From left are, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. (AP Photo)
Bush hopes to revive immigration bill
WASHINGTON
President Bush, trying to recover from a stinging setback on immigration, will personally try in a visit to the Capitol next week to revive the embattled plan for legalizing millions of unlawful immigrants.
Bush’s scheduled lunch on Tuesday with GOP senators is part of a campaign by the White House and allies in both parties to placate or outmaneuver conservative Republicans who blocked the broad immigration measure this week. They said Friday they would try again to reach accord on the number of amendments the dissidents could offer.
Opponents of the bill promised to continue fighting all such efforts.
Several Senate conservatives continue to say they have not been allowed to offer enough changes to the bill. Some of their proposals would make it easier to detect and deport immigrants who have overstayed their visas or committed other violations.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a key opponent, said the bill as written “still unfairly burdens taxpayers, doesn’t ensure secure borders and guarantees amnesty” for illegal immigrants.
The bill’s supporters say DeMint and other critics will oppose the measure no matter how many amendments are accepted. Nonetheless, they agreed Friday that some type of peace accord with the conservatives is essential if the measure is to return to life.
“If we’re able to come up with a list of amendments that could take two or even three days to complete, 10 years from now or 100 years from now who will care that it was an extra three days if we can achieve the result that we’re talking about?” said Sen. Jon Kyl , R-Ariz.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., told reporters he was hopeful because the Senate “is a chemical place. There’s a flow to activity here. The tide comes in and goes out. And once in a while, the stars get lined up correctly, and we move ahead.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif., complained that critics continue to use the word “amnesty” to refer to proposals to legalize immigrants who agreed to pay fines, learn English and, at some point, briefly return to their home countries before obtaining lawful status in the U.S.
“I’ve listened to talk show hosts drumming up the opposition by using this word ‘amnesty’ over and over and over again,” she said. In her 15 years in the Senate, Feinstein said, “I’ve never received more hate or more racist phone calls and threats.”
Wild Thing’s comment…………
This is not over yet. They won’t give up this easily. Bush wants this because he is a globalist with his eyes tuned into large multinational corporations. Bush is going to put everything on the line to get this bill passed.
Why keep beating a dead horse?
The Americans have spoken and this is NOT what we
want.
Has he gone deaf to our cries?
The Dems used him and he let it happen.
I know he’s trying to appease both sides, but he’s letting the monkeys run the show.
He’s got to get some balls and tell them to shut the (bleep) up (Dick Cheney has no qualms about foul language) and that they’re going to do it the American way.
Kennedy said himself the Senate is a Chemical place (?) What the hell does that mean. The tide comes in and the tide goes out, is this
When is Kennedy going to float out with the tide afterall Sh*t floats.
A septic tank is also a “chemical place”.
I worry because I know that politicians can be bought and the pro immigration Senators and Bush will be offering some big time goodies to the antis. Only the continuing public outcry can prevent this Amnesty Bill from coming to life.
Bush is bound and determined to pay back that $220M that he received from business when he announced he would run for President.
I think Tom hits the mark. Bush has reasons for supporting this bill, other than his innate affection for Spanish culture and his Big House plantation background.
I don’t think he’s complex or curious enough to fully comprehend all the issues surrounding this bill…he just doesn’t care, and is comfortable with simplifications.
He has debts to pay. It’s his style to give away things which don’t belong to him, and then he regard himself as generous and compassionate and Christian. I call it theft.
PS:
A President with a 28% approval rating doesn’t have much to bargain with. I expect something even more authoritarian to come from this guy.
Rhod, Tom, you both have been reading my mind. I said yesterday that Bush can’t affored to drop this issue, he has to pay off his cronies.
There ya go, who said F’ngelicals weren’t money savvy.
28% are his numbers that high, I suspect when this is all over they will be lower than that.
Next week when he comes back he is supposed to be heading to congress to push this garbage down our throats. As everyone pointed out this is not over yet, and he and Toad will be working overtime to push it through.
I’m stealing this opinion from Instapundit, and I think it’s true.
The defeat of the immigration bill actually helps Bush, because a win on the bill would have permanently divided the Republican Party.
Insta goes on to say this is true only if Bush isn’t so dumb that he’ll try to revive the bill, which he will probably do.
Bush is a guy holding a gun to his own head and yelling “stop or I’ll shoot!”
…and I agree with Mark.
A 28% approval rating?
I don’t think I could find 28 people per hundred who support Bush.
I don’t think I could find 28 people.
It aint over yet, folks, Bush returns next week to push this through the Senate. This will be the time to fish or cut bait.
We will see how many real Rino’s we have up there and how many are more concerned with their own pocketbooks than they are the country.
28 per cent approval rating going into next tuesday, I think we should have a pool at say a buck apiece to see when his numbers will hit 15% and then it will be time to sell.
Because if this bill goes through we won’t have anything worth selling, except maybe our soul.
Just found this in A Charlotte S.C. Paper, South Carolinians are pissed:
” NOTICE: We will BE offering free advertising space on every page of our newspaper online addition to the Republican that runs against Graham in the Primary.
Too bad for Senor Graham most of those La Raza supports are not allowed to vote in the United States, though they are able to vote in their own countries I would wager.
About 500 days left till South Carolina voters can let Lindsay graham know what they think of his tireless efforts to legalize 12-20 million illegal aliens. 97% of voters in South Carolina opposed The bill and Graham was giving speeches to racist “la Raza” (The Race) about how the United States “doesnt belong to anybody”.
If old George’s rating is 28% and the Congress
and Senate is 21-23% we sure as hell ain’t
getting much bang for “OUR” buck.Just a bunch
of MF low life’s…
“I think we should have a pool at say a buck a piece to see when his numbers will hit 15%….!”
ROFLMAO!
At least 15% of the population is composed of the comatose, the deranged, the too young to walk, and the too old to talk, and the illegal.
That about covers his base of support.
I’d expect him to try the Jorge Bush amnesty act of 2007 on for size, just like Hugo Chavez who rules by decree.
Lynn your right, I just keep wondering that too.
Mark, hahahhahahaa what a great way to put it.
Tom that is true, we just have to keep after them not to do this. I hate that we even have to do this kind of thing. Our voice rang out and it will keep ringing out across this land. I pray it works.
To all of you.
I am surprised to othat he has a 28%, who are these people that are null and void of caring about what has been happening.
Same here I don’t know 28 people that would vote for Bush again.
Mark that is hilarious. LMAO.
Thanks for the information from the Charlotte S.C paper. Those living there have got to be even more ticked off since Graham is from their State. I know I am ticked that my two here voted for it. augh!!!!!