Bush looks for a way out of immigration mess

April 14, 2006

Two days after congressional [tag]Republicans[/tag] complained that Bush has been a no-show in the [tag]immigration[/tag] debate, the president decided to mix it up a little bit by blaming Harry Reid for the legislative breakdown.

Until late last week, Mr. [tag]Bush[/tag] had, at least publicly, stayed to the side of the warring between factions of his party, and the [tag]Democrats[/tag], as the Senate hashed out a compromise between sealing the nation’s borders and legalizing the illegal work force already here without granting what opponents could call “amnesty.”

This week, Mr. Bush has placed himself at the vanguard of the issue, publicly lacerating the Senate minority leader, [tag]Harry Reid[/tag], of Nevada, for blocking the legislation last week on procedural grounds.

On Thursday, Mr. Bush accused Mr. Reid of “single-handedly thwarting the will of the American people and impeding bipartisan efforts to secure this border, and make this immigration system of ours more humane and rational.”

Apparently, the White House is taking this strategy fairly seriously. The NYT noted that Bush’s criticism of Reid was “followed up with e-mail messages from the White House to the news media.”

First, on the substance, Reid was right to block the bill. The Senate GOP has broken its word repeatedly, making one promise to Reid and then producing a far more conservative bill in conference committee. Dems weren’t going to fall for the trick again. “They thought once they got the bill into conference, they’d be fine,” Jim Manley, Reid’s spokesman told the NYT. “They miscalculated.”

Second, what’s the point of Bush going after Reid now? To make a compromise more likely? I don’t think so; Reid isn’t bullied easily. It seems the White House knows it’s lost yet another round, is scared about looking weak (again), and is looking to place the blame elsewhere. It’s kind of sad, really.

And third, on a less-substantive note, I was very fond of Reid’s response to the president’s attack.

“President Bush has as much credibility on immigration as he does on Iraq and national security,” shot back the Nevada Democrat.

Reid can replace the word “immigration” with just about anything, and the response works just as well.

I don’t agree with Reid on everything, but at this point I’ll get behind any Democrat who’s willing to act like their a member of an opposition party. Go, Harry!

  • “[Reid is] single-handedly thwarting the will of the American people…” – George W. Bush

    Does W. really imagine that he KNOWS the will of the American people. Hell, I thought he knew that this was one of those issues where he would have to lead America kicking and screaming to a rationale solution that the populace is not willing to accept.

  • The sad fact is that people outside DC and the media have no clue abou the history of the current GOP and it’s use of procedure and tactics to push their agenda, squelch discusion, and marginalize dissenters and Democrats. Bush has an interest in making sure no one really understands why Reid blocked the legislation and the media doesn’t look deep and do its homework. If you know and understand the politicing and this history then Reid’s move looks sane/responsible or at least understandable.

  • ET’s comment is right, but that’s why the zinger about credibility is great for the “normal” folks who don’t follow all the beltway BS.

    EVERYONE knows Bush has zero credibility.

    And when Bush says “[Reid is] single-handedly thwarting the will of the American people…”, here’s the simple smackdown:

    Hey George, how the hell do you even know the will of the American people is? You live in a bubble and only talk to carefully screened audiences.

    The “bubble” and “credibility” memes need to be hammered home at every opportunity, because they have traction with the uninformed (which is where we need traction, the informed already hate Bush’s guts.)

    Reid should be going out and talking to real people, and at every stop, highlight the fact that Bush lives in a bubble. If Bush comes out, he’ll get hammered. If he stays in, he gets hammered.

  • Here’s a way out for Bush ..
    New Neil Young Album Includes Song “Impeach The President”…

  • I wonder: has anyone done enough polling to determine if the immigration debate will be sufficient to turn Catholics back to their tradtional home in the Democratic Party? Virtually no Roman Catholics care about the church’s position on birth control or (sadly) the Church’s opposition to the Iraq quagmire and its denouncement of capital punishment, but for the last several elections they do seem to have become single-issue anti-abortionist (anti-choice). Maybe Cardinal Mahony’s refusal to cooperate with the GOP State Secret Police on rounding up “illegals” will bring them back.

  • “…turn Catholics back to their tradtional home in the Democratic Party?” – Ed Stephan

    If the Arch Bishops and Cardinals aren’t willing to send out voter guides that mention the Pope’s opposition to capital punishment, I wouldn’t hold out too much hope.

    Last time (2004), the College of Catholic Bishops sent out a voters guide with issues like abortion, euthanisa and stem cell research, stating the church’s positions and telling voters to vote for candidates (strangely, all Republicanite) who support those positions. Notabley lacking from their pamplet was any mention of capital punishment.

    What is profoundly sick about that is that the State executes criminals (we hope only criminals) in the name of the people. Abortion is a decision of an individual. I have far less moral responsibility for the sin of abortion if I support candidates who support a woman’s choice than I have moral responsibility for the sin of ‘state’ murder if I support candidates who support keeping the death penalty.

  • Lance writes: What is profoundly sick about that is that the State executes criminals (we hope only criminals) in the name of the people. Abortion is a decision of an individual. I have far less moral responsibility for the sin of abortion if I support candidates who support a woman’s choice than I have moral responsibility for the sin of ‘state’ murder if I support candidates who support keeping the death penalty.

    Damn, Lance, that quote should be item No. 1 in the list of talking points of any pro-choice dem. Powerful message.

  • Well, I need to apologize for one point: it wasn’t four, it was six. They may indeed be retired but at least two of them are (as pictured) clearly in uniform. And the casual looker might well assume they all are.

  • “Damn, Lance, that quote should be item No. 1 in the list of talking points of any pro-choice dem. Powerful message.” – Jim Strain

    Thanks Jim. You can’t imagine how much my blood boiled when I got that flyer from the Catholic bishops.

  • It’s interesting to note that Bill Frist now says the Republican Guard is willing to eliminate the provisions making illegals FELONS. He made no such promise regarding making illegals MISDEMEANANTS.

    Harry Reid was wise not to be fooled by the Republican Guard, which would undoubtedly keep criminal provisions in any reconciliation bill. They just don’t seem to have a problem making millions of people criminal by legislative fiat – they are, after all, the party wanting to use prisoners as slave labor.

  • Dumbya is in trouble undeniably but his people are not problem. His policies are. It is these policies, not his advisers that have given us huge deficits, 12 million illegal aliens, a trade deficit running at $800 billion a year and a no-win war that is bleeding our country. …dumbya is now road kill on the rethugilican political super highway, a hopelessly lame-duck administration…Bushit is the amalgamation of all the hideous and sad parts of the Republican Party. He is a Republican Frankenstein. He has the temperament of Barry Goldwater, the integrity of Richard Nixon, and the brains of Dan Quayle… the list could go on and on as you know. The American people have been made fools of by the clever schemes of Karl Rove, the Dr. Frankenstein of American politics, the man who took this half-brained creature, this pseudo-moron, mental pygmy, dormant brain dumbya, mindless George Bush, and transformed him into president of the U.S. It’s what we all expect of a C– student: Skim the first couple of chapters and hope to bullshit the rest. Dumbya is the kid who was born on third and thinks he kicked a field goal. No the slow kid on the short bus wants to drive us into Iran. Do you really want to go for that ride?

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