Bush: Americans will realize need for aliens

The Washington Times ^ | July 20, 2007 | Stephen Dinan

[Baladas]

President Bush yesterday said Americans will soon realize they need the immigrants and foreign temporary workers that would have been allowed by his immigration bill, which was defeated in the Senate last month.

Mr. Bush, in a town hall session in Nashville, Tenn., also refused to say whether he will pardon two U.S. Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a fleeing drug-smuggling suspect, saying the prosecutor was a friend of his who made his case to the jury that convicted the agents.

If Mr. Bush was hoping the immigration issue would disappear after his bill's failure, those hopes were dashed, as he was asked repeatedly about border security during the forum — meant to highlight his commitment to cutting the deficit.

"The bill failed and I can't make a prediction to you at this point, sir, where it's going to head," the president told one questioner. "I can make you a prediction, though, that pretty shortly people are going to be knocking on people's doors saying, man, we're running out of workers."

Mr. Bush said there are workers who will do jobs Americans aren't doing in the agriculture sector in particular, and without them the jobs will go unfilled.

[captjanaway]

Remember, this is the same Bush who said Johnny Sutton was an honest, fair man. Yeppers - just ask Ramos, Compean and Deputy Hernandez...

[Cyropaedia]

Farm mechanization is the answer to our agricultural needs. We're already being forced more and more into that realization due to competition from other countries. A country like Brazil can sell its oranges at prices that are very competitive with our own and that's with a 15% tariff being placed on their produce.

Fully mechanizing our approach to farming is the only way our growers can stay ahead of the curve with regards to foreign competition.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

Like unloading railroad boxcars. It’s unbelievably hot inside those things. Hot. Dirty. The boxes are heavy. I didn’t know I wasn’t willing to do that work, because I didn’t have Dubya around to tell me only a Mexican would be willing to do it.

Gee...in my world its called, "doing what you have to do to support yourself". And if I had to, I'd plant and pick crops as well...whatever it took, to keep a roof over my head and food in the fridge.

When the hell did people become too good for manual labor?

[Night Hides Not]

I sometimes wonder if the president is pushing for amnesty this hard because, when looking at the big picture, he sees the need for a larger military in the near future.

I understand the rationale for your post. Still, it falls along the lines of Bush's skills at "strategery", which have waned since the nomination of Harriett Miers.

IMO, he's paying back his contributors in the Chamber of Commerce community, and other big business donors, who rely on cheap labor.

It's ironic how these business leaders extol the virtues of the "free market", except when it comes to paying market price for labor. I'd like to see a reputable economist try and explain that illegal immigration has NOT dampened wages.

[Ramius]

Sorry, the “slavery” argument is for those that just want to keep illegals illegal by keeping these ridiculously small quotas for legal immigration.

A suitably larger legal immigration limit would bring these workers above the board and give them the status they need to get better wages.

Its keeping them illegals like most of FR appears to want that keeps them hostage on the fringes of the workforce.

[bray]

Not sure how attacking everyone who disagrees with you wins your arguments. Where you going to find these law abiding people to pick the crops??

This issue is toast so it doesn’t matter. Now supply and demand will determine how many Mexicans cross the border.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[mjaneangels@aolcom]

“There is a huge supply of excellent workers eager to immigrate legally in Phillipines, South Korea, Veitnam, and China. And these people are willing to assimilate here, not take over our southwest. They are skilled agricultural workers and become good citizens of our country.”

That and Americans that would apply for the jobs, except the jobs are not open to American citizens.

Some people in this country want us to believe that the only people who can perform and would be willing to perform these jobs are illegal immigrants. I don’t believe them.

[Neidermeyer]

It took nearly 40 posts before the Slavery line. What a joke you are. Never knew slaves came to America on their own.
************************************
Learn your history ,,, we did indeed have many tens of thousands of voluntary indentured servants in the early years coming here for the opportunity to one day be free and have land , something that was denied them in Europe ... and you can’t forget the Chinese slaves that were sold on the docks of San Francisco up until 1911 despite the emancipation proclamation over 40 years earlier...if you want to you can count the people that willingly sell themselves onto the welfare plantation even today although that isn’t really in the same league..

We need farmworkers , no doubt about it ,,, but it can be done in an orderly fashion and we can have border security ,,, why doesn’t Jorge get it? my feelings are that he doesn’t WANT to get it...

[org.whodat]

We are at a higher rate of employment than at anytime in this nations history. If you don't have a job, you ain't looking.

That is sure true, every hamburger joint in town has signs up for minimum wage part time help.

[Chode]

listen stooopid... till we get rid of the 13million that are ALREADY HERE, we won't be missing anybody!!!

[Pelham]

It’s not that Americans became “too good for manual labor”, it’s more that people in Bush’s social circle can’t imagine anyone doing it.

They, their children, their friends- they know absolutely no one who makes a living doing hard physical work.

This is true for the majority of the political hacks we elect to high office.

[TheLion]

We now have a shortage of illegal aliens? When did this happen?

[SoCalPol]

I live 20 miles north from the largest and busiest border crossing in the world here in San Diego.

The illegals are costing San Diego tax payers tens of millions of dollars a year.

Using our health system, and everything else we have to pay for.

Our prisons here are overcrouded with them with their
Murders, drug, robbery, rape, etc. costing us multi millions a year.

I watched in person here over 50,000 marching with their Chea T shirts, F Bush, Go back to Europe this is our country and worse.

You are in denial and insult Americans who do farm labor and hard work.

[cripplecreek]

When the hell did people become too good for manual labor?

Irritating isn't it. A few years back the local liberals sought HUD money to build an "art community". They said that we needed to get rid of our blue collar history as if it were shameful.

Personally I'm proud of my blue collar history.

[bray]

There are a number of crops you cannot mechanize. The foreign competition exists due to already having cheaper labor than we have.

Sorry but we need cheap labor to plant and harvest the crops. Not many Americans want to travel with the crops all year. It isn’t as great a job as it appears. I did it for a few summers.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[Spirochete]

They said that we needed to get rid of our blue collar history as if it were shameful.

I thought communists loved proletarians.

[tommix2]

Some people in this country want us to believe that the only people who can perform and would be willing to perform these jobs are illegal immigrantsThat appears to be the case. What is their real agenda?

[silentreignofheroes]

Fully mechanizing our approach to farming is the only way our growers can stay ahead of the curve with regards to foreign competition

I guess You give a Rats Butt to foreignors,,my wife sands chicken crap off eggs so you will have a good breakfast.Pure Blood ,

[APFel]

Its keeping them illegals like most of FR appears to want that keeps them hostage on the fringes of the workforce.

Agreed. America will be a better place if supply and demand and ingenuity were the rule of the day.

I think that we could undercut coyotes by sending buses down to Mexico City. "Come to America!" would be the banner head. Ten hours later, they will be mowing your lawn.

It's a win/win for everyone. Texas ranchers will have less foot traffic, bus companies will have a revenue and you will have your neoslaves.

You and I can start a cottage industry. I have the finance if you have the time.

APf