Bush revives bid to legalize illegal aliens

[tuvor]

President Bush yesterday moved aggressively to resurrect his plan to relax rules against illegal immigration, a move bound to anger conservatives just days after they helped re-elect him.

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20041110-123424-5467r.htm

What was his position before the election? Is there another flip-flop here or was this simply avoided?

[Dufaeth]

1. I thought this issue would be gone now that

the election is over. Maybe they're pandering in advance for Jeb.

[ewagner]

2. Cheap Labor Conservatives

will love it.

The "cultural" conservatives will hate it.

At any rate, it doesn't matter to Dubya...he doesn't need their votes now and he couldn't care less about the fate of any Repub congriscritters who go along with him.

[VegasWolf]

22. The Falwell coalition will appreciate it too, need to replace

dwindling tithe income. Must get numbers up.

[orwell]

3. El Cheapo

Ah yes...the role core value of these great "moral conservatives'.

Cheap labor.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

4. This position doesn't make sense to me.

Before, I thought it was just a cynical attempt to woo hispanic voters. Now, I don't know what to think. I wonder what his real reason for doing this is, considering it's a pretty unpopular move among his supporters.

On edit: I think the problem with the cheap labor argument is that if they are made citizens, they will be protected by minimum wage and other such laws. Illegal aliens have no recourse if they are paid less or mistreated.

[sandnsea]

11. SSI taxes

Most illegals make minimum wage already, driving wages down, reducing demand for benefits, lots of cheap labor reasons to increase immigration. Especially if we can get them to pay SSI & the new flat tax. None of it is good for US workers.

[sadiesworld]

12. Think military.

[Strelnikov_]

13. The Plan Is 100% Cheap Labor

They will not be citizens. The plan is to throw down all barriers that restrict the supply and use of illegal (black market) labor, thus ensuring an endless supply of cheap labor, making the destruction of the middle class inevitable.

This is a tenant of the Cheap Labor Conservative platform.

[rocktivity]

5. You DON'T have a mandate, Mightymouse!

You won by three points, not thirty! That does NOT mean you were right about everything and can now do anything you want! At least half of us see this as a sop to cheap labor and the Hispanic vote anyway!

I knew it wouldn't take long for him to piss me off again...

:headbang:
rocknation

[Virginian]

6. Fight terrorism abroad -- invite it here

Didn't I read just the other day that middle eastern men were pretending to be Mexican and Central American and sneaking across the Mexican border?

How many of these people would have to sneak across the border if their intentions were honorable. Surely, if they can afford to fly to Mexico, they are not coming here to become cheap labor.

Is this another example of our president keeping us safe from terrorism? I don't think so.

[Wright Patman]

7. It was never about

the Hispanic vote. Hispanics are evenly split on amnesty, at best. Some of the most vociferous opponents are from that community, especially those who had to come here legally.

How long is it going to take people to realize that the vote is in the bag or should I say "black box"? You saw your last honest election in 1996. By 2000, one state was stolen. In 2004, one is stolen for sure and probably two.

I am thinking of not ever voting again until paper ballots return. I may be waiting a long time. But I cannot in good conscience participate in what I know it is a fraud. The higher the participation rates, the more the media crow about a mandate.

[DinahMoeHum]

8. Stay out of this one, folks. Let the red-staters take Bush to task

on this issue, and let them tear each other apart.

:evilgrin:

[DBoon]

9. We need to exploit this

There are lots of people who normally vote republican who will be very angry about this.

I think we need to define a strong position in favor of protecting the American labor force that does not have the racist elements you normally see in these sentiments.

I think if Democrats focus on this issue, we can definitely take Arizona.

[Robert Oak]

18. democrats should take on immigration as well as

other traditionally conservative republican issues...

like the budget deficit.

They should take on things that are proven right period.

And these are two.

As far as "racism"...you're right, but many groups are just talking about it in terms of costs, national security, repression of US wages, burden on the environment and social services and the like.

Every other industrialized nation has an immigration policy and this is why.

It's not a race issue and I think the passage of AZ prop 200 proves
this because there is no way that would have passed without the support
of Mexican Americans in that state.

They don't like what's happening due to the real economic reasons.

[jokerman93]

10. Cheap Labor = Bush war cannon fodder

Cheap Labor = Bush war cannon fodder. Let the brown people in! They will fight the wars that Americans don't want to fight.

*sarcasmoff
*liberalrageon

[mortimer_az]

14. Immigrants

As a native of southern Arizona, this issue is starting to become as heated as the last election. Morons passed an initiative in Pima County that forces people to show identification for things like voting, and actually requires any government workers to turn in known immigrant aliens. However, even with that, hispanics seem to be voting more and more for the Conservatives, based on perceived notions of abortion and gay marriage. I bet that Rove realizes they are a new untapped source of undereducated pawns to vote republican.

[Robert Oak]

15. people to them are commodities, slave labor force, no borders

Why liberals should care about this issue and join with the conservative Republicans (not the same as Bush's neocons and theocons) to do something.

the plan is to remove barriers in the borders to obtain a cheap source of labor.

they are planning on allowing immigrants to come not only from Mexico,
but an unlimited from India and China...

you got it, to take American jobs. They are trying to negotiate
in an "unlimited number" of VISAS into a new trade agreement with
India and China.

This is the "race to the bottom" for wages and why you should care.

Many of these "VISAS" will enable non-Americans to use American social services while not paying into the tax base.

Right now, Bush gave illegal immigrants our social security.

I'm not making this up. Yes, our social security that Bush & Co.
claim will be bankrupt and why they need to privatize it.

Unfortunately liberals think when any mention of controlling our borders and limiting immigration, etc. is mentioned, it somehow
means some horrific human rights thing or some sort of racist thing...

Well, it isn't...it's about is this country for the citizens
or is it now a free for all with a huge increase in supply of cheap
labor, which makes all, more vulnerable to slavery conditions.

80% of all Americans want something done and both parties ignore
this issue.

another thing: dems wrongly think that Mexican Americans, here legally, endorse illegal immigration. From the passage of AZ prop 200
it's quite clear it would have not passed in Mexican Americans were against it, because they are a large percentage of the AZ population.

Like any Americans, they do not want to see their jobs threatened, open borders where anything and anybody can cross with no security,
and further burden on our social services.

[Az_lefty]

16. I don't understand this either except for Cheap Labor & Military.

:shrug:

[__Inanna__]

19. Yup, cheap labor and ample military supply

I wrote a letter to Bushie and McCain when he first mentioned this plan telling them both how I felt about it. It was dropped after this (many wrote protest letters).

It's so obvious to me what he's all about. Pacify the masses, rig the election, then come out with the real agenda. I wonder if anyone on the right is smart enough to see this guy is BAD news for America.

[newyawker99]

24. Hi __Inanna__!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Walt Starr]

17. That'll make the paleocons happy

NOT

[drscm]

20. He wants them properly trained before he finishes his term as

Grand Imperialist. You can never have enough cheap laborers caring for your every need and "whites" are just too uppity - thinking they should get all the good jobs at McDs or at Walmart.

[bluedog]

21. From 3rd Debate:...............Now bush lies!!!!

From the 3rd debate between Kerry and Bush... Bush said...


..."Now, it's very important for our citizens to also know that I don't believe we ought to have amnesty. I don't think we ought to reward illegal behavior. There are plenty of people standing in line to become a citizen. And we ought not to crowd these people ahead of them in line.

If they want to become a citizen, they can stand in line, too."...
Colin Powell's meetings with Vincente Fox belie that statement. This will turn into a pseudo-amnesty at the cost of millions more American jobs, further cheapening of the wages in this country and more strain on our education, medical and social welfare systems.
It's time to let the president know he wasn't re-elected with a "blank check" approval to do what he wants...any American who would support this can only be profiting from it...let your voice be heard !

[saigon68]

23. HE NEEDS THESE CHRISTIANS TO JOIN HIS ARMY OF CRUSADE

And achieve citizenship.

They will kill on demand at the anti-war protest and mow down everyone who

DOESN'T JUST "MOVE ALONG"