Immigration A Top Issue For GOP Only
CBS' Kathy Frankovic: Issue Is Top Domestic Concern Of Many Republican Primary Voters
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Bush: Act Now On Immigration
CBS News RAW: Speaking at the Federal Law Enforcement Academy in Glynco, Ga., President Bush urged members of both political parties to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
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Special Report: Bush
CBS News Special Report: Katie Couric has a special report on President Bush's news conference from the Rose Garden, in which he addressed the war in Iraq and the immigration bill.
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Reality Check On Immigration
Republicans say the immigration reform now on the Senate floor treats illegal immigrants too well. Democrats are worried the bill doesn't treat them well enough. Jim Axelrod reports.
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Immigration And Naturalization
Who's coming to America? Find out what's being done to screen for terrorists and take a citizenship quiz.
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Immigration Rallies
Demonstrators demand path to citizenship for estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.
Looking only at overall poll results can sometimes hide major differences in the way groups view issues. Many of those differences are partisan like the huge gap between Republicans and Democrats in support for the war in Iraq. But sometimes those differences go deeper, and what is happening within a party can matter politically.
In the most recent CBS News/New York Times Poll, Republicans, Democrats and independents differed little on some specifics of the immigration reform bill that is now being debated in Congress. Immigration is one of very few current issues that don't show partisan polarization. Most in both parties said they favored a guest worker program and supported a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, while recognizing that illegal immigration as a very serious concern.
But many Republicans in Congress are having a difficult time with the proposed legislation, and the poll suggests why and why immigration reform may really matter only in the GOP's presidential selection process next year.
Iraq is still the big issue for both parties' voters: In the latest poll, more than one in three Democratic primary voters (registered voters who say they will vote in a Democratic primary or caucus next year) volunteered the war in Iraq as the country's most important problem (37 percent), followed by health care at 7 percent and gas prices at 6 percent. Nothing else not immigration, not even terrorism, was named by more than 3 percent of Democrats.
Republican primary voters, however, rank issues differently. Iraq is still No. 1 for them, but at 21 percent it's much less often volunteered than it is by Democratic primary voters. Four other issues are each mentioned by one in 10 primary voters immigration (11 percent), gas prices (9 percent), terrorism and security (9 percent), and religious and moral values (9 percent).
But the party difference is even starker when voters are asked about four specific domestic issues. We asked which of the following issues the President and Congress should concentrate on now: reducing taxes, making health insurance available to all Americans, strengthening immigration laws, or promoting traditional values? For Democratic voters, there is no contest. One issue health care dominates. Seventy-two percent name health care availability, and just 12 percent say strengthening immigration laws should be the priority. Even fewer not even one Democratic voter in 10 say the dominant issue is taxes or values.
But on the Republican side, immigration dominates. Forty percent of Republican primary voters choose strengthening immigration laws as their chief domestic issue. Twenty-four percent choose values, 22 percent health care availability, 12 percent taxes.
Immigration, therefore, is really a Republican issue now. And those four in 10 Republican primary voters who care about strengthening immigration laws have more negative feelings about immigration and immigrants than do other Republicans. For example, among those who see strengthening immigration as the most important domestic issue:
This group of Republican primary voters also supports construction of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. Compared with other Republican voters, they are more likely to believe that illegal immigrants take jobs away from Americans, and are more likely to want even legal immigration decreased.
This anti-immigrant segment of the Republican Party is not limited to any one region, although it is less of a concern among Midwesterners. There are more men than women in this group. These voters are almost as conservative as the very conservative group who cite traditional values as their primary concern.
Many of the Republicans now running for president, including former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, hold positions similar to the Republican voters who care about immigration. But some favor less punitive measures. Arizona Sen. John McCain, one of the co-sponsors of the current bill, could be particularly vulnerable on immigration with those Republican voters who care the most about the issue. Although Rudy Giuliani has criticized the current bill, as Mayor of New York City he took a softer stand on immigration.
The immigration issue hasn't had an impact on Republican voters' preferences yet. In the CBS News/New York Times poll, Giuliani leads among those Republican primary voters who said immigration was their most important domestic priority and by about the same margin as Giuliani enjoys among all Republican voters.
But, of course, all that could change. Our poll explains why the Democratic candidates are spending their time talking about health care and why so many Republican voters are waiting to hear more about immigration from their party's candidates.
By Kathleen Frankovic
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 65 CommentsYou've been told they pay taxes, obey the law, and take the jobs that Americans won't. Sorry, but my experience has been the opposite. They'll mow lawns and they'll pick lettuce, but they won't stay there long. Checked the label on the fruits and veggies you've been buying lately? How many of those products actually came from South America? Personally, I'll pay more for fruits and vegetables to have 'em picked by an American that's earning a living wage. And when's the last time you asked a neighborhood kid to mow your lawn? He's not getting the $5 or $10 you got as a kid. I don't know of any cheap lawn service, so I don't accept their cries of 'poverty'.
The only solution now advanced is to give these criminals a "Get out of Jail Free" card! A "congratulations folks, you%u2019ve made it to the Promised Land!!" Now, go get all your family and friends and bring them over here for more free lunch; all on the backs of the American taxpayer. The only viable explanation has to be to enhance the political posturing of the Parties%u2026%u2026..it can in no way be construed as benefiting this Nation, its culture, or its traditions. Enforce the laws already on the books! We don%u2019t need more political deforestation with such a waste of paper. Why do we need amnesty for felons!
The same goes for offshoring jobs involving IP; then the corporations start whining we need piracy laws. Looking at the stats; the US is nowhere near the countries with the worst problems. Yet more laws are being staged for the US (fine and dandy) except the rest of the world isn't following suit. Surely by now, the costs of piracy would have rendered keeping all the jobs here in America as being the less costly thing to do?
Those portions of this bill that I%u2019ve seen or heard about show that the general population of US citizens are the ones who will bear the brunt of inconvenience and loss of liberty. This bill as far as I and we are concerned is nothing more than the continuing rape of the Constitution which seems to be the sole function of the majority of the bureaucrats inside the DC beltway. If it is not, why is there such a rush to enact it before anyone can publicly and seriously study its content. Those who choose to support this legislation will be individuals who will have violated their oath %u2026%u2026.%u201Dto support and defend%u201D %u2026%u2026%u201Dand bear true faith and allegiance.
So the GOP is now to have us believe that borders are sacrosanct? The more the borders are trespassed upon, and the more we see taxes levied and "patriot" laws enacted, the more we can see the two are exactly the same. They are both acts of aggression against property. The next tea party ought to be with Mexicans at our side and politicians of every party thrown in the harbor.
Amnesty by any other name is AMNESTY. This proposal intends to reward criminals with the object of their crime. This is typical Bush Administration "My way or the highway", if one does not agree with Mr. Bush one must therefore be some kind of subversive. The subversives are those criminals who have invaded our country, and the traitors who support them whether in the Senate or in some church or other providing aid and comfort to them while still enjoying tax-exempt status. What is it about ILLEGAL Mr. Bush and the drones in the Senate will not understand about ILLEGAL ALIENS?
Americans know in their gut Mr. Bush and the drones in the Senate are selling out the USA.
This is the most massive Corporate Welfare piece of Pork ever considered by Congress. It should be rejected with hostility.
If the repubs AND dems band together, it won't matter what the hispaincs do. If they hate both parties and stay home, so much the better.
Seal the border.
Harsh fines for businesses who hire illegals.
Cut off all federal funding for sanctuary cities.
Catch and deport.
Eventually, most will self deport. Better get in step with the American people.
Any good newswriter would be embarrassed to cite this poll in a story--unless we're talking about ENTERTAINMENT rather than news or research.
More massive than the huge tax giveaway by the Neocon Republiscum to the thousand richest people in the USA? At a time of exploding deficits due to an optional war?
Strange how the folks who were applauding the rip-off, or were quiet as little mice, are all up in arms about this.
Maybe--the tax giveaway was to white people, and the Mexicans are browner?
Maybe--Bushit isn't following the unwritten rules of the White Right?
Wonder why?
to be articles written as though most of the American people are for this immigration bill. Most americans know all these illegals will put a BIG strain on our programs such as medicare, medicaid and social security. I guess we can forget about getting any social security. WHY don't big businesses go over to Mexico??? I am sure they will get lots of people applying for jobs. Then maybe we can ship Bush and Cheney over there and they can take the idiots in Congress with them to Mexico. Besides, Bush and Cheney
would love Mexico....THEY HAVE OIL!!!
Firstly, to refer to voters who oppose this bill as "anti-immigrant" is silly: we are anti-ILLEGAL immigration. Notice that by dropping the key term ILLEGAL, she avoids a discussion about enforcing the law.
Secondly, notice how cunningly she attributes opposition to racism, simply by changing the term immigration to immigrant. As if this is about the people, not the existing law.
Being a legal-immigrant myself, it%u2019s counterintuitive that I would be anti-immigrant. I just expect my country to enforce the laws that I obeyed. This country has a tradition of accepting immigrants who apply legally, while the bill before congress destroys this tradition. In my opinion, it%u2019s to bring in a new crop of grateful and easily manipulated voters%u2014that%u2019s why both Rs and Ds love this bill.
Lastly, she%u2019s citing an opinion poll about what people think the facts might be, not showing the actual scientific facts, such as: fact 1--illegals ARE proven likely to commit more crime (simply being here is the first strike), fact 2--the law not opinion dictates deportation, fact 3--we don%u2019t need to pass a new law, just enforce the ones that exist already. The problem is that we are not enforcing the law!
It would be perfectly appropriate for Kathy to change her title to the CBS Chief of Intellectually Dishonest Propoganda. What do ya think?
Posted by NickDaytona at 04:27 PM : May 30, 2007
I think you're 100% RIGHT ON! Nicely done!
It is a problem for Democrats. And Independents.
It is a problem for ALL Americans.
Period.
Like Pavlov's dogs, we are being conditioned to accept what is wrong: the Amnesty of Illegal Aliens.
I say put ad in paper 20.00 per hour to pick onions and you wouldn't have enough fields to put them in.
It's bs they don't pay anywhere near 20.00 the guy was probably republican thinking everybody would believe a stupid remark like that.
I say put ad in paper 20.00 per hour to pick onions and you wouldn't have enough fields to put them in.
It's bs they don't pay anywhere near 20.00 the guy was probably republican thinking everybody would believe a stupid remark like that.
Posted by rharrin1
Rharrin1, I saw the report and had the same thought, in the same story did you see there is also a provision to let in 1.2 million agricultural workers? It makes one wonder where the 600,000 "guest workers" they want are planning to work and what jobs "Americans don't want" that they will be filling.
I voted for a Democratic Representative, Tim Walz, in the last election. If he votes for any form of amnesty for illegals I will not vote for him again.
Right here in his district companies hire illegals and use the cheap labor to take jobs away from citizens.
No Amnesty. Deport the illegals.(Yes it can be done). Fine and/or jail anyone that hires illegals. Any illegal caught here should be deported and banned from the U.S.
Thank You
Posted by razzl
I agree! They should talk down the ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LUNATIC SUPPORTERS and refuse to do their bidding. Instead, they must do what is right for America and VOTE AGAINST AMNESTY FOR 12 to 20 MILLION ILLEGALS.
Completely correct! It astonishes me that there is so little discussion of this elephant-in-the-room issue. There is literally no country on Earth, other than the US, that would be foolish enough to permit so many of its valuable resources and taxpayer dollars to be gobbled up by illegal aliens. We need to wise up FAST and change our laws to deny all benefits, of ANY kind, to illegal aliens, including drop-baby citizenship.
It's anti-illegal immigrant, Kathy Francovic. HELLO.
Wow, that's amazing.
I am a die hard demo also... or was~~~~~~
NAFTA was designed in the first bush administration via the Reagan admin. - it was finalized by Clinton. It is a disaster to our country but a windfall for corporations.
It forced countries to STOP producing certain exports in areas and to increase in others.
Mexico forced it's agricultural interest in corn to cease. It put 6% of their workforce out of jobs and thus - the mass immigration that continued with the demise of sections of their farming. It is NOT a party wall - it is an AMERICAN issue. It is also a taxpayer issue since every dollar of pay they receive they will burden the taxpayers (both dems and repubs.) -
one dollar of cheap labor pay will reap the "new citizens" 1.50 of "old citizens" tax dollars in benefits. And THAT is just the ticket to the demise of an already over burdened segment of our country - the middle class
"Are you in favor of amnesty for illegal immigrants?" Yes or No
"Should America deport illegal immigrants according to the law?" Yes or No
"Do you think the President has a plan that will work? Yes or No
"Have you ever hired an illegal immigrant?" Yes or No
"Will granting amnesty to illegal immigrants affect your livelihood as a citizen?" Yes or No
"Do you know your Senator and Representative's stand on illegal immigration?" Yes or No
Place a drop-down box with states to pick from and then hit ENTER. Once ENTER is hit, the current results of the poll is shown. It is simple coding, so it can easily be done.
CBS won't ever do it, but it would certainly be intriguing to see the HONEST answers for a change....
Meanwhile, I am going to go get into my Mexican-made, American-sold Chevrolet Tahoe (according to the driver door tag "Manufactured in Mexico de SA De C.V.) and buy some lettuce at the store...
(Congressman and Senators) These people are untouched by this problem except maybe for their own servant problems. This should be voted on by the american people. Why not let us vote on this and then no one can complain. It seems we lose our voice on important issues.
Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)
Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)
Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
Coleman, Norm- (R - MN)
Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)
Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)
Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Hagel, Chuck- (R - NE)
Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL)
Smith, Gordon H.- (R - OR)
Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)
Sununu, John E.- (R - NH)
Warner, John- (R - VA)
How well will the newly "legal" immigrant obey our laws IF,
him or her willfully came here ILLEGALLY,
him or her willfully LIED to their employers,
obtained a SS card and other official documentation ILLEGALLY,
him or her repeatedly VIOLATED our traffic laws,
willfully participated in GANG, DRUG or other CRIMINAL activity,
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?
(Congressman and Senators) These people are untouched by this problem except maybe for their own servant problems. This should be voted on by the american people. Why not let us vote on this and then no one can complain. It seems we lose our voice on important issues.
Posted by cathaleen at
When the American people vote on an issue pertaining to illegal immigration, like the town in Texas (I believe) it did no good because a Judge stopped it and lawyers are eager to challenge it. So much for the will of the American people. I think this is one issue that can united all true Americans, regardless of race or political affiliation.
You're so far out in left field, you%u2019ll never realize reality. Other than small number of farmers that are looking for a crop of subservient, modern day serf's there aren't many people concerned about how lettuce and cucumbers are harvested. Even Hispanics don't want Ag-work which is why they are working in meat and poultry processing plants, manufacturing, construction, and a whole host of other industries.
Mexicans, like any other ethnicity, that enter this country illegally have no rights, other than to be arrested and deported as soon as they are found. Americans regardless of their heritage, want law and order enforced.
Today one can't go onto the internet without hearing about Latino gangs, murder's, rapes, large drug busts, etc. But unlike Latino's that thrive on a culture of disregarding laws or take the law into their own hands, Americans believe in the rule of the law. If this Congress doesn't start putting Americans first instead of an invading class of criminals, we%u2019ll put another one in office.
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