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Title: Immigration Law Foes Scare Americans: Bush
Source:
AFP
URL Source: http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Immigr ... s_scare_American_05292007.html
Published: May 29, 2007
Author: AFP
Post Date: 2007-05-29 19:22:07 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 112
Comments: 7
US President George W. Bush said Tuesday that opponents of a landmark law to normalize the status of 12 million illegal immigrants were trying to stir up fear among Americans. In an energetic defense of the proposed law soon to be debated in the Senate, Bush rejected critics who are calling the legislation an amnesty for illegal immigrants, and said kicking them out of the country is "simply unrealistic." "If you want to scare the American people, what you say is, 'The bill's an amnesty bill.' "It's not an amnesty bill. That's empty political rhetoric trying to frighten our fellow citizens," Bush said in southern Georgia at a training center for government security officials. "Amnesty is forgiveness for being here without any penalties," he said. "This bill is not an amnesty bill." "I'm deeply concerned about America losing its soul," Bush told the McClatchy newspaper chain in an interview. "Immigration has been the lifeblood of a lot of our country's history," Bush said. "I am worried that a backlash to newcomers would cause our country to lose its great capacity to assimilate newcomers," he told the news service. The bill, which was introduced in the Senate last week, could eventually allow most of the estimated 12 million undocumented workers in the United States to gain legal status, in the most sweeping immigration law reform in 21 years. While providing more money to tighten border control against those sneaking into the United States, it would require those who came to the country before January 1, 2007 to pay 5,000 dollars in fines and apply for legal status in a process that would at one point require them to return to their home countries. Permanent status would be granted after a vetting process which, according to the current bill, would prioritize entry by education, job and language skills, rather than giving preference to those with family already in the United States as has been the case. It would also allow 200,000 temporary guest workers to enter the country for two-year stints. It also encourages tougher action against employers who hire illegal immigrants. But a strong and vocal opposition across the country against the bill could kill its progress -- even though polls show most Americans support the reform. "This reform's complex. There's a lot of emotions around this issue. Convictions run deep," Bush argued Tuesday. "Those determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a narrow slice of it and find something they don't like. "If you want to kill the bill, if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it. You can use it to frighten people." While the bill would have substantial impact on millions of people and on the economy, it is also seen as crucial to Bush's legacy as president. Coming off a successful pushback against Democrats aiming to stifle his Iraq war policy, Bush is aiming to prod the immigration bill through Congress -- with the help of Democrats -- in what could be the last major domestic initiative of his presidency. He hopes for an agreement on the bill by August; it has been presented to the Senate for debate and, if passed then must go to the House of Representatives where it faces a stiff challenge. If the bill is stalled at that point, it could fall victim finally to the opening of the full 2008 presidential election campaign season. "The system is broken to the point where people are being used as human cargo, being exploited, simply because most want to come and provide for their families. Most are willing to do jobs Americans aren't doing. The system needs to be fixed," Bush insisted. "I know there are some people out there hollering and saying, 'Kick 'em out.' That is simply unrealistic. It won't work."
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
No, Mr. President, it IS an amnesty bill. Just like the one passed in 1986. And just like the next one that will be passed twenty years from now. We're ON to the game, and we're DEEPLY ANGRY. And I'm sure you don't give a rat's ass about that. Now go back to hanging out with your overprivileged corporate buddies, and getting the latest propaganda from your corporate sponsored think tanks to use to try to lie and wheedle and connive the American people into accepting your warped agenda.
"It's not an amnesty bill. That's empty political rhetoric trying to frighten our fellow citizens,"
 | Gold and silver are real money, paper is but a promise. |
#2. To: Brian S (#0)
That already happened, Crawford Caligula - sometime between the Supreme Court decision giving the presidency to you in late 2000 and Inauguration Day of 2001.
"I'm deeply concerned about America losing its soul"
The benefits of education and of useful knowledge, generally diffused through a community, are essential to the preservation of a free government. - Sam Houston
#3. To: Brian S (#0)
Ever notice that the only groups who will have Fuckface over for a speaking engagement one ones who are collecting government paychecks?
...Bush said in southern Georgia at a training center for government security officials.
"I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price." Vir Cotto, Babylon 5
#4. To: Brian S (#0)
Another LIE, Mr. President. The ONLY reason that "Americans aren't willing to do these jobs" is because the WAGES have been pushed SO FAR DOWN that people who are native Americans cannot make a living doing them! FURTHERMORE, if you and and your corporatist buddies had not been so intent on creating a MODERN SLAVE STATE, then by now TECHNOLOGY could have been developed to have automated many of these jobs, and then there would be a new generation of BETTER JOBS for people to design and build and install and maintain these new automated systems. But YOU and your SLAVEOWNER friends have so badly DISTORTED the marketplace that there is no financial incentive to create these new machines! Think about it. There are now video cameras that only cost a few dollars each, microprocessors that can be had for a few dollars, memory chips that can be had for only a few dollars, etc. You mean to tell me that we don't have the technology to create automated picking machines, or automated meat cutting machines? We have programs now that can literally design complete circuits on silicon, circuits that run at billions of cycles per second, doing millions of calculations a second, but we don't have the technology to create an automated meat cutting or produce picking machine? I call baloney on that, Mr. President. The ONLY reason that we don't have those machines out there right now is because you and your corporatist buddies have so badly distorted the marketplace with your modern slave labor policies that there is no financial incentive to create them, and no financial incentive to purchase them even if they were created. Start paying a LIVING WAGE for these hard, dirty, menial, soul-crushing jobs, and make it possible for AMERICANS to demand enough money to make it worth their while for doing those awful jobs, and before you know it there will be a new generation of advanced machines to do these jobs instead. And then there won't be an endless array of "jobs Americans won't do", instead there will be a vast array of newer, better jobs that Americans will GLADLY do, while enjoying much better working conditions and earning much higher wages for their skilled labor designing, building, installing and maintaining next generation production machines. Just quit DISTORTING THE MARKETPLACE with your SLAVE LABOR POLICIES!
Most are willing to do jobs Americans aren't doing. The system needs to be fixed," Bush insisted.
| Gold and silver are real money, paper is but a promise. |
#5. To: Brian S (#0)
"Hey Yankee, we're Americans too!" There's that sliver foot again. I think he meant to say it scares Norte Americanos or something.
Don't waste your pucker on some all-thing sucker.
#6. To: Elliott Jackalope (#4)
How is it that Americans are so stupid that they think we need more than 300 million people to establish an economy ? Fuck inter-dependence !
Just quit DISTORTING THE MARKETPLACE with your SLAVE LABOR POLICIES!
RON PAUL or REVOLUTION
#7. To: Brian S (#0)
If these people are goingto be given a pass on the law, why shouldn't I or anyone else? Why should I follow the law?
Freeper motto: I read, but do not understand, I write, but make no sense, I think, but nothing happens.
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