Posted on 06/29/2006 10:19:29 AM PDT by Dane
Utah race stirs calls for a deal on immigration After Bush ally scores a victory in GOP primary, one lawmaker pushes comprehensive bill
By GEBE MARTINEZ
WASHINGTON - With President Bush's immigration policy surviving fierce criticism in a Utah congressional race, lawmakers on both sides of the debate turned their attention Wednesday to finding a compromise on immigration legislation.
Those who oppose Bush's call for immigration reform — which includes a guest worker program and legalization opportunities for millions of illegal immigrants along with tougher border security — saw five-term Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, survive a tough primary challenge after allying with Bush on the issue.
Cannon defeated businessman John Jacob 56 percent to 44 percent on Tuesday after Jacob, an opponent of Bush's immigration plan, tried to make the race a referendum on the issue. Most House Republicans want a bill that calls only for tougher enforcement of immigration laws.
Cannon's victory was celebrated by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., who discussed with Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday his plan to tighten borders first and then leave room for consideration for other immigration programs.
He proposes that after two years, illegal immigrants would have to go home briefly to have their backgrounds and job status checked before being allowed re-entry to the United States. The Senate bill does not require most of the 12 million illegal immigrants to go home.
Pence said Cannon's victory indicates that "those of us who are calling for tough border security measures in some kind of a comprehensive bill can know that we're standing on a sure foundation of support among Republican voters."
White House spokesman Tony Snow, noting Cannon's win, said Americans want comprehensive reform. "The president remains determined to get all of the pieces addressed at once in legislation, and not to do it piecemeal, but to have comprehensive reform," he said.
But Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., who formed a group that targeted Cannon for defeat, said the primary nonetheless showed that immigration is a tough election-year issue. "If it takes the president's participation in a safe Republican district to get elected, he's got a lot of work cut out for him," Tancredo said.
House Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio declined to say whether House Republicans would compromise their "enforcement only" stance for "enforcement first."
And House leaders said Cannon's win adds no momentum in the House to Bush's immigration policy. "The vast majority of our conference believes that strengthening our border, securing it and enforcing our laws are critical steps in the process of cleaning up the problem that we have," Boehner said.
Yes, we would have been gloating, but you're missing the point.
What is there to gloat about over an incumbent who took a dump in his pants from a mediocre challenger and will now likely stop pandering to illegals? This is just a stay of execution for Cannon, nothing more, nothing less.
Cannon does not have a mandate here.
Seeing as Cannon's lifetime ACU rating is 97% and his ACU ratings for the last two years are 100% each, I'm wondering which of his votes make him a RINO?
Issues that were discussed by Cannon, during the campaign leading up to the GOP convention, simply highlighted his stances...more government inclusion into our lives through "social programs," some of them being specifically geared toward illegal immigrants. He also exhibits a lack of fiscal constraint by these same programs.
His opponent, on the other hand, comes accross as more conservative. It was not just a vote against Chris Cannon, but also against another former Congressman from Utah, Merrill Cook. Of the three candidates John Jacobs shined in his conservatism. He is a self-made, independant, strong willed man, who has brought himself up by his bootstraps and cannot be "bought." John Jacobs is simply the better candidate....I don't care what the ACU tells me....And that is what grassroots politics is all about, meeting the candidates face to face, talking with them, examining there character and their record.
"illegal immigrants would have to go home briefly to have their backgrounds and job status checked before being allowed re-entry"
What a joke.
Hmmmm.......I always thought he was a 14 yr. old punk with ties to "Young LaRazan's for Hillary '08" or a troop leader for the Reconquista-firsters brown nazi brigade.
McDane, when will you get it through your soft head, that the 90% (if not alot more) of those up for relection didn't side for 'comprehensive' immigration reform? It's obvious why they didn't do so, because they're not morons like you.
It just goes to show you how marginalized they are, and you are. If they have the cahones to ante-up durning their reelection bid then we'd see the lots of them tuck their tails in and act like their for enforcement just like this one did. What's sad is you're trying to spin something that incredibly easy to understand.
--Five time incumbent.
--Blessing of the president and lady (nearly unprecedented)
--Spend twice as much...
--Constesting against a novice
I would say the odds were stacked against John, so it's incredible he even got that percentage...and this post is treating it like a moral victory, when an idiot can understand it's nothing but a scab.
And please no mind-creations about what I believe and who I support, because you usually come out as an %ss.
You hate Tancredo for his immigration stance. Sensenbrenner will soon be a target of yours too.
Your question to me: "Wasn't it putrid that Tom Tancredo and his medusa Bay Buchanan went after another 100% ACU conservative Chris Cannon?"
Answer: I do not see anything wrong with Chris Cannon being challenged, since his stand on illegal immigration left a lot to be desired in the eyes of many. What is more American than running for office if you disagree with the other candidate?
Now will you answer my question, which was whether or not you thought Tancredo's voting record was superior to Nancy Pelosi, Kennedy, Kerry, and others of their ilk?
Tancredo has the same lifetime ACU rating as Cannon. You attack Tancredo with OCD inducing repetitiveness every day. ACU ratings mean very little to you, apparently, so why do demand others base their decisions on them?
Yes and Tancredo tried his best to take the other 100% ACU rated Congressman out of the House. Tancredo is a snake. Tancredo is now irrelevant in the debate. It is now Pence carrying the flag. Pence that is also a 100% ACU rated congressman that Tancredo and his sock puppets are calling a RINO. I repeat, Tancredo is a snake.
You got that right.
Bible thumping. It lends to deaf ears.
Why don't you call your hero, Resendiz, a racist? He killed only white people
Cannon won by 12 points. He won in 2004 by 14 points. So for all the money and national recognition that this race brought, John Jacob was only able to shave 2 points off the victory of margin for Cannon.
Bingo. I really hope Bay Buchanan doesn't carry out her threat to oppose Cannon in the general election.
I'm surprised that the old tried and true bogeyman of the wacko left and right hasn't been trotted out yet and that is that John Jacob was a Karl Rove plant.
That's it. Immigration has never been a big deal to voters, and, I contend, it won't be this year, except to the Borderbots.
In fact, that's what the House GOP is counting on.
I am sure she and Tancredo will be backing the CP candidate.
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