Bush Speaks The Truth, Calls Immigration Bill 'Amnesty'
His idea of amnesty is different. He says Amnesty is "something you've got to pay a price for being here illegally". The definition of Amnesty is: A general pardon granted by a government, especially for political offenses. So Bush must be planning to sell pardons. Sounds awfully Clinton-esque to me.
President Bush has spent a whole lot of time in recent months claiming that the immigration bill isn't "amnesty."
But in describing the measure Tuesday morning, an apparent slip of the tongue suggested otherwise -- providing fodder for the talk-radio crowd that loathes the bill and wants it defeated in the Senate.
"You know, I've heard all the rhetoric -- you've heard it, too -- about how this is amnesty. Amnesty means that you've got to pay a price for having been here illegally, and this bill does that," Bush said, according to the official White House transcript.
This just might get the attention of Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh -- and it's terrible timing for the president, with a key vote in the Senate Tuesday afternoon.
As you can imagine, Tony Snow shouted OMG!! and quickly had to throw out a press statement. Tony Snow has to be the hardest-working man in Washington.
This has been construed as an assertion that comprehensive immigration reform legislation before the Senate offers amnesty to immigrants who came here illegally. That is the exact opposite of the president’s long-held and often-stated position.
President Bush has noted repeatedly that the comprehensive reform he supports is not an amnesty bill. Amnesty means forgiving wrongdoing without imposing punishment. The immigration reforms passed in 1986 granted amnesty. The legislation under consideration this year does not. This measure imposes significant punishments on those who came to this country illegally between 1986 and the beginning of this year.
***UPDATE 6/26/07 1:40PM***
The Senate voted 64-35 to end cloture (debate). It now goes to the floor for a vote. The House of Reps are planning a resolution rejecting the Senate amnesty bill. The White House isn't pleased.
House Republicans are set to vote on a measure Tuesday afternoon rejecting the Senate immigration bill shortly after the upper chamber votes whether to proceed on that debate in yet another hurdle for backers of a comprehensive overhaul.
[...]
House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio notified an angry White House shortly before Hoekstra introduced the measure, the Republican leader said, adding, “I won’t say they were happy about it.”
I was hoping some sanity would come to this VIA the House of Representatives. But, it's not over 'til it's over.
h/t: Hot Air
