06/13/2007
English First’s Jim Boulet writes from Washington on what’s going on with the Axis of Amnesty. I like the part about the victory lap. (Everything below the line is by Jim Boulet. Read more here.)— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Amnesty bill update (June 12, 2007) Quote of the dayMR. SNOW: Well, I’m telling you, we think we've got the votes to get cloture and we think that this bill is going to get a vote on the Senate floor. (June 12, 2007)
Senate Luncheon: amnesty on the menu
Today, President Bush has lunch with Republican Senators on their turf for the first time since 2001. (There was also a White House Senate luncheon in 2005.) Perhaps this was scheduled as a victory lap. Instead it became a lobbying session. Via the White House web site:
We've got to convince the American people that this bill is the best way to enforce our border. I believe without the bill that it’s going to be harder to enforce the border. The status quo was unacceptable. I want to thank those senators on both sides of the aisle who understand the time is now to move a comprehensive piece of legislation."As we suspected: "Reid said he could be persuaded to bring the immigration bill back to the Senate floor as soon as the end of next week." Why? "Saying that 80% of Democrats support the bill and 86% of Republicans oppose it, Reid said he had no intention of taking up the bill until the GOP leadership has "25 votes or so" for the legislation. "I’m not dancing that tune again," he said. (Via the Los Angeles Times)
Ed Gillespie returns to the White House.
Gillespie earned his spurs as a true blue Bush loyalist when he famously told a group of conservatives that complaints about the nomination of Bush crony Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court "has a whiff of sexism and a whiff of elitism."
In 1982, Gillespie was student at Catholic University of America, a Senate parking lot attendant and a Democrat, when he learned of an internship in then-Congressman Andy Ireland’s office.
In March of 1984, according to Gillespie’s book, Winning Right: "Representative Ireland announces that he will seek re-election as a Republican, switching parties. I switch with him." For a time in 1984, Gillespie worked part time at the Republican National Committee phone bank, a phone bank closed earlier this month due to complaints by rank and file Republicans about the Bush immigration policy.
By 2002, Gillespie was a Washington lobbyist fending off inquiries about one of his firm’s former clients, Enron. That little problem did not keep him from being named chairman of the Republican National Committee by President Bush for the 2003-2004 election cycle
In 2005, Gillespie teamed up with Dick Armey to establish Americans for Border and Economic Security, to support the Bush immigration plan. He sought to raise $3 million from companies like "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Microsoft Corp," in sums between $50,000 and $250,000.
The White House decision to hire Gillespie as "counselor to the president" suggest the battle over immigration policy has just begun.
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