May 15, 2006
RXN: Conservatives Wary; Democrats Focus On Nat'l Guard
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC): "President Bush made one step forward and one step backward during tonight's address. I am encouraged by his plan to increase our security by positioning National Guard troops on the border. This will provide essential -- but temporary -- security along our porous and vulnerable borders. The better alternative is to enact a comprehensive border security program by constructing fences, bolstering our border patrols and improving our surveillance capabilities." "I strongly disagree with the President's call for a guest worker program. A guest worker program is nothing more than amnesty wearing make-up --it's easier to look at, but just as ugly underneath. The simple truth is that if you break the law to come to this country, you will not respect it once you're here."
Hugh Hewitt: President Bush did exactly what he had to do tonight: Hit the middle, agreeing to the fence, to a large increase in Border Patrol personnel and funding, tamper-proof identification, National Guard back-up of ICE for at least a year, the end of catch-and-release, blunt talk on the impossibility of mass deportation, an insistence on English, and a commitment to a guest worker program that will take pressure off enforcement by funneling large numbers of immigrant workers into the legal line.
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA): "The President's speech was very helpful with assurances on border control and employer sanctions which sets the stage for guest workers and an accommodation for the 11 million undocumented immigrants. On the possible use of the National Guard, we will have to legislate carefully to circumscribe the Guards' duties so we don't get them involved in law enforcement or activities which are inappropriate."
Maj. Leader John Boehner (R): "House Republicans have responded to the concerns of the American people by passing a strong border security bill that reflects our commitment to re-establishing basic respect for our immigration laws and sealing our border against illegal entry. If the Senate passes an immigration bill, I'm committed to working with Chairman Sensenbrenner and House Republicans to ensure we make border security our first priority and meet our commitments to the American people."
Sen. Maj. Leader Bill Frist: "Tonight, President Bush has once again demonstrated his commitment to securing our borders. Utilizing the National Guard is an effective, short-term stopgap to immediately strengthen border security as long-range reforms begin to take effect. As I've maintained from the beginning of this debate, secure borders must be the cornerstone of any comprehensive immigration reform plan. In the last eight months, the Senate has approved nearly $12 billion to bolster security along our borders, hire additional border patrol agents and increase the number of detention beds. I thank the President for his strong leadership on this issue and look forward to a thoughtful debate in the Senate this week."
Michelle Malkin: "Bush has lost touch with reality, arguing that guest worker/amnesty will reduce the incentive to cross the border."
CA Dem GOV candidate Phil Angelides: ""For six years, George W. Bush has completely failed to provide adequate security at California's border. I am opposed to National Guard troops on the border. President Bush should do his job by expanding the number of Border Patrol agents. California's National Guard troops are already spread too thin with extended tours on Bush's disastrous Iraqi war that is costing lives and tearing apart families"
Polipundit: But, by taking his policy directly to the people, El Presidente is about to learn just how unpopular it is. Putting the face of George Bush on his suicidal immigration 'reform' plan will galvanize core Democrat constituencies who’ve been silent thus far -- African-Americans, unions, Kossacks. All these people are deeply suspicious of El Presidente and will therefore focus on the ways in which his immigration policy will hurt them.
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ): "President Bush deserves credit for his willingness to take on a difficult issue like immigration reform. President Bush is absolutely right that immigration reform must be three-pronged: increased enforcement, a temporary worker program, and a humane, realistic approach for dealing with the illegal immigrant population currently in the U.S."
Posted at 08:24 PM
Comments
Nonsense, politically chicanery at it's finest. I dobt you'll find more than twenty percent of the conservative blogosphere taken in by this patent nostrum.
Wait and see what happens when the president reneges on enforcement. I think his numbers will be in the teens.
Jake Jacobsen | 05.16.06 01:18 AM
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arlen specter thinks using the guard for law enforcement is inappropriate on our border, but it is ok in iraq! bush, specter and frist have not learned anything from history, that the 1986 amnesty only brought another wave of 20 million criminal welfare illegals! these illegal cost the AMERICANS billions of dollars ever year for crime, drugs and welfare! THESE LEADERS DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU AND ME, THEY JUST WANT CHEAP LABOR AND VOTES FROM THESE ILLEGALS!
dan bergstrom | 08.13.06 04:10 PM
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arlen specter thinks using the guard for law enforcement is inappropriate on our border, but it is ok in iraq! bush, specter and frist have not learned anything from history, that the 1986 amnesty only brought another wave of 20 million criminal welfare illegals! these illegal cost the AMERICANS billions of dollars ever year for crime, drugs and welfare! THESE LEADERS DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU AND ME, THEY JUST WANT CHEAP LABOR AND VOTES FROM THESE ILLEGALS!
dan bergstrom | 08.13.06 04:10 PM
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