Kerry, Bush mix messages on immigration

[question everything]

Kerry, Bush mix messages on immigration

By Jerry Kammer
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

October 31, 2004

WASHINGTON – The thorny topic of illegal immigration has received scant attention during this year's presidential campaign. But President Bush and Sen. John Kerry were obliged to handle the issue, if only briefly, when moderator Bob Schieffer raised it at their Oct. 13 debate in Arizona.

Both men sent deliberately mixed signals. They reached out to Latino groups and other immigrant advocates by expressing admiration for the immigrants themselves.

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But within these general similarities, there are important differences in their positions, reflecting crosscurrents within their parties. Bush's Republicans include both business interests who employ millions of illegal immigrants and cultural conservatives alarmed at the cultural and political changes the immigrants portend.

Kerry's Democrats have both Latino rights groups and middle-class workers alarmed at the expansion of an underclass of poorly educated and unskilled immigrant workers.

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Kerry has vowed to send an immigration bill to Congress during the first 100 days of his presidency that would provide for sweeping legalization.

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041031/news_1n31immig.html