Clinton praises Bush on immigration reform

Yahoo News ^ | 07/08/06 | By ROBERT JABLON, Associated Press Writer

[garbageseeker]

LOS ANGELES - Former President Bill Clinton praised President Bush on Saturday for supporting reforms that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to seek citizenship but said the debate in Congress is being fomented by Republicans who want to divide America.

"I'm proud of him for doing it and I thanked him for doing it," he said of Bush during a "Cafe con Clinton" breakfast speech to the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights advocacy group.

Clinton said Bush's roots in Texas — which has one of the nation's largest Hispanic populations — have helped him view immigrants as people rather than statistics.

"It's hard to demonize people if you know them," he said.

But Clinton also argued that the nation's government is controlled by Republican ideological hard-liners who want to use immigration to divide Americans and distract them from issues such as the war in Iraq and the health care crisis.

Instead of equal opportunity, they support a "financial elite" because they favor "concentrated wealth and power," Clinton said.

"They believe in a government that is secret, unaccountable and that maximizes its own power," he said. "They really believe the world works better if they run it and we keep our mouths shut."

Clinton supported an immigration reform measure passed by the Senate that would provide a way for many of the estimated 12 million foreigners living in the country illegally to become citizens. A House-approved bill would make illegal immigrants felons and build 700 miles of border walls. House and Senate negotiators so far have not been able to work out a compromise.

Bush has said he wants to enforce the borders so fewer people sneak across but also provide a way for those already in the United States to become legal. He has praised Hispanic immigrants as hardworking and family oriented. Clinton used similar language in his own speech.

The message played well with La Raza, which opposes the House bill and whose current president, Janet Murguia, was an assistant in the Clinton White House.

Before Clinton's speech, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa noted a string of rallies over the immigration issue, including one in March that sent 500,000 people into the streets of Los Angeles and garnered international attention.

"You literally reshaped the political landscape of our nation ... we can still see a movement blooming before our very eyes," he said.

Both Democrats and Republicans have been looking for ways to court Hispanics, whose fast-growing population gives them the potential to become an enormous voting force. Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was scheduled to address the convention on Tuesday

[TheBattman]

That right there should be enough evidence that Bush's Amnesty plan is a really bad idea. Any time Bubba likes something - it can't be good.

[NapkinUser]

Why president Bush, why?

[hometoroost]

The only way Bush could be more sure he's wrong on this is if Gore or Carter chime in in agreement.

[garbageseeker]

Good question.

[NapkinUser]

"The only way Bush could be more sure he's wrong on this is if Gore or Carter chime in in agreement."

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Jimmy Carter already did.

[leadpenny]

"Any time Bubba likes something - it can't be good."

I don't know . . . he liked having a good time in the Oval Office.

[tubebender]

This cinches it!!! Bush has been neutralized and his vitals sucked out of him and replaced by a 'bot...

[garbageseeker]

lol.

[Momaw Nadon]

I think I'm gonna be sick.

[garbageseeker]

I think that both president has sold themselves out to La Raza

[investigateworld]

>>>>Why president Bush, why?<<<<

Maybe he wants 12 to 20 million new Democrat voters?

Perhaps a few little adversities makes us stronger?

Beyond that I can only hold suspicions.

[justiceseeker93]

The only way Bush could be more sure he's wrong on this is if Gore or Carter chime in in agreement.

Well put.

BTW, the mere fact that Clinton is speaking to an anti-American radical left group like La Raza reinforces some things we've known about Bubba for years.

[garbageseeker]

Please neutralize the thread. It is a duplicate

[RVN Airplane Driver]

I just came into our Dallas apartment and there was a couple of hispanics out there and I said hello: they smiled and said nothing...had I said Ollah...they would have replied....we manage apartments in the Dallas area...so I am biased...but these folks work.....they pay their bills....and are making the DFW area better.... For those of you who live in another part of the country....take a Mexican home before a Los Negroes....you will be safer.....=s=

[MountainMenace]

That right there should be enough evidence that Bush's Amnesty plan is a really bad idea. Any time Bubba likes something - it can't be good.

That was my first reaction to the thread; first Teddy now Bubba. He has to feel like someone who ran out of gas in the middle of Harlem on Saturday night.

[garbageseeker]

Just do not do it on me

[mthom]

The official stance of pro-illegal freepers is that Clinton, Teddy, Carter, etc dont "really" agree with Bushs position (even though it differs little from their own stated policies) they pretend to agree to divide conservatives. Seriously the pro-illegals are posting that explanation over and over.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Wonder if even this will cause some to stop and think a little differently about the current situation? When our President is more in step with Teddy Kennedy and Bill Clinton it should be a huge wakeup.

[garbageseeker]

I think so

[garbageseeker]

I have seem it myself

[garbageseeker]

ping

[Arizona Carolyn]

I'm shocked you got an answer, most I ask and they never respond as to "why" because it certainly isn't going to increase votes for the GOP and heaven knows with the shenigans Calfornia and some other legislators are pulling (casting the states votes to the candidate getting the most NATIONAL votes vs the winner of the state) we could end up losing or more Gore v Bush elections.

Look at the election in Mexico Calderon winning by 1/6 of a percentage point. Can you imagine if that is the case here with our lax voting rules?

[garbageseeker]

Please neutralize the thread. It is a duplicate

[Arizona Carolyn]

ping

[garbageseeker]

bump

[ClaireSolt]

Where is the barf alert? This is too much to stomach! Clinton's only immigration plan was to overrun the country with new democrats as fast as he could. He is in no position to even comment.

[garbageseeker]

Where is the barf alert?

It gets all over the place in its too hard to clean up.

[garbageseeker]

What is nice though, that he is on the record supporting illegal immigration and supporting the Senate's bill.

[Altura Ct.]

Just like peas in a pod...

[Republican Wildcat]

Yes, he did.

[prairiebreeze]

Not breaking news, IMO.

[tubebender]

Which one is here legally?

[fish hawk]

If only he would have gone to Motel 6 where they left the light on for him, he may not have been impeached. I will sleep better tonight knowing that Mr. Slimeball approves of Bush's plan.

[Paperdoll]

This should come as no surprise. NAFTA, GAT and the WTO were the precursers to The New World Order, which does not include a sovereign U.S.A.. Clinton merely passed the torch to Bush, and Bush is running with it.

[garbageseeker]

I agree with you very much

[Arizona Carolyn]

or Bush to Clinton to Bush --- to Clinton? The President did make a comment to that effect a few months ago.

[leadpenny]

Seriously, I've thought that Bill Clinton's purpose since he left office is to help see to it that Hillary doesn't get back into the White House. It would do nothing for his legacy. He will continue to kill her with a thousand cuts and for that we should be thankful.

[NapkinUser]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Jimmy Carter already did.

Found it.

Carter praises Bush's immigration stance

[Paperdoll]

Yes, Bush to Clinton to Bush to Clinton to.......Bush?
(Call 911!)

[garbageseeker]

He will continue to kill her with a thousand cuts and for that we should be thankful.

I agree. I think it was a very bad move that he gave a speech to La Raza. Because his words can be used to hurt her, if she decides to run for President of the United States.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Karl Rove was right there with him.

[garbageseeker]

That speaks volumes. And he advises the President.

[leadpenny]

"if she decides to run for President of the United States."

Oh, I think she's already done that. The question is, can she stay a step ahead of the bent one?

[garbageseeker]

LOL.
She should have advised him not to go to this meeting.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Makes me ill that Rove was a speaker for a LaRaza/Mencha/Reconquista dinner.

[Reagan Man]

The two Bush brothers --- Dubya and Slick --- who became POTUS, agree on immigration reform, aka. AMNESTY. Why am I not surprised. LOL

[garbageseeker]

I am very saddened that he decided to go to the dinner. It shows that he puts votes and politics ahead of the welfare of the American people.

[garbageseeker]

I agree with you.

[AmeriBrit]

It's just Slick's way of trying to confuse people with his double talk, and putting the blame for the country being divided on the Republicans instead of where it really belongs, on the shoulders of the far left leaning commies...aka democRATs.

President Bush I think realizes that with the biased congress he's been handed to work with, without profiling and asking for proof of citizenship, there's no way the 12 million ILLEGAL ALIENS can be rounded up and deported so he's had to try and come up with another solution.