Illegal Immigration Amnesty Bill, Rush Limbaugh, President Bush

BUSH VS RUSH?

President Lashes Out Against Right, Media Has Field Day







With an attack on conservative opponents of his amnesty plan for illegal aliens, President Bush has given mainstream media foes all they could ever want.

The predictable result, of course, are headlines that seek to highlight supposed internal "divisions" within the conservative movement. Unfortunately for them, the right has never been more unified, with almost complete opposition to the amnesty bill.

Why Bush would seek to further alienate his traditional base may seem beyond comprehension, but it's providing opportunities for an eager MSM to focus on the "Bush vs Rush" angle. Call it a divide- and- conquer strategy.

From the Miami Herald (and running in every McClatchy newspaper), here's but one example:

Bush: Playing on fears is unjust to migrants

President Bush accused his conservative critics of fear-mongering on immigration. He signaled his determination to keep fighting for changes.

By RON HUTCHESON


GLYNCO, Ga. --
Firing back at conservative critics, President Bush defended his plan to overhaul immigration laws Tuesday and accused its opponents of ''trying to rile up people's emotions'' with misinformation.

In an exclusive interview with McClatchy, Bush expressed his determination to fight for changes that would let millions of illegal immigrants gain legal status. He cast the debate as a struggle over America's soul and its reputation as a welcoming nation.

''I'm deeply concerned about America losing its soul. Immigration has been the lifeblood of a lot of our country's history,'' the president said during the Air Force One interview. ``I am worried that a backlash to newcomers would cause our country to lose its great capacity to assimilate newcomers.''

Bush underscored his commitment to the proposed overhaul -- despite harsh criticism from some conservatives -- as he traveled to Georgia for a speech that assailed the legislation's critics.

''I'm sure you've heard some of the talk out there about people defining the bill. It's clear they hadn't read the bill. They're speculating about what the bill says, and they're trying to rile up people's emotions,'' he told an audience at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, near Brunswick. ``If you want to kill the bill, if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it, you can use it to frighten people. Or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all.''

Bush acknowledged that the proposed overhaul faces a difficult time in Congress, where it's under attack from both ends of the political spectrum.

Conservative critics contend that it amounts to an amnesty program because undocumented immigrants would be allowed to stay in the country after paying $1,000 fines. Some liberals complain that plans for a new temporary-worker program are overly restrictive and would create a permanent underclass of foreign workers.

Some of the most vociferous criticism has come from conservative talk-show hosts who usually support the president. Commentator Rush Limbaugh has told his listeners that the legislation would doom the Republican Party and the nation.

The bill seeks to strike a balance between tougher border enforcement and a more welcoming policy toward the estimated 12 million immigrants who already are in the country illegally.

Bush hopes to push it through Congress with help from a bipartisan group of lawmakers that includes Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a liberal stalwart, and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., a staunch conservative. The president said he had no hesitations about working with Kennedy despite their sharp differences over Iraq and other issues.

Isn't this funny? Suddenly, these guys have taken a break from Bush- bashing just long enough to make sure the conservative movement comes across as unreasonable. If Kyl and Kennedy can join together, what's wrong with the right?

For the news media, has Bush suddenly become the new McCain? Will he morph into the "statesman" who isn't afraid to do what's best for the country, even against the mean- spirited righties led by arch- villain Limbaugh?

Count on it, at least for now.


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