldn't do that at all.

With bipartisan bargaining kicking into high gear in recent days, Kyl and other Republicans have signaled they're open to a softer approach — lower fines and shorter waits for illegal immigrants seeking a chance at citizenship, according to sources close to the negotiations.

Kyl would not comment on the details of the talks, but he sounded ready for compromise. "It hasn't been easy for any of us who have strongly held views on this to make some concessions, but everyone has made some concessions," he told reporters Tuesday.

While most national polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support an immigration overhaul that would allow those here illegally to stay, work and earn their way to legal status, Kyl's tough stance last year weighed heavily in his re-election race. An Associated Press exit poll found that voters who supported Kyl said they felt terrorism and illegal immigration were extremely important factors.

Some Republican lawmakers and senior aides say they have seen a shift in Kyl's thinking since then, toward a greater willingness to find a bipartisan compromise. As chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, the party's message arm, Kyl now sees more of a responsibility to build and broadcast a politically palatable Republican position on the issue, they said.

"He heard a lot in the election process that led him to understand that it was important to get something done, and I think he understood a little better about how many people felt really passionate about a solution to the problem," said Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, another player in the bipartisan talks.

Democrats and immigration rights activists are wary.

"Senator Kyl has been opposed to immigration reform for some time. He voted against the bills (last year), and the fact that he is now speaking for some group of Republican senators is not encouraging," said Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.

Charles Kamasaki of the nonpartisan Hispanic-American advocacy group La Raza said he's "hopeful but highly skeptical" about Kyl's involvement.

"The underlying assumption is that making a bill tougher and less workable is somehow going to make it more likely to pass. I think it's a dubious assumption," Kamasaki said.

Gee, you mean now that the elections are over he reveals his true position on the issue of the illegal alien invasion? I can't believe it, a politician who says one thing before an election and when the election is over and the people have started to forget about an issue they show their true stance. I'm totally shocked.

Originally Posted by reptile09

Gee, you mean now that the elections are over he reveals his true position on the issue of the illegal alien invasion? I can't believe it, a politician who says one thing before an election and when the election is over and the people have started to forget about an issue they show their true stance. I'm totally shocked.

Awe come on reptile, G.W. The Shrub has been doing this since the first term. Kyl just followed his boss' lead that's all.

While most national polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support an immigration overhaul that would allow those here illegally to stay, work and earn their way to legal status,

Anyone notice, this comment seems to appear in every pro-amnesty article written these days. Can someone please direct me to these "most national polls" that show an overwhelming number of Americans favor amnesty for criminal aliens?

So much for honesty in journalism. Editors should require sources before such articles go to print!

I posted an article about Kyl a long time ago showing his turning... I am not suprised to see this.

Quote:
While most national polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support an immigration overhaul that would allow those here illegally to stay, work and earn their way to legal status,


Anyone notice, this comment seems to appear in every pro-amnesty article written these days. Can someone please direct me to these "most national polls" that show an overwhelming number of Americans favor amnesty for criminal aliens?

So much for honesty in journalism. Editors should require sources before such articles go to print!

All, do not be fooled!!! With polls, it's all in what you ask and how you ask it.

These polls that supposedly show that Americans overwhelmingly support legalization give only two choices - deportation or allowing those here illegally to stay and work and be put on a path to citizenship.

In polls that include a third choice - attrition through enforcement - withdrawing jobs, benefits, and allowing those who are here illegally to go home on their own, people overwhelmingly choose this option.

Americans want illegals to go home!

I just called his office and a guy named Jim explained the senator's position.

Q :What is the senator's position on immigration?

A :The Senator has no position at this time. He is working with senators, crafting a new senate bill.

Q oes the Senator make a distinction between legal and illegal immigrants or does he consider them all immigrants?

A :The senator does make the distinction between legal and illegal. He recognizes why people want to come here, but he is well aware of the problems of illegal immigration and the need for border security.

If you want to inquire more, call Senator Kyl at:
DC Phone: 202-224-4521
DC Fax: 202-224-2207

A Senate staffer told me that once a bill was renamed "amnesty" it was dead. Say 'amnesty' as often as possible in your calls to Kyl.

Originally Posted by olivermyboy

A Senate staffer told me that once a bill was renamed "amnesty" it was dead. Say 'amnesty' as often as possible in your calls to Kyl.

Good point. All we need to do is call it amnesty at that will be the kiss of death.

Originally Posted by MW

While most national polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support an immigration overhaul that would allow those here illegally to stay, work and earn their way to legal status,

Anyone notice, this comment seems to appear in every pro-amnesty article written these days. Can someone please direct me to these "most national polls" that show an overwhelming number of Americans favor amnesty for criminal aliens?

So much for honesty in journalism. Editors should require sources before such articles go to print!

the media is using the scientific principle that if repeated enough it is true. i am going to conduct an experiment to find out the validity of the medias fact checking:
i'm rich!.. i'm rich!.. i'm rich.... nothing is happening yet...... i'll keep you informed... i'm rich....