Thread: Florida Gov. Bush Calls Tone of Immigration Debate `Hurtful'

Florida Gov. Bush Calls Tone of Immigration Debate `Hurtful'
He accuses some fellow Republicans of misusing the issue for short-term political gain.
By Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writer
April 5, 2006

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... e-headline

WASHINGTON — Accusing politicians of "pounding their chests" on immigration for short-term political gain, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Tuesday that the tone of the debate had been "hurtful" to him and his Mexican-born wife, Columba.

Bush, the younger brother of President Bush, reserved some of his sharpest criticism for conservatives in his own Republican Party, calling it "just plain wrong" to charge illegal immigrants with a felony, as a provision passed by the Republican-led House would do. He also opposed "penalizing the children of illegal immigrants" by denying them U.S. citizenship, an idea backed by some conservatives but not included in the legislation.

"My wife came here legally, but it hurts her just as it hurts me when people give the perception that all immigrants are bad," the Florida governor wrote in an e-mail exchange with The Times.

Gov. Bush has generally avoided injecting himself into national political fights, and he rarely invokes his soft-spoken wife of 32 years in such a public way. But his comments reflect the concern among many Republicans that calls by conservatives for an immigrant crackdown risk alienating Latino voters.

His brother is attempting to navigate a growing rift among Republicans over what to do with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country. The president has proposed a guest-worker program but has not said what should happen to those already here illegally.

Florida is home to millions of residents who were born in other countries. And the Bush brothers, in Florida and Texas, where the president was governor, have been popular with Latino voters.

Both have long advocated open immigration laws, putting them at odds with many in their party.

Longtime friends and associates say the president's relationship with his brother's family, along with his experiences living and working in Texas, contributed to his views on immigration.

The Senate is debating immigration proposals this week, and White House allies are beginning to speak out more forcefully on the issue.

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman used a speech Tuesday to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to extol the contributions of immigrants.

In his e-mail, Gov. Bush chastised both politicians and the media for being simplistic on immigration, and he lauded his brother for seeking a civil tone.

"The cumulative effect of some politicians pounding their chests about immigration is hurtful to both of us," he wrote, referring to himself and his brother. "I fear they do so for current political gain at the expense of thoughtful policy over the long term."

Jeb Bush pointed to the political damage wrought 12 years ago by California's Proposition 187, in which the state's voters backed a plan to strip illegal immigrants of public benefits. The initiative was pushed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson, a Republican. Some analysts have since blamed that campaign for a backlash among Latino voters that has made California reliably Democratic in national elections.

Gov. Bush wrote that Wilson "fell prey" to the short-term political temptations. "I know he felt he was doing the right thing, but matters are worse now and the Republican Party is now the minority party in California," Bush wrote.

Wilson, in a recent interview, rejected the theory that Prop. 187 turned California to the left — arguing that, instead, he had performed especially well with female voters who later abandoned the GOP over abortion.

Referring to Republicans who shied away from cracking down on illegal immigrants as "gutless," Wilson said they were "intimidated by the fear that they will be charged with racism."

For the Florida governor, though, immigration is a personal matter. He met his wife during a high school exchange program in Mexico, and the two married when he was 21. They settled in Miami in 1980 in part because she would feel comfortable in a heavily Latin city, home to Cubans, Mexicans and thousands of other Spanish-speaking immigrants.

The governor speaks the language fluently. His son, George P. Bush, has cited his Latino heritage in campaign appearances for his father and uncle and is considered an heir to the family political dynasty.

"Columba and I watch the news early in the morning and in the evenings," Bush wrote in the late-night e-mail exchange. "The cumulative effect of the coverage is that immigrants are bad and hurting our country. The coverage is black and white, good and bad, without the nuances that the coverage deserves."

The Florida governor has said he does not intend to run for president in 2008. But he has been mentioned as a potential running mate for another likely candidate, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

In his e-mail, Gov. Bush endorsed the idea of a broad guest-worker program encompassing the kinds of low-wage workers sought by farms and factories as well as high-tech professionals from places such as India.

Like his brother, he offered no specificity on how to treat current immigrants and whether they should be granted a path to citizenship.

"The focus should be on protecting our borders rather than these piling on provisions that are punitive to many who have made a great contribution to our country," he wrote. "Along with that, the focus should be on a guest worker program and a means to deal with the millions of long term undocumented workers….

"Frankly," he added, "I also believe we should open up legal immigration to the qualified scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs and others who can additionally add value to our great country."

Right Jeb. Let's just "be nice" to illegal aliens and hand the country over to them on a silver platter. Would that please you ?! Perhaps someday your son can be the 3rd Bush in the White House from the illegal alien's votes huh ?

I like the way you and your brother are so careful not to be "hurtful" to the American people. All you do is walk all over us. Kick us around and spit in our faces. What a compassionate family you've proven yourselves to be.

"The cumulative effect of the coverage is that immigrants are bad and hurting our country.

I wonder what news he's watching? What I see is just the opposite, with nothing but praise for immigrants, no mention of that nasty term "illegal", and no mention at all of the 29% or so of Federal prisoners that are illegal aliens.

I guess I shouldn't be suprised that this comes from the guy whose Mexican wife tried to smuggle $19,000 of so of jewelry and clothing into the country.

For once in my life I agree with Jesse Jackson: "Keep out the Bushes, Keep out the Bushes".

This call for amnesty for illegal aliens is hurtful to my wife who is a legal resident and has a registered alien card.

So now we're even Jeb.

I think I'm going to cry I feel so bad about Jeb and his Senora Bush being hurt. Why should they feel hurt by this? She is legal, she ISNT being targeted or attacked for being Mexican. Again, what part of ILLEGAL is so hard to understand????? There is no reasoning with the pro illegal side because from the very start they won't address the ILLEGAL part, they won't admit to it, they pretend it doesn't exist. You can bury your head in the sand all you want. If you are illegal, you have broken the law, period there are no exceptions. As far as Jeb running for President or even VP. Please god, no more of the Bush clan in the White House, haven't they done enough?

Does anyone, ANYONE!! Care what jeb and his poor wife think, I am an immigrant that came here legally and naturalized and I'm sick of illegals and their political shills (that's you jeb, take after your bro neil?) belittling naturalized and legal immigrants commitment to the law.

Get these guys out of here.

That is just a ploy to get the legal immigrants behind the guest worker program. It is saying, 'If you don't like illegals - you don't like legal immigrants.' Par for the course for that bunch.

And in Florida it might make a difference, as I understand over 50% of the legal residents were born outside the US. If they are fairly new, he might make them believe ' You may be next.'.

Attention America !!

The Bush family has someone from Mexico in it. This means that the entire country will switch to Spanish. Do not say anything bad about illegal immigration. That could be hurtful to Jeb's wife.

President Bush will immediately refer to illegal aliens as "just good folks coming across the border to do the work that you won't do." Do not say anything negative about that or insinuate that it is a bunch of hog wash.

There will be a $100.00 fine for anyone who pronounces the "x" in Mexico beginning April 15th.

Further instructions will be coming from the White House shortly.

GREAT !! Laura Ingraham, who is a STRONG Republican told Jeb Bush off for these rediculous comments made to people trying to fight to have our laws enforced on her talk radio show.

Thank you, Laura !!!!

Here, listen in. http://htw.lauraingraham.com/

I had a wife from the Czech republic We had married while I was living and working there(legally). After 2 years and 10's of thousands of dollars trying to get her here we gave up and divorced after 6 years of marriage. Financially I couldn’t keep flying to see her, paying the fees to the government or continue with the stress it put on us. If they grant amnesty to these people I want my money back from the government plus all related costs!!! I am so tired of a government that will not listen to its people. With that many illegals crossing it's more of an invasion. We have stopped invasions before its time to do it again. Oh did I mention I got in trouble at work today asking about the status of our foreign workers. Tomorrow I will make phone calls to the appropriate agencies and will continue every day until something is done or I get fired