Bush's Last-Ditch Plea on Immigration »
Posted by: zaph22 1 year, 2 months ago175 Comments Report this Story
Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions stood up at Tuesday's lunch for Senate Republicans and baldly told President George W. Bush what was wrong with his immigration proposal: it would give amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrations, it would reduce illegal immigration by only 13%, and it doesn't go far enough to enforce border security.
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AntiNeoCon1 year, 2 months ago
Luv, and here I thought you loved only me. Bush should take a long walk off a short pier. Whats he got that I don't? :)
I never see a bulge in his pants...unless of course, hes looking at a taxpayer.
Regarding Immigration, why should we reward illegals? We should enforce our laws already on the books then we wouldn't need new laws.
I still luv ya tho...yer a cutie.
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rightfromwrong1 year, 2 months ago
Bush has never wanted to stem immigration because it would hurt his buddies and their contributions to his party. All one has to do is look at the the Nafta Hwy(Security, Prosperity & Partnership:my eye) whereby a hwy (4 football fields wide)from the north east border of Mexico into Manitoba Canada.
What a shame this whole administration is. They could have secured the Mexican border for 8B instead of the 500B which they spent in Iraq but then again they wanted their share of Iraqi "OIL"........ That is right 15 TRILLION $
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texangelwings1 year, 2 months ago
Senator Sessions will need to hold his ground. The Senator does need a big hug and a big Thanks from all of us, for standing up for what is right!
This storm is not over yet, there is going to be more pressure applied to the few representatives that are trying to save their jobs and hopefully America!
Thanks zaph for the article and thank you luvmyprez for notice of this article.
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torrent291 year, 2 months ago
There is a rather sick irony that so many here are asking for a wall to be built on the very day that 20 years ago Ronald Reagan was demanding that Gorbachev tear down another wall.
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ramblingwreck1 year, 2 months ago
"There is a rather sick irony that so many here are asking for a wall to be built on the very day that 20 years ago Ronald Reagan was demanding that Gorbachev tear down another wall."
You're comparing apples and oranges. Reagan demanded that a wall separating two halves of a single country be torn down. Those that support a wall along our border support it to aid in keeping illegal immigrants out. If the proposed wall were around California to keep Californians in, then your comparison might be more appropriate.
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david_nwpa1 year, 2 months ago
luvmyprez and zaph22 both know what a liberal I am. I am generally opposed to Republican positions; however, in the case of immigration, we definitely need to make securing our borders a priority. I am concerned about illegal immigration into the United States increasing and becoming a financial and medical drain on our nation.
Having said that, I am not in favor of amnesty for those who have crossed the border illegally. Like the saying goes at closing time at the bar, "Hey folks, you do not have to go home, but ya can't stay here." I think that applies. Maybe we could work out a deal with Sweden or Norway to take our overflow of illegal immigrants. Anyone think Canada might want them?
I agree texangelwings, Senator Sessions does need to hold his ground. On that note, I am not hearing anyone clamoring about securing our port entrances. Who is searching cargo that enters the US?
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david_nwpa1 year, 2 months ago
Great article, zaph22, I agree with much of it. Luvmyprez, ready for that vodka martini now, pass it on down, please.
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berkeley1 year, 2 months ago
Question: who said
Bush "was very persuasive, very rational," X said. "He presented a coherent argument about why he thinks this is the right thing to do without getting all pushy"
?
compared to normal conversation in the u.s.senate?
compared to his mother-in-law?
compared to his seven year-old son?
Answer: the distinguished senator from south dakota, john thune.
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Radiofreeeuropa1 year, 2 months ago
It seems I have to take my hat off to Sessions for putting his constituents ahead of political diatribe. The illegal immigration problem could be easily solved by enforcing existing labor laws. Increase the fine for hiring illegals to something that isn't offset by labor "savings" by exploiting these people.
Make it a jail sentence for repeat offenders. It won't happen, they'll put up all kinds of smoke screens and mirrors because the bottom line is they get to have slaves! And that's what they really want.
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tiredofwhiners1 year, 2 months ago
Back in the 70's I had a "slave" housekeeper and babysitter who I "exploited". When we offered her a pay raise she turned it down. When we had to let her go she cried. She had a green card and was legal and was a very good worker. Her card could have been fake, I don't know. She sent most of her pay back home to her family in El Salvador. The point is: to you she was exploited and was a slave. But to her she was very fortunate being here compared to being back home in her country.
P.S. I agree with your points. I just don't feel people who come here voluntarily and are happy about their situation are exploited or slaves. Just business, pay as little as possible. And they should not be paid any more than they get now. I prefer that they would get out or be deported. No need to unexploit them by paying them more.
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scriblerus11 year, 2 months ago
Yes, while I sympathize with the illegals (who are caught between NAFTA and an elitist Mexican government), I believe they are the tools of our own neocon elitists who ARE exploiting them for cheap labor and to put unions out of business.
The rank and file cultural conservatives should learn how much Bush and Company actually care about them from this issue. Bush doesn't care a fig for anything they have to offer but their votes, for which he throws them a few crumbs on abortion, guns, gays, and God. Bush's real interest is power and money at the cost of the working class. Working class people who vote Republican are idiots.
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nostalgia1 year, 2 months ago
"Working class people who vote Republican are idiots"
Working class people have seen their incomes decrease and have lost jobs which used to provide them a good income because of the flood of illegal immigrants.
I see it everyday in TX. When our home was built 20 years ago I only remember the roofing crew being largely Hispanic. When you look at who is building homes now, almost every crew is Hispanic and most of them illegal. Construction wages have actually declined here. Many middle class construction workers have lost their jobs.
I'm not hearing the Democrats speaking for these middle class workers who are now struggling to make ends meet. The Democrats just want more votes.
It isn't just the Republicans who want the illegals to stay.
How many labor uniions are lining up with Democrats on this issue - not many
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cretaceous-cat1 year, 2 months ago
Excuse me! I am not an idiot, and as for putting the unions out of business - good! Unions are socialist dinosaures that need to go. Who would want to work in a system where you only move up when someone retires or dies (union workers generally don't get fired). Where is the incentive to produce - there is none. And before you say it - yes I was in a union (united transport workers) at American Airlines where some of my fellow workers tried to get me fired for outworking them. So before you go make a blanket statement about who is an idiot maybe you should look at yourself.
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ABANOCLA1 year, 2 months ago
It was either today or yesterday on the local news here, INS was raiding 2 buildings, they had the paddy wagon buses and one of the plants was a DOLE fruit plant of some kind. Makes you think they need to do a whole lot more of it, and fine the execs that allow the illegal hirings...I am real sick of the whole deal, yeah lets make new laws to enforce, when they don't even make a half hearted attempt at the other laws already in place. They should give a 1 month warning that we are going to be looking allover, if you have illegals, you get a big fine and go to jail MR CEO. And it ain't with paris hilton or at club fed.Somewhere that BUBBA can give them a free colon rectal exam. :)
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nostalgia1 year, 2 months ago
Senator DeMint of South Carolina was also against the bill last week. He made remarks on the Senate floor Friday.
I sent emails to Sessions and DeMint to thank them for their remarks.
It looks like the Senators who are against this legislation have an unusual ally - Sen. Robert Byrd.
During the cloture votes, I noticed that Sen Byrd voted against cloture both times.
I know he can be cantankerous but I have been wondering why he voted this way
I found this quote from him
Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, said he supported amnesty in 1986 "based on the very same promises we hear today." But that law did not work, Mr. Byrd said, and "I will not vote to make the same mistake twice."
Source NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/12/washington/12...
That just about says it all for me
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canadianrancher571 year, 2 months ago
I have heard Senator Byrd speak on different issues and I think he is one of a few senator who still remembers who he is responsible to.
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tiredofwhiners1 year, 2 months ago
Nostalgia said Canada has a guest worker program. I remember in the 1960's there was a guest worker program, the "Bracero" program, in California. The Mexican workers were given a temporary worker's permit and they would come here during the growing/picking season. They were brought up by bus and all of them would get back on the bus after 6 months and live like kings the rest of the year back home. They were paid low wages, perhaps 10 times what they made in Mexico. Very few tried to disappear into the woodwork and become illegal. No reason to. They really wanted to go back to their home village. It was like killing two birds with one stone. Foreign aid to Mexico and the grapes and lettuce were picked. Mexican workers happy and farmers happy. That went by the wayside because of pressure from anti-business liberals that the working conditons were bad and American workers were affected. So the foreign workers who couldn't come back legally came back illegally after that.
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tiredofwhiners1 year, 2 months ago
Perhaps Bush is being idealistic about the bill. Even so it is wrong and will never work. I don't think he has thought it through in today's context, nor has he considered the past failures of immigration reform. And he seems not to listen to or be aware of the people's opinion on immigration. He would be wise to drop it like a hot potato.
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DoerNotASayer1 year, 2 months ago
In the 14 years the Republicans controlled Congress, there were just a handful of times the Democrats stopped a vote in the Senate when the legislation was particularly henious.
The few times this happened, the ad-nausium neocon talking point was "Why are Democrats stopping the vote, let the process move forward, this is undemocratic..blah blah blah...platitude platitude platitude...." They even wanted to change the rules.
Now look at the hypocrites. Stopping two votes in the Senate within a week.
Is there anything more disgusting than a Republican?
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HMMace1 year, 2 months ago
Bush should be impeached, and then he should resign from office, just as Nixon did after he was disgraced..We need a new way to elect our politicians...As it is- they are bought before they even are elected...then they are bribed by lobbiests,,politicians are lower than snakes in the grass..We must -- NEVER RE ELECT ANY POLITICIAN--EVER..
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jzinkjazz1 year, 2 months ago
Regardless of what all the news media says,the MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE do not want this bill passed,however what the american people want does not count.
If it were left up to the American public this bill would have never even been considered.Politicans told us if JOBS WERE SENT OFF SHORE WE WOULD ALL BE BETTER OFF,and we didnt argue,and today AMERICANS are looking for jobs.The politicans are tell us the same thing again,if we allow 12,000,000 ILLEAGALS into this country we will all be bettter for it,well DONT BELEIVE THEM.
The Republicans are looking at CHEAP LABOR,The Democrate,at VOTES,and guess who will pay ,THE AMERICAN WORKERS AND TAXPAYERS.
The IMMIGRATION MATTER can be settled by fining any employer hiring a ILLEGAL $10,00.00 FOR EACH ONE HE EMPLOYS,
If this suggestions dont work,then put it on the ballot and see if the AMERICAN VOTERS AND TAXPAYERS,will go along with it,after all we are the ones paying the bills,and there is no way the politican will do that!
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joeblowe1 year, 2 months ago
Yesterday I sent my representatives an e-mail in which I pointed out to them that NO DEBATE IS REQUIRED. All that is necessary is to ENFORCE the existing laws. Secure the border. Send the illegals back. Punish those that help the illegals to come here or stay here. It's really very simple. FAILURE - and continuing, ongoing FAILURE on the part of our elected representatives to secure our borders as is their Constitutional duty is the real problem. I see articles and comments about how it's impossible to deport 12 million invaders. Manure! OF COURSE it's possible. It might be expensive, but that's the price we pay for years of negligence. And, if we were to only implement the Hazleton solution on a nationwide basis, I'm betting a LOT of them would deport themselves. If life is harder here than it is wherever they came from, they WILL go back.
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schillinfl11 year, 2 months ago
Stop the illegal flow of illegals FIRST....then discuss what to do from there.
This isn't rocket science.
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SS4541 year, 2 months ago
YOU DA Man GWB...Our Hero..You would be lucky to pass Gas
Not even your owen BOYS the IDIOTS REPUBLICONS will go along with you,A Few Dumocrats seem to like this idea.But AMERICAns hate this bill!For a change GWB try hard we all know its hard for you to do anything other then to get HI!!!but try hard
Try as hard as you used to do when you had to pass a Physical
on BASE..
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zaph221 year, 2 months ago
You seem to be forgetting Kennedy and Reid...
S.1348
Title: A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 5/9/2007)
COSPONSORS
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] - 5/9/2007
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] - 5/9/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 5/9/2007
Sen Salazar, Ken [CO] - 5/9/2007
Good old Harry Reid. Not like this bill has any partisan intention
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IanFraigun1 year, 2 months ago
He wants the cheap labor for his friends to remain. That is the bottom line issue.
If you don't have illegals willing to work the fields for $5 per hour then you are gonna have to pay americans at least $7.50 per hour is they will even do that work for that price.
It is the people and not the government or their corporate contributors who want this fixed. The government and their corporate bosses want a continuing flow of those who will work for less money and not complain because they are illegal.
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DoerNotASayer1 year, 2 months ago
Are you that delusional? Tell me, just who are these "liberal elite"?
Did you ever see the clip from a Bush speech at a $100,000 a plate fundraiser, and Bush says "who can afford a $100, 000 a plate dinner? I like to call them my base."
(I might not have the quote exactly right, but I have the essence of what was said correct.)
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IanFraigun1 year, 2 months ago
Nope I mean for his friends.
He would not and I would not expect him to do anything to help his enemies.
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IanFraigun1 year, 2 months ago
Folks,
I believe we are being distracted by the issue of illegals already here.
That is what the government wants to do. Distract us from the most horrendeous aspects of this bill.
Do you realize that if this becomes law even a native born american citizen will need authorization papers from the government to be hired for any job in this country.
I agree you need to make sure corporations and other companies only hire those who can legally work here but we do have the I-9 forms now and you can prove your ability to work by presenting a copy of your Passport or other government documents.
Well after this passes, if it does, you will need additional paper authorization to get a job even if born here. That is the start of a totally controlled population where you need government permission for everything you do.
That is not for me and no matter about the 12 million. I don't want to have government permission in writing to be able to work.
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questionseverything1 year, 2 months ago
i think u have hit the nail on the head,more govt control,less personal freedoms and if u look back ovr last 6 yrs it would seem the current admin has created the illegal crisis by NOT enforcing the excisting laws
clinton had ovr 800 raids on businesses that were illegally using no paper ims...bush before the swift raids had like 7? its no wonder the illegal pop has become unmanagable
and then when they did the swift raids,they used no common sense in who to detain and deport
the current admin doesnt do anything without a payout in mind for the top 3%
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cretaceous-cat1 year, 2 months ago
I believe you are correct Ian. However, I want the 12 million out of here. I'm sick of going to the store and hearing nothing but spanish. I'm sick of having to press 1 for english and all that other crap. Enough is enough. These illeagals are building a tremendous amount of animosity towards themselves and it's going to get real ugly real soon. People are fed up.
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torrent291 year, 2 months ago
I have yet to see that many conservatives are putting forth any sort of alternatives other then wall building and a mass deportation.
Face it, the people who are here illegally have been here for quite some time, for the most part they work hard, and in some cases they own property.
The idea of mass deportation is almost disgusting to me. It is a thought so revolting to me that it could make me physically ill.
What are we suggesting here. We shall uproot families, take kids from their parents, remove whole neighborhoods. Because ... what? They dared to come to America seeking a better chance.
And finally before someone throws out the whole 'slap in the face of those who came here legally.' Let me disavow you of that statement before you even go down that path. My mother was an immigrant, she does not feel particularly insulted, and my fiancee is currently in the process of coming to the states under the K-1 Visa.
Neither of us feel particular insulted.
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torrent291 year, 2 months ago
No I do not forget that they came here illegally.
Are you aware of the visa process? Or whats entailed in it? Do you know that many of these same people who came here have almost no chance of actually being accepted to come here legally?
A friend from Canada came here on a work visa. Rather attempted to come here on a work visa, because at the border he was stopped and turned back. The reason? He did not have a college degree.
How many of those workers who are here illegally have college degrees?
Of course lots of immigrants have done it. currently standing behind me is one who did. In fact I can walk down this row of cubicles and count about 12 who did.
Do you know what they have in common? Every single one of them is a computer programmer. To a tee.
You know what many of those Mexican's dont have? College degrees, they have skills sure, no college degrees though. The process can take years, and you are not even guaranteed a chance to enter.
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