Bush promotes immigration "reform", "temporary" worker scheme

Here are his remarks from Monday. If you removed all the lies, hot air, and just plain ol' BS from these three paragraphs you'd be left with little more than three "the"'s and two "it"'s:

As we improve and expand our efforts to secure our borders, we must also recognize that enforcement work -- that enforcement cannot work unless it is part of a larger comprehensive immigration reform program. If an employer has a job that no American is willing to take, we need to find a way to fill that demand by matching willing employers with willing workers from foreign countries on a temporary and legal basis. The best way to do that is through a temporary worker program that gives those workers we need a legal, honest way to come into our country and to return home. I'm going to work with members of Congress to create a program that can provide for our economy's labor needs, without harming American workers, without providing amnesty, and that will improve our ability to control our borders.

You see, we got people sneaking into our country to work. They want to provide for their families. Family values do not stop at the Rio Grande River. People are coming to put food on the table. But because there is no legal way for them to do so, through a temporary worker program, they're putting pressure on our border. It makes sense to have a rational plan that says, you can come and work on a temporary basis if an employer can't find an American to do the job. It makes sense for the employer, it makes sense for the worker, and it makes sense for those good people trying to enforce our border. The fewer people trying to sneak in to work means it's more likely we're going to catch drug smugglers and terrorists and gun runners.

A critical part of any temporary worker program is work site enforcement. To deal with employers who violate our immigration law, this bill strengthens our enforcement capabilities by adding new agents and doubling their resources. We've got to crack down on employers who flout our laws. And we will give honest employers the tools they need to spot fake documents and ensure that their workers are respecting our laws. America is a country of laws, and we're going to uphold our laws for the good of the citizens of this country.

Compare the middle paragraph to the highly similar spiel he played to O'Reilly last year.

Immigration2005b · Thu, 10/20/2005 - 06:32 · · Importance: 1

Comments

And you STILL think Bush is a "man of the people" and the "lieberals" are the elitists!

It's not just immigration -- it's EVERYTHING. Where's that booming economy the tax cuts for the rich were going to give us? Why was it that the Clinton tax increases -- which the Republcians told us would send us into a depression -- led to the most propserous decade in history? Why is is that the times of greatest economic growth are always under DEMOCRATIC administrations -- and tax policies that are MORE progressive?

Republicans are NOT on YOUR side -- unless you're a large shareholder. They never were. Wise up, people.

Posted by: smartalek at Oct 22, 2005 1:09 AM

"If an employer has a job that no American is willing to take"

If no American worker is willing to take the job, it is because it is a low paying job with no benefits and, most likely, bad working conditions.

If employers paid such workers a decent salary, provided benefits, including medical insurance, and improved working conditions, there would be plenty American workers willing to take the jobs.

The reason that the Bush admistration has failed to enforce the immigration laws is that his corporate cronies like having cheap labor available.

Posted by: Captain Video at Oct 21, 2005 8:05 PM

Your banner page says "non-Liberal." Does this mean that even "non-liberals" are whacking Bush now? Damn, there may be hope for this country yet!

Posted by: henk at Oct 21, 2005 1:02 PM

"until he is thrown from office"

I doubt even that will help much, e.g. McCain is just as bad, if not worse, and the same for any likely Democrat. While a successor might perhaps be more tepid toward a 'guest worker' program, they'd probably insist just as loudly on the red herring of how impractical it would be to deport all the illegals here now (as if we have to do it all at once, right now), etc etc -- the whole 'let's face reality and amnesty 'em' scenario. Tougher enforcement legislation would be talked about, but even if passed this requires a commitment to implementation and oversight by the administration that to date has been totally lacking, no matter who has been in office.

Posted by: eh at Oct 21, 2005 12:47 AM

Why would anyone be surprised that Bush cares not a whit about illegal immigration? One need look no further than his appointee as head of Immigration and Naturalization - she's a 36 year old attorney with no previous experience in matters of immigration (legal experience but who knows who mows her lawn, cleans her house or nanny's her children?). To boot, she's Mrs. Michael Chertoff, head of Homeland Security. Just more of the same croneyism we have come to expect from the worst president EVER!
Bush, once again, does whatever business interests demand - that is to get out of the way as the race to the bottom of wages continues. So long as an immigrant is willing to work for less, it's find by him. You will never see true immigration reform until he is thrown from office. If employers who hire illegals were prosecuted and jailed, then and only then, will you see the flood of illegal's seeking work slow.
The mid-term elections cannot come soon enough. The, Articles of Impeachment.

Posted by: Laura Strand at Oct 20, 2005 12:41 PM

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