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‘Emotional’ Bush seeks to rally Senate GOP |
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By Klaus Marre
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Posted: 06/12/07 04:41 PM [ET] |
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A passionate commander in chief made a rare visit to Capitol Hill Tuesday to convince Senate Republicans to support the comprehensive immigration bill that could give him a lasting domestic legacy. “The president was very emotional in describing his feeling about the importance of doing this,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said. “I don’t think there was anybody in the room who was not impressed by the strength of his conviction on this issue.” While some Democrats are objecting to the immigration bill, the biggest obstacle to passing the bill is President Bush’s own party. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work, a lot of effort,” Bush told reporters following the appearance. “We’ve got to convince the American people that this bill is the best way to enforce our border.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Tuesday said he would move the bill if 25 Republicans came out in support of it. Reid pulled the legislation last week after it failed a cloture vote. Bush vowed that the White House would stay engaged but also noted that it was up to Reid to move. “I would hope that the Senate majority leader has that same sense of desire to move … the bill that I do,” the president said. |
