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Obama Channels Bush in Speech on Immigration

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Posted on Jul 4, 2010
Flickr / nycmayorsoffice, Edward Reed

President Obama speaks on immigration at American University in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

President Obama’s immigration speech on Thursday, according to a former speechwriter for George W. Bush, bore an extraordinary similarity to the one delivered by his predecessor back in 2006. —JCL

Los Angeles Times:

Though he is quick to deride former President George W. Bush’s performance in office, President Obama seems to think his predecessor gives a pretty good immigration speech.

Obama’s widely publicized speech on the controversial topic Thursday closely tracks, in rhetoric and basic policy, a speech Bush gave on the same subject in May 2006.

Speaking at American University, Obama delivered an address intended to rally the nation behind a plan that would strengthen border security while providing a path to legal status for the estimated 12 million people living in the U.S. illegally.

Obama’s speech was longer than the one Bush delivered four years ago—4,100 words compared with 2,600. Bush, speaking from the Oval Office, did not have to expend words thanking people. And Obama used the occasion to recap victories on healthcare and education.

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DieDaily's avatar

By DieDaily, July 5, 2010 at 4:25 am Link to this comment

I love that even the reactionary-left is abandoning
their messiah president now. Just like even the
reactionary-right abandoned Bush. Hate to say I told
you so, but…

As always, there is nothing to choose between the two
parties. People getting that yet?

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By call me roy, July 4, 2010 at 4:12 pm Link to this comment

I hope you Progressives aren’t starting to believe anything the “Anointed One” is telling you?
President Barack Obama promised during his campaign and inaugural speeches that we would witness a fundamental transformation of America. To be sure, his idea of a transformation is more akin to Karl Marx or Hugo Chavez than to Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity.
Perhaps we should be grateful that, so far, President Obama and his progressive cabal are fixated on health care, cap & trade, climate change and other big government projects. With so much on his plate, Obama hasn’t had time to fundamentally charge the very basis of our legal system—the 10 Commandments, as given to the prophet Moses by Yahweh on Mount Sinai.
I. I am your leader, Obama. When I and my minions are around, who needs God?
II. Obama, Pelosi and Reid must be exalted with carved images throughout the nation.
III. Prayer will be banned in public, but praise, song and poetry honoring Obama will be constant.
IV. Remember the Sabbath Day. Don’t observe it, simply remember it.
V. Honor thy mother and thy father if they love Obama; otherwise, call child protection services and claim they’ve abused you.
VI. Thou shall not kill or abuse terrorists or criminals, but unborn babies may be killed right up to the moment of their birth.
VII. Thou shall marry anyone or any creature you wish with the full protection of Obama.
VIII. Thou shall steal from those who work and save and give such bounty to those who are slothful, irresponsible and non-productive.
IX. Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, unless they refuse to accept Obama as their god and their leader.
X. You shall covet your neighbor’s house. When Obama is done transforming America you will have it.

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By call me roy, July 4, 2010 at 4:06 pm Link to this comment

With California facing a $42 billion deficit in the current economic downturn, a glum Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has warned that the Golden State is on the brink of insolvency. So lets take a “statistical” peak?
The land of illegal immigrants, socialism, and the high taxes to pay for it all. The brutal tax increases will cost the average California family an extra $1,000 a year in taxes. Californians will now pay a 8.25% state sales tax, this makes the total sales as high as 10% depending on the county. This is the highest state sales tax in the nation. Californians will have a quarter percent increase in state income tax and the dependent credit will drop 66%. This move would most likely make California second in highest state income taxes. California vehicle tax will double,making it one of the highest in the nation. The staggering 12 cent increase in state gas tax was nixed to get one more Republican vote. However, Californians already have has the third highest state gas tax in the nation. A brutal .353 cents per gallon.
California leaning towards massive tax hike. California already has some of the highest taxes in the nation to pay for it’s massive illegal alien population and socialist policies. Also because of high taxes and easy access to an illegal work force, California leads the nation in off the books cash only businesses who are not paying taxes. With businesses run out of the state, or simply not paying taxes, California now gets over half it’s revenue from state income tax alone.
Did you know that the state of California gave 432 million dollars worth of welfare and food stamps to illegal aliens in LA County with “anchor babies.” This is just the illegal aliens who are legally receiving welfare under California state law. This doesn’t count the illegals who’s children were born overseas and are fraudulently receiving welfare. The state also spends an estimated 400 million a year for health care for illegal aliens in LA County. With the costs of schooling and incarcerating illegals, the combined strain on the state and county for illegal aliens in LA County is easily in excess of 2 Billion dollars per year.
Nationally, Across America, every state, county, and city is going bankrupt. The state in the worst shape is California which is now 58% non-white. Welfare, free health care, and other public services to immigrants is pushing America to the brink. Instead of closing the border, Obama recently issued a back door amnesty for illegal aliens from Haiti. Even releasing Haitian illegal aliens from detention centers who have already been convicted of crimes in the United States! (From NumbersUSA) Approximately 1/2 of immigrant households (both legal and illegal) with kids access welfare services, primarily food and Medicaid. Many argue that immigration is a social issue, but it’s a fiscal issue as well. The immigrant population has grown by an average of 1.3 million per year since 2000, plus an additional 1 million new births in those households. That’s 23 million new people every decade, and HALF of all immigrant families are using welfare, especially food and Medicaid welfare! This includes illegal AND legal immigrants.
When Nobel Prize-winning libertarian economist Milton Friedman was asked about unlimited immigration in 1999, he stated that “it is one thing to have free immigration to jobs. It is another thing to have free immigration to welfare. And you cannot have both.”

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By call me roy, July 4, 2010 at 4:04 pm Link to this comment

Please save America from the cluelessly, or worse, articulate, and the data contortions they must perform to try to convince us that the answer to high unemployment is to open our borders to a never-ending flood of the Third-World unemployed. Add to that the chain migration that infinitely follows as everyone from in-laws to grandparents to toddlers to someone’s aunt’s teenage adopted son’s stepfather’s cousin all chain their way into the U.S., then needing massive social services in health, welfare, education, not to mention, um, law enforcement.. Of course our state and local governments are just loaded with ready cash.

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G.Anderson's avatar

By G.Anderson, July 4, 2010 at 10:47 am Link to this comment

No one in Washington really listens to the people, anyway, their too busy trying to manipulate us or coerece us..

But I will say it anyway… What are we getting from Mexico, or anywhere else for amnesty?

Unless we use our leverage to encourage poltical, educational, and economic reform in Mexico or elsewhere, then they will keep coming here. We have the power to force American companies that operate in Mexico to make changes, and we need to. Like requireing them to pay US standard minimum wages to all their employees.

We also need to make changes in the way this country deals with drug use, either licensing for private consummption some drugs, or mandating that all arrested addicts get vacinated against their drug of choice. Unless we do, the poltical process in Mexico will continue to destablize.

I understand why people come here for a better life, but I think, they would prefer to remain home if their life in Mexico could be made better. This country can do something about that.

Amnesty should not be just another give away.

It didn’t work last time and it won’t do anything this time. In 10 years we will have to have another one and so on…

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By Carl, July 4, 2010 at 10:01 am Link to this comment

There is nothing “centrist” about another Reagan type amnesty enacted in 1986 to “solve” the illegal immigrant problem. That caused another 20 million desperate workers to surge across the border to drive down wages and bust unions. Around 80% of citizens oppose another amnesty disguised as “reform” yet that corporate stooge Obama will try to shove it through.

If he really wants to solve the problem, require E-verify and deport all the illegal aliens here today, which would create millions of jobs for poor Americans, including minorities. Yes, this is possible, we already deport some 300,000 a year, while thrice that number is arrested and then released on bail for their hearing.

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By James Harbour, July 4, 2010 at 7:57 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

From torture, to just about anything else, Obama has proven himself a coward and a weakling in reestablishing the rule of law.

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By grumpynyker, July 4, 2010 at 6:46 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m always amused to see racists,white
supremacists,zionists/neocons,pseudo-
liberals/progressives/libertarians,corporations,etc.
all HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT behind the Mulatto-in-Chief. 
Barry executes and EXPANDS EVERYTHING on those bigots’
wet dream list so I can’t understand why all this fake
animus.

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