GOP blasted for blocking reforms for immigrants

As President Bush vowed Friday to crack down on human trafficking, leaders of organizations representing enslaved workers blasted Bush and Republican leaders for "pulling out all the stops" to block a landmark bill that would help immigrant farm workers establish legal status. "He (Bush) did nothing to help us get a vote on the historic AgJobs bill," Arturo Rodriguez, president of the United Farm Workers, said at a news conference. " The news conference united leaders of the largest Hispanic and immigrant organizations in the country. They said the president would not win the votes of immigrants -- especially Latinos -- unless AgJobs passes." "If the Bush campaign wants to win Latino votes, I suggest they save millions in advertising and focus on fixing our broken immigration laws," said Eliseo Medina, vice president of the Service Employees International Union, which has helped register more than 20,000 voters in Florida. "When it comes to the election, immigrants are going to take to heart the saying (that) actions speak louder than words." [more]