Post by bounce on May 1, 2006 17:58:37 GMT -8
By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Massive nationwide boycotts and rallies by pro-immigration forces will turn Americans and conservative Republicans against their cause, the leader of congressional opposition to immigrant amnesty said on Monday.
Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, leader of House Republicans opposed to a guest-worker program supported by President George W. Bush, said the May 1 walkout by hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and supporters was destined to backfire.
"I couldn't be happier (with the protests) because every single time this kind of thing happens, the polls show that more and more Americans turn against the protesters and whatever it is they are trying to advance," Tancredo told Reuters in an interview.
"My guess is that Americans are going to say 'What are those people doing waving all those other flags and what's this about changing the national anthem into Spanish?" he said, a reference to a furor by the release of a Spanish-language version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Tancredo said his fellow Republican lawmakers in the House have received calls all day from constituents registering their disapproval with the protests and urging a bill that would increase enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The House approved last December a Republican-sponsored bill that would tighten enforcement along the southern border and build a wall to stem the flow of migrants.
But Tancredo faces some opposition even from within his own party, where business-minded Republicans, including Bush, say the economy needs migrant labor to do jobs many Americans don't want.
Tancredo said that the U.S. Senate seemed likely to reach agreement on an opposing bill that would grant amnesty to many of those who were here illegally, which would then require approval in the House -- which he said would be a tough sell.
Tancredo said pro-immigrant activists may have oversold their national day of action after "announcing that they were going to bring America to its knees" and achieving a lesser impact.
"I think 50,000 people protested in Denver, Colorado (on Monday)," he said. "Remember, when the Broncos won the SuperBowl in 1998 there were 600,000 people in the streets."
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Massive nationwide boycotts and rallies by pro-immigration forces will turn Americans and conservative Republicans against their cause, the leader of congressional opposition to immigrant amnesty said on Monday.
Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, leader of House Republicans opposed to a guest-worker program supported by President George W. Bush, said the May 1 walkout by hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and supporters was destined to backfire.
"I couldn't be happier (with the protests) because every single time this kind of thing happens, the polls show that more and more Americans turn against the protesters and whatever it is they are trying to advance," Tancredo told Reuters in an interview.
"My guess is that Americans are going to say 'What are those people doing waving all those other flags and what's this about changing the national anthem into Spanish?" he said, a reference to a furor by the release of a Spanish-language version of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Tancredo said his fellow Republican lawmakers in the House have received calls all day from constituents registering their disapproval with the protests and urging a bill that would increase enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The House approved last December a Republican-sponsored bill that would tighten enforcement along the southern border and build a wall to stem the flow of migrants.
But Tancredo faces some opposition even from within his own party, where business-minded Republicans, including Bush, say the economy needs migrant labor to do jobs many Americans don't want.
Tancredo said that the U.S. Senate seemed likely to reach agreement on an opposing bill that would grant amnesty to many of those who were here illegally, which would then require approval in the House -- which he said would be a tough sell.
Tancredo said pro-immigrant activists may have oversold their national day of action after "announcing that they were going to bring America to its knees" and achieving a lesser impact.
"I think 50,000 people protested in Denver, Colorado (on Monday)," he said. "Remember, when the Broncos won the SuperBowl in 1998 there were 600,000 people in the streets."
© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
