Bush Blames Reid on Immigration Bill

[cal04]

President Bush blamed Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Saturday for the potentially fatal blow dealt to compromise immigration legislation. The landmark bill, which would offer eventual citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants, fell victim Friday to internal disputes in both parties. But Bush — echoing earlier complaints from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. — sought to place all the blame on Reid, D-Nev., who refused to permit votes on more than three Republican-backed amendments. "I call on the Senate minority leader to end his blocking tactics and allow the Senate to do its work and pass a fair, effective immigration reform bill," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

Hailed as a bipartisan breakthrough earlier in the week, the immigration measure would have provided for stronger border security, regulated the future entry of foreign workers and created a complex new set of regulations for the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country illegally. Officials said an estimated 9 million of them, those who could show they had been in the United States for more than two years, would eventually become eligible for citizenship under the proposal.

Faced with a major setback only months before much of the Republican-controlled Congress is up for re-election, Bush sought to give life to the issue. Speaking mostly to conservatives in his party, he said border security must be improved and enforcement within the United States needs to be enhanced. But in a nod to business leaders who support temporary worker programs that would ensure an easy supply of low-cost labor, he spoke passionately about the need to put out the welcome mat for those from other countries.

"Immigration is an emotional issue and a vitally important one," Bush said. "At its core, immigration is the sign of a confident and successful nation." The legislation was gridlocked as lawmakers left the Capitol on Friday for a two-week break. After bewildering political maneuvering, a key vote produced only 38 senators, all Democrats, in support — 22 short of the 60 needed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060408/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

[BOSSHOG]

1. "Conservative" modus operandi

Its always someone else's fault or responsibility according to members of the party of responsibility.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. That's why we're in such a mess - Bush never takes the blame for ANYTHING.

[journalist3072]

2. So what if Reid blocked them from having votes on amendments?

How many times have the Republicans blocked the Democrats from offering their own amendments? Plenty of times!

[Canuckistanian]

3. Shrub really has a talent doesn't he?

He can take a complicated subject and break it down to a laughably simple-minded statement (that's usually WRONG), then use it against the Democrats.

It's the FAUX NEWS approach to politics. But it gets all the faithful 'bots nodding their heads in agreement.

[Edgewater_Joe]

5. Waah! Waah! Waah!

Like they really wanted to pass anything themselves ...

[babylonsister]

6. And Snotty blamed the Dems for the leak in his convoluted way.

SOP for these thugs.

[bullimiami]

7. MINORITY LEADER. MINORITY.

what an asshole.
did reid launch a filibuster i didnt hear about to kill this bushit?

[DainBramaged]

8. The front pages people see in the Starbucks

or on their desktops (a majority DO NOT put FAUX on their desktops) are noticing the headlines, and they aren't praising Bishy right now. (I have Reichwing customers, and USA today or CNN is acceptable as homepages on workstations).

I take my kid to school in the morning, and the early buzz in Starbucks is everyone in my Reich dominated county is talking about the failure of the Administration. Failure, a word I hear a lot now.

[old_techie]

9. Hurray to both parties for screwing up the deal

They gave the American workforce a stay of execution from "guestworkers". And sabotaged the sneak Trojan horse H-1B increase, having nothing whatsoever to do with the Mexican border problem.

[0007]

10. .....and it gave the minutemen another ten minutes or until the

temperature gets high.

[journalist3072]

11. Let's go back in time, shall we?

Specifically, let's revist the time when, in the House of Representatives, Congress was voting on a Katrina relief bill.

Republicans in the House blocked Democrats from offering an amendment to the bill. An amendment which whould have provided for a wider array of relief measures.

So before the Rethugs start trashing Harry Reid for blocking a vote on an amendment, they need to make sure their own house is in order in this area.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2005/Republicans_block_efforts_to_amendment_relief_bill_vote_without_c_0907.html

[radwriter0555]

12. I said last week YOU WERE BEING PUNKED on the immigration bill, that

bush would DO nothing, but would blame the DEMOCRATS for its failure.

Damn I LOVE my crystal ball.