Dave Eberhart, Newsmax.com
Thursday, March 4, 2004

Part 1: POWs and MIAs
Part 2: Defense
Part 3: Ties With Vietnam
Part 4: Attacking U.S. Intelligence
Part 5: Pro-abortion Militancy
Part 6: Gay Marriage Flip-Flop
Part 7: Taxes

Putative Democratic candidate for president Sen. John Forbes Kerry, D-Mass., is not afraid of the charged "amnesty" word when it comes to his stated policies on undocumented immigrants.

Despite amnesty's nettlesome connotation as being synonymous with "rewarding persons who have engaged in illegal activity," Kerry told the world at the Albuquerque, N.M., Democratic Primary debate:

"I supported and was prepared to vote for amnesty from 1986. And it is essential to have immigration reform. Anyone who has been in this country for five or six years, who's paid their taxes, who has stayed out of trouble, ought to be able to translate into an American citizenship immediately, not waiting."

After a period of time, however, the dreaded "amnesty" word worked its way out of the Kerry lexicon on the subject. In its place: the more refined and neater "earned legalization":

"I support an earned legalization proposal that will allow undocumented immigrants to legalize their status if they have been in the United States for a certain amount of time, have been working, and can pass a background check. This makes sense for the economy, provides fairness to people in our communities who have worked hard and paid taxes, and will also allow us to strengthen our homeland security by bringing undocumented workers out of the shadows."

In any event, the Kerry rhetoric seemed to hit the right note. The Cesar Chavez-founded United Farm Workers endorsed Sen. Kerry for president. UFW president Arturo S. Rodriguez gave Kerry ringing praise in UFW's official announcement:

"[T]he United Farm Workers proudly supports Senator John Kerry for President because he shares our vision of helping Latinos and all people achieve the decent life America promises those who work hard for a living. ...

"We trust Senator Kerry because of his long history with us, from participating in the grape boycott during the mid-1970s to supporting the right of California strawberry workers to organize in the late 1990s.

"Most recently, we have worked with Senator Kerry on bipartisan legislation dealing fairly with the immigration dilemma facing immigrant workers, their families and employers – the AgJobs bill, S. 1645, that John Kerry co-sponsors along with 50 other U.S. senators from both parties. ..."

Despite having earned the key Chavez imprimatur, Kerry has not always been the Johnny-on-the-spot migrant workers' best friend and savior.

In 1998, for instance, Kerry voted against the creation of a national registry containing names of U.S. workers who want to perform temporary or seasonal agricultural work, and to require the attorney general to allow more foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work under H-2A visas.

Also in 1998, Kerry voted down an expanded Visa program for skilled workers.

In 1997, Kerry voted against an amendment that would have restored food stamp benefits to the children of legal immigrants.

But such momentary lapses apparently can be forgiven by the Chavez camp as Sen. Kerry is, indeed, a co-sponsor of S. 1645, the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2003.

This bill would create a guest-worker program that leads to amnesty for certain agricultural workers. The potential recipients of the amnesty will be required to prove 100 days of agricultural employment in the 18-month period that ended Aug. 31, 2003. Then, prior to receiving amnesty, workers would have to show 360 days of additional farm work over the next six years.

In 2002, Sen. Kerry voted for S.2045, the Abraham foreign worker bill, which nearly tripled the number of foreign high-tech workers. The bill passed the Senate 96-1 despite its arrival on the heels of the release of a special Government Accounting Office report finding.

Although he went with the herd in 2002, four years before, in 1998, Kerry voted against S.1723, which passed the Senate 72-20. Enacted into law, it increased by nearly 150,000 the number of foreign workers that high-tech American companies could hire over the next three years.

In the case of S.1723, Kerry agreed with those who argued that the foreign workers were not needed while U.S. firms were laying off tens of thousands of American workers.

As to Kerry's opinion of the president's proposed program: "We need comprehensive immigration reform; you can't do just one piece. The president's plan is a fraudulent plan. It's fundamentally a plan for cheap labor."

Harsh labels aside, Kerry finds himself bucking a president who is touting a plan that does not feature any sort of classic amnesty:

"I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship," Bush said, when announcing his own proposal. "Granting amnesty encourages the violation of our laws and perpetuates illegal immigration. America's a welcoming country. But citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America."

Bush wants to, among other things, up the number of "green cards" that allow immigrants to work lawfully in the U.S. Currently about 140,000 of these permits are issued each year to people wanting to migrate to the United States.

Under the Bush plan, illegal immigrants already in the United States can apply for the temporary worker program only if they already have a job. The special status would last for three years and could be renewed once, for a total stay of six years. If temporary workers failed to stay employed or broke the law, they would be sent home.

Pundits say that the Bush plan is likely to pass muster in the Congress.

Part 9: NMD, When Yes Means No

Editor's note:
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Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
2004 Elections
Immigration/Borders
Sen. John Kerry
George W. Bush