Republican to Lead Immigration Revolt Against Bush

Reuters ^ | Jan 12, 2005 | Alan Elsner

[GOPXtreme20]

Republican to Lead Immigration Revolt Against Bush

By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican member of the House of Representatives vowed on Wednesday to lead a revolt against President Bush (news - web sites)'s immigration reform proposals and predicted that up to 180 party members would support him.

Bush in an interview with the Washington Times published on Wednesday said he plans to force a debate in Congress this year on his proposal that would allow some illegal immigrants to obtain legal work permits in the United States.

Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, who heads the House Immigration Reform Caucus, said he was determined to block the legislation. The caucus, which had 71 members in the last Congress, argues for stronger action to stop illegal immigration and a reduction of legal migration.

"Why is this so important to the president?" Tancredo said. "Is it just the corporate interests who benefit from cheap labor? Do they have such a strong grip on our president so that he is actually willing to put our nation at risk, because open borders do put our nation at risk?

"Is it petulance, because we were able to stop it in the last Congress? Why is it so important to give amnesty to people who have broken the law?" Tancredo said.

"I'm willing to lead a fight against this and I would say there are at least 180 members of our Republican caucus who are willing at least to stop amnesty for illegal immigrants," he told Reuters in a telephone interview.

Bush has repeatedly said he views immigration reform as an important issue for his second term. In the Washington Times interview, he said it was near the top of his agenda.

"Look, whether or not you agree with the solution or not, we have a problem in America when you've got 8 million undocumented workers here," he said.

BUSH CONFIDENCE

Bush expressed confidence he could win over opponents, as he did in passing tax reform during his first term. "Initially out of the box, some people said, over my dead body would they pass tax relief ... If I listened to all that, I'd just quit, you know. But that's not the way I think."

But analysts agree that immigration reform could be much more divisive for Republicans since growing numbers of rank-and-file voters are becoming concerned at the continued influx of illegal immigrants across the Mexican border.

"No issue, not one, threatens to do more damage to the Republican coalition than immigration," said David Frum, a former White House speech writer in Bush's first term.

"There's no issue where the beliefs and interests of the party rank-and-file diverge more radically from the beliefs and interests of the party's leaders," he wrote in the National Review last month.

Bush insists he is not offering amnesty to illegal immigrants but Tancredo said that was a "manipulation of language, the kind of thing (former President) Bill Clinton would have done. There is an issue of integrity here and an issue of honesty," he said.

[Barlowmaker]

Set the pay high enough and Americans will line up to do it.

And, nobody will buy the service or product from those Americans.

[Dane]

Ok, so I guess that you would rather have our borders wide-open to uneducated illegal aliens slobs and serve themselves as semi-slaves to people living in upper-class illy-White communities. Have you ever been to Southern California or perhaps been to the mean streets of LA and see how unfettered illegal immigration has done for us?!?!

Where have I stated that I wanted wide open borders. I haven't. I said I wanted a solution to the problem which has been festering for 40 years and I think reinstituting a guest worker program is a good start, another good start would be trying to get Mexico to reform their economy.

[Ohioan]

leftist democrats hate business becuase it creates wealth and prosperity, one issue Republicans hate that same business becuase it doesn't employ the right kind of people.

What a cheap aspersion of other people's motives! You ought to look within. Just why do you attribute negative motives to people who believe in the normal identification with your own people--with your own kith and kin and neighbors--with those who share a common history and a many generation spanning value system--rather than with simply making a buck anyway that you can.

It is people with your lack of moral responsibility to your own nation and the society in which you grew up and still live, that undermine the future. Just how long do you suppose, we will even have a Government that is friendly to your business interests, as the demographics shift more and more towards a collection of third world societies?

Rep. Tancredo has more moral authority in his little finger than those business interests which would put next year's bottom line ahead of the ongoing continuity of the American value system--which includes the ethnic continuity of mainstream America.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

[johnb838]

I think it's just another way the stinking Socialist Fox is trying to undermine US.

[RKV]

The price of food will go up if picked by US citizens. The cost to taxpayers will go down and tax revenues will go up. Mexico is the loser in the game, not us. Mexico will lose a huge source of income - Mexicans working abroad. It may even be enough to have the salutary effect of causing a revolution in Mexico. One can hope.

[WhiteGuy]

"Why is this so important to the president?" Tancredo said. "Is it just the corporate interests who benefit from cheap labor? Do they have such a strong grip on our president so that he is actually willing to put our nation at risk, because open borders do put our nation at risk?


Why indeed.


Tancredo 2008

[Barlowmaker]

We can't import food from other low cost countries?

[GOPXtreme20]

Don't forget that once kids to illegal aliens (Guest Workers) parents get older, they'll be able to line up to voting booth and vote DEMOCRAT all the way.

[Barlowmaker]

Under the Bush program, any employers who use these guest workers will have to prove that they cannot find any American workers to do the jobs.

[johnb838]

Hellary ain't goin to do nuthin about illegals. She might say she will for votes, but no way does she do anything.

[carenot]

BTW, when are you going to apply for a dishwashing job at a restaurant or housekeeper at a hotel.

I have had both of those jobs, Dane.

[Fruitbat]

Rep. Tom Tancredo, I am a staunch broken glass republican and you have my belssing. I love our president but he is plain wrong on this one. This illegal alien stuff and our pourous borders will be our undoing as a nation.

you're not kidding! At this rate, the population of this country would be at half a billion in no time.

[Hand em their arse]

"This could be the issue that puts Hillary in the White House."


I'd rather look at it as though it could be the one that puts Tancredo in the White House...

[RKV]

We do so now. I ate some fresh cherries from Chile last weekend.

[P.O.E.]

Won't this also give them free reign to sue their employers in court? Can't wait for that fiasco.

[Southack]

"Our President wants to lead us down a path that we don't want to follow. I'm sure he's confident that he could get his proposal through if the GOP members in the House (forget the Senate) don't fight him on it."

There is very little difference between Tancredo's immigration plan from that of President Bush's immigration plan. Both plans strive to *register* existing illegal aliens and their employers with our federal government; those plans differ only slightly in how and where illegals can register themselves.

The President wants such registration; so does Rep Tancredo. It's *registration* with our government that is the key to turning the current immigration problem into a manageable issue. Thus, an Immigration Plan will be passed after the two Republican sides find and make amenable comprises.

In the meantime, what is going on is that the partisan news media is using buzzwords and innuendo to excite the most radical Republicans into behaving against their own interests and against our Party.

This is to be expected. The Old Media is desperate to find and exploit *any* chink in our current armor.

[LowOiL]

What special treatment? They aren't going to get citizenship, just the privilege to pick vegetables or clean toilets, that native born Americans on welfare refuse to do.

I have great respect for your posts Dane, but I adamantly disagree with you on this issue.

Yesterday in the local newspaper was a dual ad (one in Spanish, one in English), guess which ad was on top of the other. This ad was for a textile industry (Goldtoe) in NC that was looking for fixers. Starting pay was $11.50 thru $15.75 (depending on experience). Insurance (w/dental), 401k, 500 bonus after 6 months, 500 more after 12 months, one week paid vacation (and you gain another year for each year you work for them, up to 6 weeks paid). Relocation pay included.

The reason they had to go out of state to recruit was because they were just raided and lost 4/5ths of their work force (illegals). They were durn near shut down.

I wish people would stop saying the jobs that illegals do is "pick vegetables or clean toilets". These textile jobs are great jobs that they (textile industries owners) would rather have illegals work because they easier to control (treat like dogs). They never have to give them pay raises, just fire them for any reason (don't have to give a reason) and hire another one the next day. Conveniently a paper cup throw away work force, that are so much more appealing to own/hire.

------------------------

In other local news yesterday, a local garbage man was killed by an hit and run illegal alien. The garbage truck driver held his adopted son as he died. Police are still searching for the hit and run driver (who worked at a local textile mill). Francisco Deigo Francisco will be coming to a town close to you soon, having killed once, he will not blink about doing it again.

[k2blader]

Yay, Tancredo!