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John Daley ReportingThe day after a pivotal speech by President Bush on immigration, the plan is winning both praise and criticism. The reaction is ranging from those who say it's a "reasonable solution" to others who call it "window dressing."
Massive immigration rallies here in Utah and elsewhere helped drive this whole debate. The President knows many of those marchers are future voters, but he also knows anything but a "get tough" immigration policy could alienate his conservative base.
Rallies ignited the national debate. Then, last night, the President laid out his vision for tougher border security with 6,000 National Guard troops and a guest worker program.
One organizer of Utah's rallies doesn't agree with Bush on much, but says this proposal is reasonable.
Tony Yapias, Community Activist: "I applaud the president for taking the courage to speak to the nation on a very sensitive issue."
But conservatives, like many at recent Minuteman rallies, argue the Bush plan, driven by poor poll numbers, is just "window dressing."
Alex Segura, Director, Utah Minuteman Project: "What I'm hearing is a tradeoff, 'I'll give you border security, you give me guest worker.' But he's not giving us guest worker, he's pushing the guest worker thing with all his might."
President Bush, "There are some in our country who say, 'let's just deport everybody.' it's unrealistic!"
But Alex Segura, director of the Utah Minuteman Project, thinks the government should add more National Guard, perhaps 10-thousand, pay them more and deport any undocumented person who has committed a crime. He says anything less is a broken promise.
Alex Segura, Director, Utah Minuteman Project: "Sooner or later you know when you cry wolf, no one tends to believe you. Unfortunately for our president, he's going down that road."
Political analysts see Bush pushing a double election-year message -- compassion for those here already, combined with getting tough at the border.
Kirk Jowers, Hinckley Institute of Politics: "There are a lot of very frustrated conservatives on this issue and a couple of others like fiscal responsibility, and so following the Karl Rove playbook of 2004 of we don't need to convert people as much as get them to vote."
Congress is expected to try to hammer out a deal on immigration in the coming weeks, but compromise may be tough. Either way, the issue is likely to loom large in fall's midterm elections.
