Opinion: Bush misspeaks
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The back-and-forth over the immigration bill now in the Senate has been long, torturous and often confusing. It’s easy to get lost, trying to follow it. Just ask President Bush.
Bush met with various aides and staff members this morning, thanking them for their work on the legislation and bucking them up for the arduous effort needed to actually get it passed. As he has often in recent weeks, he sought to counter the argument that, in offering a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants after they pay fines and meet other conditions, the measure represents the dreaded A-word.
‘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.’
At that moment, CNN’s Lou Dobbs must have been in seventh heaven, thinking he had FINALLY converted Bush to his view that the bill would reward lawbreakers, and therefore provide amnesty.
About three hours later, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow sent out a ‘what the president meant to say’ message: ‘Earlier today, in speaking about comprehensive immigration reform, President Bush misspoke,’ Snow said. ‘President Bush has noted repeatedly that the comprehensive reform he supports is not an amnesty bill. Amnesty means forgiving wrongdoing without imposing punishment.’
The debate continues ...
-- Don Frederick