Bushs Speech on Immigration

[volinbham]

Before you respond 1) I hope you watched it and 2) you are giving YOUR impression, not the spin/analysis.

Overall, I thought it showed leadership. I believe you cannot solve one issue (border) without the other (handling illegals and guest workers).

Instead of pandering to the conservative base, W went for a solution that the is "passable" by the Congress.

I also like his continual call to debate the issue in a civil manner. :twocents:

 

[USAF_Vol]

I like how he said if they wanted to be legal, they should learn English.

 

[OWB]

Personally, I see this as nothing more than an attempt to save his poll numbers and gain some approval from his party. In other words, it's for all the wrong the reasons. I believe that the President should do something because he feels strongly about it and because it's in our best interest, not because he's feeling the heat and this is just about the only area that he can actually try and improve. But hey, I guess that's politics huh?

However, I think sending the National Guard down to work the borders is the right move. It's not enough, but it's a start of something that should have been done years ago.

 

[hatvol96]

I think that speech was designed to drive Lou Dobbs deeper into the depths of insanity.

 

[OWB]

I think that speech was designed to drive Lou Dobbs deeper into the depths of insanity.

:birgits_giggle: So true..

 

[volinbham]

I think that speech was designed to drive Lou Dobbs deeper into the depths of insanity.

Mission accomplished!

 

[volinbham]

Personally, I see this as nothing more than an attempt to save his poll numbers and gain some approval from his party. In other words, it's for all the wrong the reasons. I believe that the President should do something because he feels strongly about it and because it's in our best interest, not because he's feeling the heat and this is just about the only area that he can actually try and improve.

However, I think sending the National Guard down to work the borders is the right move. It's not enough, but it's a start of something that should have been done years ago.

At this point, you don't believe anything he does is sincere it appears.

However, if you go back in W's history - he's consistently favored immigration reform including a guest worker program.

The House and Senate are at loggerheads and the public wants a solution. Makes sense that he would try to broker one.

 

[GAVol]

Personally, I see this as nothing more than an attempt to save his poll numbers and gain some approval from his party.

I don't know about that. If he was poll driven, he probably wouldn't be nearly as much of a centrist on this issue. He's trying to govern and he's taking serious hits from both sides on this one.

 

[OWB]

If he was poll driven, he probably wouldn't be nearly as much of a centrist on this issue.

So you're saying this has nothing to do with polls and mid term elections?

 

[volinbham]

As a further thought on does he believe or is he just doing to bolster the polls.

His numbers are dropping because of erosion in the conservative base - if he merely wanted to bolster the polls it would be all enforcement and no focus on guest workers and pathway to citizenship.

In short, the best way for him to shore up support would be to take the House approach. Instead, he took a much more moderate and compromise approach.

 

[GAVol]

So you're saying this has nothing to do with polls and mid term elections?

Of course it does. Everything does. I'm just saying that I don't think he's as worried about what immigration reform looks like as he is passing some sort of immigration reform.

 

[OWB]

However, if you go back in W's history - he's consistently favored immigration reform including a guest worker program.

Do you really think that the guest worker program will work. I'll admit, I don't know much about it at this point but it seems like it's a lot of hassle. Why would anyone want to go through all of the hoops and get I.D's and such when they could just sneak across the border and avoid all of that?

Is there something that would stop that from happening? I don't even know.

 

[volinbham]

So you're saying this has nothing to do with polls and mid term elections?

He's clearly not going to sway dems to vote for republicans with this approach.

Show me any politician (dem or rep) on this issue that isn't at least considering the impact on the midterm elections!

 

[USAF_Vol]

I had my fingers crossed for the pull out of Iraq thing. :cry:

 

[volinbham]

Do you really think that the guest worker program will work. I'll admit, I don't know much about it at this point but it seems like it's a lot of hassle. Why would anyone want to go through all of the hoops and get I.D's and such when they could just sneak across the border and avoid all of that?

Is there something that would stop that from happening? I don't even know.

Border security is a prerequisite. The other component is to "know" who's here.

Will be tough but I definitely think we need these workers (or some).

 

[volmanjr]

I like how he said if they wanted to be legal, they should learn English.

I second that, What ever solution they come up with for guest workers and illegals, learning English should be required , all the other nationalities that come to America learn English.

 

[dan4vols]

Where I work just hired 7 who spoke no english at all. Im a certified trainer...but couldnt train them on stand up forklifts because they require a trainer who speaks spanish to train them. Can anyone say ''bend over backwards to help em out?''

 

[volinbham]

Where I work just hired 7 who spoke no english at all. Im a certified trainer...but couldnt train them on stand up forklifts because they require a trainer who speaks spanish to train them. Can anyone say ''bend over backwards to help em out?''

No offense intended but why were they hired if they can't speak English?

 

[dan4vols]

I dunno...they just did...is it illegal to do that?

 

[volinbham]

Only if they are illegal aliens. I'm sure we have plenty of legal immigrants here that can't speak English

 

[volfan2024]

I don't know about that. If he was poll driven, he probably wouldn't be nearly as much of a centrist on this issue. He's trying to govern and he's taking serious hits from both sides on this one.

I'm with you GAVOL.....Power to the People! :biggrin2:

 

[dan4vols]

same ole same ole................even from a lame duck President. Admit the legal 'illegal'' aliens to do the harvest then say its i the nations best intrest. Im noy sayin the sittin pres is for illegal aliens or even Big oil........but for a man from Texas he sure does go the long way around concealing. Like...''Im gonna piss on your leg......you voters tell me when it feels like rain''.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

Tough crowd, Bush did not expand his thoughts on the subject as much as I would like. It is actually a shame, the man has great speeches but his delivery makes you squint and grit your teeth. Come on George, get it out.

Regardless if you hate the man or not, you have to feel compassion for him when he pauses and tries to pronounce words.

This is something that has been a long time coming. Bush wanted to act on this as long as 2 years ago. This along with Iraq will become his legacy as president.

Once he leaves office, and the hate mongers die out, unless they hate the next president, I wonder how Bush will be remembered 15-20 years from now.

Will the democratic hate machine remember Bush, because they will have to continue to hate every Republican President that comes along, regardless of their politics?

 

[jdsa]

Tough crowd, Bush did not expand his thoughts on the subject as much as I would like. It is actually a shame, the man has great speeches but his delivery makes you squint and grit your teeth. Come on George, get it out.

Regardless if you hate the man or not, you have to feel compassion for him when he pauses and tries to pronounce words.

This is something that has been a long time coming. Bush wanted to act on this as long as 2 years ago. This along with Iraq will become his legacy as president.

Once he leaves office, and the hate mongers die out, unless they hate the next president, I wonder how Bush will be remembered 15-20 years from now.

Will the democratic hate machine remember Bush, because they will have to continue to hate every Republican President that comes along, regardless of their politics?

Bush's legacy will be determined mostly by whether Iraq manages to become a stable, lasting democarcy or the next Iran, ruled tyranically by a Shia majority -- or worse.

A second factor that determines how historians remember Bush will be how the country ends up dealing with the sudden burgeoning of debt and/or weakening of the dollar that he's over seen.

All that's imo, of course.

 

[smokedog#3]

didn't watch it, can't stand to hear anymore of his pathetic lies. i heard alot of people talking today saying he talks pretty good now lets see if he does anything to enforce his words. he won't he's a joke. just trying to save face and get his approval rating back over 30%. W sucks.