Thread: Amb. Juan Hernandez "Amnesty wins in polls"

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<juanhernandez@juanhernandez.org>


*:*The American Public supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform


Dear Friends,


President Bush is*meeting now with*senators!* Notice polls below. The American public favors Comprehensive Immigration Reform!


Juan Hernandez*
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*GOP senators getting visit from boss on immigration

With more Republican allies, Bush could help revive the stalled reform proposal.

By Maura Reynolds
LA Times Staff Writer
June 12, 2007


WASHINGTON — For just the second time in his presidency, President Bush will travel up to Capitol Hill today to meet with Republican senators at their weekly policy luncheon — a visit designed to underscore his commitment to legislation that is increasingly important to his legacy, particularly immigration reform.


In the days since the immigration overhaul ran aground in the Senate, the bill's proponents, including the president, have insisted that the measure is not dead. At the end of an eight-day trip to Europe, Bush urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to take the bill up again as soon as possible.

"We made two steps forward on immigration; we took a step back," Bush said before leaving Sofia, Bulgaria, on Monday.


For his part, Reid sent a letter to Bush saying that he was glad to revive debate on the bill, but only if the president could deliver more Republican votes.
"We believe it will take stronger leadership by you to ensure that opponents of the bill do not block the path to final passage. Simply put, we need many more than seven Republicans to vote for cloture and final passage of this bill," Reid and other Democratic leaders said in the letter.


The stalled legislation was based on a fragile compromise between Republicans and Democrats: In return for offering a path to citizenship for many of the estimated 12 million people currently in the country illegally, future immigration visas would be targeted more at those with needed skills than at family members of those already here.


Reid yanked the immigration bill from the Senate floor Thursday in a dispute with Republicans over how many amendments senators would be permitted to debate. At the time of the break, the two sides were nearing agreement on allowing an additional eight to 12 Republican amendments. That has raised hopes among proponents that a deal is still possible.
"The bipartisan compromise, while it has its flaws, is better than the status quo, and I hope we can get back to it in the near future," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Monday.


There are splits within the Republican and Democratic parties over the issue, but both sides say they think they can muster 60 votes — the number needed to overcome a filibuster — if they can resolve their procedural issues.


McConnell said he thought it was unlikely the president's visit would sway many Republicans. "I think most senators have pretty well made up their minds where they are on this, and I think there are a reasonable number of Republicans who … in the end are likely to help get us get it through," McConnell said in a conference call with reporters.


Bush's visit was scheduled at least a week ago, when the immigration bill was faring well and looked likely to pass by the end of last week. His last visit to the Capitol to attend a Senate Republican policy lunch was on July 31, 2001, when he discussed education and the patients' bill of rights.


White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said immigration was among the legislative issues the president planned to discuss with his Senate allies. "Immigration reform is too important to let this opportunity pass, and this is the best chance we've had in decades to make immigration reform work," he said.


At this stage in Bush's presidency, many observers believe he is working hard to seal his legacy on domestic policy. So far, his successes in Congress consist mostly of the No Child Left Behind education law from his first year in office, two rounds of tax cuts, and a Medicare prescription drug benefit that has gotten mixed reviews. An overhaul of the immigration system — something he has been talking about since he started running for president — would be considered a significant achievement.


Underscoring his interest in the bill, the president phoned key senators on Monday from Air Force One as he returned to the United States. They included the bill's two main proponents: Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.). Later in the day, Kennedy convened a meeting of those who forged what has been dubbed the "grand bargain."


"We must resolve the immigration stalemate in the Senate and get back to the urgent work of fixing our broken system," Kennedy said in a statement after talking to the president. "I'm encouraged by the determination of our leaders and so many of our colleagues to come together and do the challenging work we were elected to do. The American people deserve no less."


Reid said he could be persuaded to bring the immigration bill back to the Senate floor as soon as the end of next week.
"We hope that President Bush and his Republican allies in Congress will find their way to work with us to deliver this bill to the immigrants, businesses and all Americans who demand and deserve it," Reid said. "If we see new cooperation and a clear way forward from the Republican caucus, we will do everything possible to readdress the immigration issue after debate on the energy bill."
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Miami Herald/Zogby International/WFOR-CBS4/Palm Beach Post/WPEC-CBS 12 (June 4 – 6, 2007)


A survey of 801 "likely voters" in Florida with an oversample of likely voters in Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach counties (MoE ± 3.5%; 5% on the oversample)
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* 60% – *Three fifths (60%) of Floridian voters think that immigration reform should include "a path toward citizenship for most illegal immigrants with no criminal record if they pay a $5,000 fine and wait their turn behind legal immigrants to apply for permanent U.S. residency."
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* When asked which category of immigrants should have "priority when deciding to allow immigrants into the U.S.," 42% said immigrants with family ties, vs. 24% who said immigrants with "high-tech skills" should have priority.
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Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (May 30 – June 3, 2007)
A survey of 1,503 adults (MoE ± 3%)·**********


* 63% – When asked if they favored "providing a way for illegal immigrants currently in the country to gain legal citizenship if they pass background checks, pay fines and have jobs," 63% of respondents said they did.
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* In this survey, respondents were asked about "amnesty."* A majority, (54%), favored giving "amnesty to illegal immigrants currently in the country if they pass background checks, pay fines and have jobs."* Only Conservative Republicans (44% support) and moderate Republicans (50% support) did not show a clear majority support for a path to citizenship characterized as "amnesty."
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* Half (50%) of respondents said that they thought "it is essential that the President and Congress revise immigration laws THIS YEAR."* Only 7% felt that the immigration laws don't need changing.
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* Despite its inclusion of the popularly-supported legalization component, the complicated bill that the Senate is now considering is supported by only 33% of respondents who claimed they had heard a lot (31%) or a little (52%) about the Senate bill.


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Washington Post/ABC News (May 29-June 1, 2007)
A survey of 1205 adults, with an oversample of African Americans (MoE ± 3%)
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52% – In this poll, 52% of respondents said they would support "a program giving illegal immigrants now living in the United States the right to live here legally if they pay a fine and meet other requirements."* Of those respondents, a majority (56%) are opposed to making undocumented immigrant return to their home countries before they can apply for this program.* A majority of all respondents (53%) also support "significantly expanding" a "guest worker program."


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New York Times/CBS (May 18-13, 2007)
A survey of 1,125 adults (MoE ± 3%)
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62% – Respondents favored giving undocumented immigrants "a chance to keep their jobs and eventually apply for legal status" (62%) vs. 33% who thought that they "should be deported back to their native country."
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* When asked questions that included elements of the legislation that the Senate is currently considering, the percentage who favorably viewed a path to legal status increased.* For example, 67% favored "allowing illegal immigrants who came into the country before January to apply for a four-year visa that could be renewed, as long as they pay a $5,000 fine, a fee, show a clean work record, and pass a criminal background check."* Furthermore, 49% favored citizenship for those immigrants, as long as legal applicants for citizenship are considered first.
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* The "touchback" concept is not wildly popular with the public.* More than half of those who favor a path to legal status oppose "requiring [undocumented immigrants] to return to their home country before applying for U.S. citizenship."
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* Respondents favor a temporary guest worker program by a 66% to 30% margin.* Of those who favor a temporary worker program, by a three to two margin, respondents favor "allowing workers to become permanent residents" at the end of their work period.
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* Nearly all respondents believe the system is broken, believing that we need to "completely rebuild" our immigration policy (49%) or that it requires "fundamental changes" (41%).* Furthermore, 61% of respondents believe the issue of illegal immigration is a "very serious" problem and 82% of respondents believe the U.S. "could be doing more" to "keep illegal immigrants from crossing into this country." *Only 1% believe it is not a problem.*

well its a vote from Florida, what do you expect, so many of them are exiles from other island nations anyway and probably are sympathetic to those trying to get here

I don't believe this for one sec.

They probably polled nothing but illegal aliens and a few LEGAL citizens!

i think Juan should wake up because he's dreaming if he thinks we're going to let this piece of crap legislation pass. I have a feeling that when all the illegals in this country finally "get it" that we Americans are just not going to give amnesty to millions here unlawfully, there'll be a frenzy of bag packing going on across this country.

Juan really needs to get put on a time-out for this one.

This is another one of his very biased PR sheets, filled with mixed-up stats that fit HIS agenda.

Here's the Pew Research Center poll
http://people-press.org/reports/disp...3?ReportID=335

What ole Juan presented was his personal selection of information, taken out of context so that the information shows people favor amnesty and aid for illegal aliens.

There are also a few bulleted items that can't be located in the Pew research. God I hate cheaters.....

This guy is a well known out right lier. Nobody believes him anymore anyway ,funny thing is that most Mexicans don't even like him with his shady past and drug cartel connections.