April 07, 2006

George W Bush: "immigration helps restore our souls"

Lawrence Kudlow - host of CNBC's Kudlow & Company - got a special treat this morning:

A half dozen financial journalists met with President Bush this morning in the Oval Office, including yours truly. The president was upbeat on the economy and today's job numbers and emphasized low tax rates as the key to stimulating job creating investment. He said "we must not resort to isolationism and protectionist policies. We must keep taxes low and enable the economy to grow."

Bush was peeved at Congress for not completing the tax reconciliation bill to extend the tax cuts on cap gains and dividends. He also wants a comprehensive immigration bill that does not include a 700-mile wall. He told us "immigration helps restore our souls." Then, he wanted our opinion on his new plan to require all the Americans to change their underwear every hour. "I want the Americans to wear their underwear on the outside too. That's so we can check," he told me as I sat in Dick Cheney's chair. Dick Cheney's chair!

OK, I admit: I added everything after the bit in bold. It just seemed to all flow together, you know?

Just to make this clear, Bush really did say "immigration helps restore our souls." Does he think he's a minister of some kind? Does he think of himself as not just a public servant but some divine messenger designed to vastly change the world? Has anyone considered the possibility that Bush has simply gone a bit insane?

Posted to Immigration at April 7, 2006 09:53 PM

Comments

Another faith-based initiative, where souls are presumably restored by a stimulus to believe the impossible.

Posted by: John S Bolton at April 8, 2006 02:23 AM

Just because someone doesn't like abortion or gay marriage and goes to church on Sunday doesn't make them a conservative. Anyway, it's not up to one politician or the government to help any of us "restore our souls." THAT is an entirely private matter, and I will be the one who decides whether my soul needs restoring or not.

We elected Ronald Reagan 25 years to save us from Jimmy Carter and a steep descent into mediocrity or worse, and for what? So that we could have Bush finish the job that Carter began? I am depressed.

Posted by: Gary at April 8, 2006 08:57 AM

Does he mean ignoring our laws is good for our souls? That it is good for our souls to accept illegal immigration and ignore our laws? Being the Pres. is he not the top enforcer of our laws? I'm confused.

Posted by: DG at April 8, 2006 11:49 PM

The really pathetic thing is that this sort of soppy emotionalism is a key part of the, ahem, arguments put forth by the (dare I say it?) 'radical pro illegal immigration fanatics'. I mean, we can all see the human side of the issue, but sorry, we just cannot make national policy based on such weepy aphorisms. Many people have taken a good look at the on-the-street reality, as opposed to the fell-good PC fantasy usually peddled, don't much like what they see, and are quite legitimately worried about the future.

Posted by: eh at April 10, 2006 01:10 AM

Good God. Now the man's Maya Angelou.

LOL. Loved the addendum.

Rather than "restoring our souls", how about "restoring our laws and sovereignty". I think there's actually something about law and sovereignty in the Constitution as opposed to soul restoration.

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at April 10, 2006 02:42 AM