A Day in the Life of President Bush (photos) 1.5.04

Yahoo, Reuters, AP | Jan. 5, 2004 | TruthNtegrity

[TruthNtegrity]

Pres. Bush traveled to St. Louis to promote his "No Child Left Behind" education law. Pres. Bush spoke at the Pierre Laclede Elementary School, which he said in his Saturday radio address had risen "to meet our new standards."

Pres. Bush also visited with about 50 fourth-graders. One asked Pres. Bush if he had wanted to be president when he was a child.

"No," Bush told the children, all nearly a decade shy of voting age. "It can be pretty hard." Still, he called his job "a very rewarding experience" and took credit for "a world that's more peaceful, (where) more kids are learning to read."

He also appeared at his first campaign fund-raiser of the year, adding to a record total of more than $110 million in contributions for a primary race in which he has no Republican opponent. Pres. Bush now has $120 Million in his campaign bank account.

On Thursday, the second anniversary of the signing of the No Child Left Behind Act, Pres. Bush will hold a similar event at West View Elementary School in Knoxville, Tenn. Both events are paired with re-election campaign fund-raisers.

[TruthNtegrity]

Here's what I found on Yahoo, via AP from the White House. Got that chain? :-) Anyway, here ya go!

White House - AP

Bush to Propose Immigration Law Changes
1 hour, 7 minutes ago Add White House - AP to My Yahoo!


By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) will propose immigration law changes to allow workers from Mexico to enter the United States if they have jobs waiting for them, officials said Monday in previewing an election-year measure intended to bolster support among Hispanic voters.

Advocacy groups were invited to the White House on Wednesday to hear details of the program.

"The president has long talked about the importance of having an immigration policy that matches willing workers with willing employers," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. "It's important for America to be a welcoming society. We are a nation of immigrants, and we're better for it."

Immigration advocacy groups characterized Bush's move as a politically drawn effort to curry favor with Hispanics, a potent political force, particularly in key states like Florida, California and border states. Two sources speaking on condition of anonymity said Bush would outline a set of principles rather than a detailed piece of legislation, and that the policy statement would draw on bills already pending in Congress.

"It looks very much like a political effort and what they do with these `principles' is going to determine whether this is really a policy initiative or not," said Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza. "The Latino community knows the difference between political posturing and a real policy debate."

She said the initiative was crafted by Bush's political strategist, Karl Rove, and that the immigration policy community was excluded from the deliberations.

"We know of no one in the immigration policy community, business groups or Latino groups who has been consulted," she said.

Rove, with Bush at a campaign fund-raiser in St. Louis, deflected questions about Bush's proposal.

"Stay tuned," he told a reporter.

Bush's planned announcement comes five days before he meets in Mexico with President Vicente Fox (news - web sites) on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas, a meeting of the hemisphere's leaders.

Mexico is seeking a measure of legality for the approximately 4 million undocumented Mexicans living in the United States and wants a legal way for others to work in the country in the future.

Immigration talks between the United States and Mexico stalled when the Sept. 11 terror attacks prompted the United States to tighten border restrictions, and were set back further by Mexico's refusal to support the Iraq (news - web sites) war. Tensions also arose over Bush's refusal to stop the execution of a Mexican national in Texas.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, at a town hall meeting in Miami last month, hinted at a change of policy when he said the United States needs to "come to grips" with an estimated 8 million to 12 million illegal immigrants and "determine how you can legalize their presence." He also said that the immigrants should not be rewarded citizenship.

Bush, at a year-end news conference in January, said he was preparing to send Congress ideas about an "immigration policy that helps match any willing employer with any willing employee." He said he is "firmly against blanket amnesty," or a mass legalization.

Two guest-worker bills have been proposed in Congress: One from Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain and two of McCain's Republican House colleagues, Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake; and a second from Sen. John Cornyn.

Cornyn, a Texas Republican, has proposed that illegal immigrants could volunteer to work for up to three years if a job exists for them. When they've worked three years, they could apply for legal permanent residence, but must return to their country of origin to do so.

Workers illegally in the United States would have 12 months to apply to the program and after that would no longer be eligible. Those accepted would be given a "blue card," allowing them to travel outside the United States.

The Cornyn proposal would give guest workers the same rights granted Americans under Labor Department (news - web sites) laws and would set up accounts for workers in which employers would deposit money drawn from workers' wages in lieu of withdrawing the money for Social Security (news - web sites) or Medicare.

The money would be held by the Treasury and would be refunded to the worker when the worker returns to his or her home country.

[hoosiermama]

Some. Actually I used anything that worked for the individual child. Some needed this and some that. If the overall presentation didn't work then we went to plan "B". Found mixing methods worked best. Was one of the first in the US instructed in Orff/Kod. ,but only received workshop instruction in Dalcroze. WHen all else fails it seem successful and still use it some with the band students.

[TruthNtegrity]

I said to a friend yesterday, after listening to some of the debates (attacks on Dean more like it) from Iowa, that it's going to be really hard to go through 10 more months of this.

I think you're right. It's only going to get worse and I think before this is over, we are going to be fasting and praying as we never have before!

[ohioWfan]

If you don't mind my asking, when did you start using Orff and Kodaly in the public schools, and how were you trained for it?

[ohioWfan]

Mike just posted the only immigration policy of the Bush administration in writing since 2001, on another thread.

Would you post it here too, Mike, with your explanation of it?

[hoosiermama]

We have a young man working where I do part time as a janitor. He works hard and is very good at what he does. I suspect he may be illegal, but he has such a wonderful personality and is so appreciative of his job, that no one would even consider saying anything about it. He certainly does a better job, then the lazy "drunk" they had before.

If this scenario is true throughout the nation I hope the president does get some laws changed. Too many people think they have a right to a job ($) without putting out any energy....That borders on socialism.

[goodnesswins]

WOOHOO.....thanks Truthy.....NICE pics.....and I'm GLAD our President is out RAISING money.....we're going to need it to beat the Dem Mafia and their dead voters. (Oops....should I not say that?)

Can someone tell me....is today the eleventh or twelfth day of Christmas....I'm confused....I do know tomorrow is Epiphany. (And, I thought the 12th day??? which means I've been off one day for the past 11 days)

[azGOPgal]

Great detective work Truthy. Thanks for posting the article for us.

Here is my feeling on immigration, and I don't mean to offend anybody by my own personal views. I don't think that all 8-12 million illegals should be granted amnesty. I don't think that we should close our borders, but I definitely think that security around the boarders needs to be tightened. Cornyn's idea sounds pretty good, but I would have to look into it further in order to make a definitive answer.

[goodnesswins]

"Gosh, I love this President. I would so like to know him as a personal friend. Sigh. Big sigh." My fantasy too.....or even his wife, as a friend, or his mother, or his father....LOL.

[Kath]

Do what I do. Read the post and ignore the comments. You will learn and you don't have to put up with the idiots.

[MJY1288]

From the White House Website:

HERE

Ensuring Detention and Removal of Illegal Aliens: The Administration is committed to removing those who have entered the country illegally and to detain criminal aliens. The budget funds INS detention and deportation staff and provides resources to remove criminal and illegal aliens swiftly. The 2002 Budget provides $89 million to support an additional 1,607 average daily detention bed spaces for a total level of more than 21,000 bed spaces. INS will continue to target its efforts primarily on removing deportable aliens held in Federal, State, and local facilities to ensure that these criminal aliens are not allowed back on the street. The budget also continues funding to fully implement detention standards to ensure those detained, particularly those who have pending asylum cases, are treated fairly.

Above is the ONLY policy in writing on illegals this administration has issued since January 20th, 2001

[hoosiermama]

Thirty plus years ago, while an under-grad at Ball State, the university brought the teachers over from Europe. I was trained from the original students of Orff and Kodaly. Received 16 quarter hours of credit, between B and Masters program.... have attended workshop since. They finally got around to giving us the first level of certification a few years back.

Personally I think using all Orff instruments leaves a big gap in what a student can achieve. Actually had my first and second graders reading and writing music. Kodaly is good ear training, but again using it alone leaves a deficit.


We need to get together and talk.

[ohioWfan]

I agree. No blanket amnesty..........that's not going to happen with this President.

But, a stricter immigration policy, and more to beef up border security (though I know that much more has been done than the I-hate-Bush crowd will admit).

I like this fingerprint foreigners policy that has started in airports, too.

[azGOPgal]

If people think the hatred is bad now, just wait until the dems pick an actual candidate. I assume they will unite all of their hatred behind the one candidate and focus it all on President Bush.

It won't stop during the campaigns either. When Bush wins, all the dems will just continue to spew mass amounts of hatred in order to block any of the Presidents actions.

You're right. We will be praying a whole lot from here on out. But it's worth it.

[Maigrey]

If what Sec. Ridge did say (re: the ramifications of using an expedited method of gaining citizenship), then I don't see as many people utilizing this for gaining citizenship.

A. Most of these people who are off-the-books don't pay taxes, so they can't gain step one.
B. They wouldn't want to run the risk of leaving and returning so they can file the paperwork (unless they want to use a proxy from where they live.)
C. The jobs that the illegals do aren't necessarily loww paying jobs - just ones that were accomplished by Union workers accustomed to making $25/hour and having the protections of not losing their job for less than stellar performance.

My guess on all this is: The olive branch will be extended to the few who will want the amnesty, and the real chance for becoming legal. The rest will make their cash money, and ship the rest home to support those who aren't here.
At some point, the wrecking ball will be lowered (if not now, then in the next 3 years or so) to do massive sweeps for illegals, and have them deported. (And the goofy people at Amnesty Intl., ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, et al. will howl because we are sweeping the illegals out.)

Well, that's my nutshell. Anyone else?

[TruthNtegrity]

Tomorrow is 12th day, Jan. 6th.

[ohioWfan]

Thanks, Mike!

[ohioWfan]

I agree. One method alone is inadequate.

I haven't spent that much time in elementary music, though, so I don't have the expertise and experience that you have.

Did you happen to work with Mary Helen Richards? I was in a workshop with her 30 years ago, and I believe she studied with Kodaly.

[TruthNtegrity]

See my #101 above.

It comes from the White House, via AP, to Yahoo.

[MJY1288]

It's simple logic when you think about it...

If you have a problem with the insects that invade your home because of the food you leave on your dining room table, Stop making the food available for them. Don't try to chase them away one by one while leaving the food on the table.