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Title: In private, Bush tells senators he favors giving illegal immigrants chance at citizenship
Source:
Associated Press
URL Source: http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4824590&nav=Bsmh
Published: Apr 26, 2006
Author: Associated Press
Post Date: 2006-04-26 22:18:45 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 147
Comments: 11
WASHINGTON -- President Bush generally favors plans to give millions of illegal immigrants a chance at U.S. citizenship without leaving the country, but does not want to be more publicly supportive because of opposition among conservative House Republicans, according to senators who attended a recent White House meeting. Several officials familiar with the meeting also said Democrats protested radio commercials that blamed them for Republican-written legislation that passed the House and would make illegal immigrants vulnerable to felony charges. Bush said he was unfamiliar with the ads, which were financed by the Republican National Committee, according to officials familiar with the discussions. At another point, Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and other members of his party pressed the president about their concern that any Senate-passed bill would be made unpalatable in final talks with the House. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat, said the lawmaker who would lead House negotiators, House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, had been "intractable" in negotiations on other high-profile bills in the past. Bush did not directly respond to the remark, officials said. The Republican and Democratic officials who described the conversation did so Wednesday on condition of anonymity, saying they had not been authorized to disclose details. Bush convened the session to give momentum to the drive for election-year immigration legislation, a contentious issue that has triggered large street demonstrations and produced divisions in both political parties. Senators of both parties emerged from the session praising the president's involvement and said the timetable was achievable. "Yes, he thinks people should be given a path to citizenship," said Sen. Mel Martinez., R-Fla., a leading supporter of immigration legislation in the Senate. Martinez said it was implicit in Bush's remarks that many of the immigrants illegally in the U.S. would be permitted to remain during a lengthy wait and application period. Under the Senate bill, immigrants in the U.S. longer than five years could apply for citizenship without leaving the country. Those in the U.S. for more than two years but fewer than five would be required to go to a border point of entry, but they could return quickly as legal temporary workers. Several senators said Bush had spoken in favorable terms about the overall bill, but made it clear he will not issue an endorsement. "I understand that he wants to maintain latitude as he heads into negotiations with the House," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. He attended the meeting and is a strong proponent of legislation that would allow most of the 11 million illegal immigrants eventually to apply for citizenship. But Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said that raised the question of "how much leverage he (Bush) has over House Republicans at this stage on a volatile issue that is rattling up his (political) base." Asked about the meeting, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said the president repeated to the senators what he has said in public. "The agreement that was reached by the bipartisan group of senators is a vehicle to get comprehensive reform moving ahead" and into compromise talks, McClellan said. The president has spoken repeatedly in favor of legislation that includes stronger border protection and a guest worker program, but has been vague on specifics. On Monday, Bush said "massive deportation isn't going to work," and that the Senate "had an interesting approach by saying that if you'd been here for five years or less, you're treated one way, and five years or more, you're treated another." Bush did not mention that measure would allow millions of illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. while waiting for citizenship _ a provision sharply criticized by some conservative lawmakers. The House approved border security legislation last year that does not address the fate of illegal immigrants. Several Republican conservatives have criticized the Senate bill, saying it was little more than amnesty for lawbreakers. Several officials said Bush sidestepped one issue during the meeting: the legal status of immigrants who have broken no law except by remaining in the United States. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., pushed Bush on the issue, noting that Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., has said the White House wanted the House-passed bill to make illegal immigrants subject to misdemeanor prosecution.
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
At this point I am ready to offer every Mexican $500,000 in cash and immediate citizenship. Then a select few million of us go south and take over their country. And we build a wall so they can't get back in. They can have Dubya, Israel, the Neocons, the looming attack on Iran and the national debt. One more thing we cancel all of Mexico's debts before we leave. If Christine and Zipporah don't like you, you aren't allowed in.
Why is this suddenly an issue? It's not like things suddenly changed. It's all distraction. We need a rational immigration policy, but big business needs illegals to run the nastier of their businesses. There really are jobs Americans will not do, at least not at the prices business wants to pay. Meatpackers, for instance, have 100 percent turnover even among illegals because the work is so difficult and dangerous, and without illegals, they would be out of business. Check out who is letting their workers off on protest days. Tyson, Cargill, and the other big guys, because they know that very few Americans are going to cut cattle to pieces with big knives 10 hours a day for very long for $7 an hour.
Excellent solution. Greed and power have absolutely corrupted D.C., which by its nature as a corporation, is already void of morality.
#2. To: Brian S (#0)
#3. To: Horse (#1)
#4. To: Mekons4 (#2)
Something tells me that meatpackers haven't always made $7 an hour. My wages have dropped 20% [more in real dollars] since 9-11 while inflation is roaring. Illegals are all part of the NWO plan to sell us out.
the other big guys, because they know that very few Americans are going to cut cattle to pieces with big knives 10 hours a day for very long for $7 an hour.
#5. To: Mekons4 (#2)
The problem is the sheer numbers of illegals and the influence that they want to wage in various parts of our country. In fact, there are groups among them that want to take back parts of the country for Mexico, and I personally believe THIS WILL HAPPEN within the next generation if we don't stop these people from pouring in here. And yes - these are jobs that Americans won't do for slave wages. Why the hell should we? It's not like businesses are not making money. These businesses that employ illegals are making money hand over fist. Look how much they pay their managemnet. they don't give a damn about this country. They're just corrupt.
"I woke up in the CRAZY HOUSE."
#6. To: Horse (#1)
You are a genius. I'm with you, when do we leave?
"I woke up in the CRAZY HOUSE."
#7. To: Brian S (#0)
Bush is probably too dumb to even understand a simple pie chart but here it is anyway. The traitors in both parties are waging demographic warfare on America for cheap labor and votes. 
#8. To: mehitable (#5)
We're on the same page here. I have nothing against illegals; most of them are decent, hard-working, and very pleasant people, at least here in Chicago. I can't blame them for trying to find work that will let them at least eat. Many of them now are from Guatamala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, not Mexico. They literally cannot eat; Nicaragua is just above Haiti for poorest country in the western hemisphere. But a certain segment of American industry is willing to look the other way at fake ID. I know for a fact that Tyson and Cargill are doing that, as are chicken slaughtering plants, textile plants, restaurant chains and so on. I worked as a dishwasher when I was a kid, and it sucked. I worked in a small factory, and I was the only person there who spoke English; they actually hired me because I was the first person who spoke English who had applied in six months. We've been creating job magnets for 30 years, and there are whole industries whose business plans are based around hiring illegals at $5 an hour because to them that's good money. If you did the same job for $2 a day, you would kill for that job. I have nothing against the illegals. In their place, I would do the same thing, and you probably would too. But we have to stop offering these low-paying jobs that you and I would not do at that price. Meatpackers, for instance, used to be a pretty prestigious job for big guys with lots of muscle and little brain. You could make a pretty good living and own a house in the suburbs doing that. Immigrants now are doing those jobs and living 20 to a house to get by. That's just exploitation. I have no idea what to think about citizenship. My personal feeling is, give them three years, then they have to go home, then if they have a job lined up, they can come back. But citizenship should be limited. And the employers should be forced to pay a going wage. Then see how many jobs are actually there...outside of the produce industry and a few others, I bet that they can find citizens to do that work, if they pay well and offer benefits. It's grossly unfair that some industries can pay nothing and offer no benefits, while others have to pay through the nose.
#9. To: Mekons4 (#8)
I have nothing against them either, but we can't keep them here. I understand their poverty and that policies like NAFTA has made life so much worse for them. I understand they have corrupt governments. But they have to go home and revolt and make their own countries work. We can't allow them to wreck ours now matter how sorry we feel for them. THere are too many of them and they are sucking up tons of money in health care, social services, transportation, education, prisons, etc. They are costing us a fortune - far more than they save in labor costs. What businesses have done is keep the profits and outsource their risks to us. That can't stand. Moreover, having such large amounts of illegals in various parts of our country, esp the southwest and California is a great security risk. At some point, there's going to be so many of them and they will have no allegiance to the US - they'll be speaking Spanish and their allegiance will be to Mexico (or other Central American countries) and we will have lost a good chunk of our country. We've got to be hard and not sympathize with these people as it's going to destroy US.
"I woke up in the CRAZY HOUSE."
#10. To: mehitable (#9)
Bingo. The immigrants are not per se the problem. The lure is. And a national health service with ID cards might be a major solutions. We can have clinics for the illegals, but frankly, we have dozens of BIG industries that would go bankrupt without illegals. NPR had a report about social conservatives a few weeks ago. They had some dumb bitch on there saying all the illegals should be deported. Except the ones that pick her strawberries, because she would go broke. My jaw dropped. Those cretins can spew hate against illegals, then say their greed overcomes their hate. God, I hate those pukes.
What businesses have done is keep the profits and outsource their risks to us.
#11. To: IndieTX (#4)
Nope. They got the equivilant of $25 an hour. Look at what Cargill and Tyson are doing. They pay nothing and when someone gets injured, they just let them go. Because they can't sue.
Something tells me that meatpackers haven't always made $7 an hour.
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