These guys are saving me a lot of writing!

Bush’s migrant proposal gets chilly response
Matthew Benson
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 10, 2007

Nearly one year ago, President Bush made a splash with his visit to Yuma as he talked about the coming deployment of the National Guard to the border and focused debate on illegal immigration.

On Monday, the response was chillier and more muted as Bush returned to the border outside the southern Arizona city.

He again advocated what he calls comprehensive immigration reform, again talked about the need to secure the border while ensuring a stable workforce and some means to achieve citizenship for the millions already living here illegally. advertisement

Bush called on Congress to send him an immigration bill he can sign this year. But middle ground between the border hardliners and migrant advocates has been hard to find. That was apparent Monday, as Bush’s comments drew him into a crossfire of reaction. A sample:

I heard him say the same ol’ thing he always does. It’s always all show, no substance. He’s a lame duck. He will not get anything accomplished. I’d stake my life on it.”

– Ray Borane,
mayor of the Arizona border town of Douglas

There was nothing new today. We’re certainly hopeful he has sufficient influence to get something through Congress.”
– Alfredo Gutierrez,
a Democrat and former state senator

If it looks like amnesty and smells like amnesty, it’s amnesty. It’s simply asinine. The dots don’t connect.”
– Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa

The president doesn’t know the issue down here like he wants people to think. The people of Arizona are sick and tired of being sick and tired of waiting on the federal government to act.”
– Rep. Warde Nichols, R-Chandler

All he’s trying to do is introduce a new way to say the same thing. If we give all these people amnesty today, what are we going to do with the people who come tomorrow?”
– Don Goldwater, nephew of Barry Goldwater
and a Republican gubernatorial candidate (2006)

The days of playing politics, of using immigration as a campaign tactic, are over. If we don’t get (immigration reform) done this year, it’s going to be very difficult to get it done in 2008.”
– Rep. Steve Gallardo, D-Phoenix

I strongly encourage President Bush to support legislation that deals with the issue of illegal immigration but does not create a new path to citizenship or expand chain migration.”
– U.S. Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz.

You can read the entire article here.