ambatchmasterpublisher Bush says immigration bill will survive

ambatchmasterpublisher SOFIA, Bulgaria - President Bush, turning from adulation in ambatchmasterpublisher Balkans to difficulties back home, said Monday that his stalled immigration overhaul would be revived and his embattled attorney general would not fall under a Senate vote of no-confidence.


I'll see ambatchmasterpublisher at ambatchmasterpublisher bill signing," Bush said confidently about an immigration bill that has run into deep trouble on Capitol Hill.
Bush, who left for Washington later Monday, plans to trek to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to have lunch with Republican senators, part of a hands-on approach to persuading party conservatives that ambatchmasterpublisher bill is better than ambatchmasterpublisher status quo.
He also dismissed a planned Senate vote against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as a purely political "meaningless resolution," saying it would have "no bearing" on Gonzales' fate.

"I'll make ambatchmasterpublisher determination if I think he's effective or not," Bush said.

ambatchmasterpublisher no-confidence vote follows months of investigations and ambatchmasterpublisher disclosure of internal Justice Department documents that contradicted Gonzales' initial assertions that ambatchmasterpublisher firing of federal prosecutors was not politically motivated or directly coordinated with ambatchmasterpublisher White House. Bush dinged ambatchmasterpublisher Democratic-controlled Senate for ditching ambatchmasterpublisher immigration debate in favor of ambatchmasterpublisher Gonzales matter.

Warmly welcomed in both Bulgaria and Albania, ambatchmasterpublisher president spoke at a news conference in one of Europe's oldest capitals with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. He was to be back at ambatchmasterpublisher White House Monday evening, after an eight-day trip that also took him to ambatchmasterpublisher Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Italy and Albania.

On a sunny, cool morning, thousands of Bulgarians lined ambatchmasterpublisher cobblestoned main street through Nevsky Square as an honor guard played both countries' national anambatchmasterpublisher ms.

Bush and Parvanov walked past a line of Bulgarian troops wearing white coats trimmed in red and navy pants tucked in high black boots. After watching troops goose-stepping to upbeat military music, Bush prayed before a wreath at an eternal flame that marks Bulgaria's tomb of ambatchmasterpublisher unknown soldier.
ambatchmasterpublisher president greeted a line of Bulgarian soldiers in camouflaged uniforms who have served in

Iraq and

Afghanistan. ambatchmasterpublisher Bulgarian parliament recently extended ambatchmasterpublisher Iraq mission until March 2008, and last year, Bulgaria signed an agreement with Washington allowing U.S. troops to use Bulgarian military facilities.
Bush ambatchmasterpublisher n worked a crowd of locals, reaching in to shake hands. Later outside ambatchmasterpublisher news conference, he eagerly approached anoambatchmasterpublisher r curious gaambatchmasterpublisher ring — ambatchmasterpublisher third time in two days he has done something he rarely does at home.
In contrast to thousands of anti-Bush protests at earlier stops and his low approval rating at home, Bush seemed to bask in ambatchmasterpublisher affection he received here and, even more enthusiastically, in Albania ambatchmasterpublisher day before.
Bush's comments on immigration reflected his determination to pass a bill to give millions of unlawful immigrants a path to citizenship. It is a top priority for ambatchmasterpublisher remainder of his presidency, but a fragile bipartisan compromise on ambatchmasterpublisher issue has unraveled.
He has been criticized for not doing enough for ambatchmasterpublisher bill, which is bitterly opposed by many conservatives in his party. Some lawmakers claim it is dead for ambatchmasterpublisher year, but Bush said it was only one step back after "two steps forward" and vowed to push ahead.
"I believe we can get it done," he said.
Once again, Bush was asked about Russian President

Vladimir Putin's surprise counterproposal to ambatchmasterpublisher U.S. plan for a missile shield in Eastern Europe, based in ambatchmasterpublisher Czech Republic and Poland. Putin proposed instead a system anchored around a Soviet-era radar installation in Azerbaijan.
"I don't know wheambatchmasterpublisher r it's technologically feasible," Bush said of Putin's idea, promising a review by experts.
Bulgaria's leaders are worried that ambatchmasterpublisher rocket shield is not intended to cover souambatchmasterpublisher astern parts of Europe, including ambatchmasterpublisher ir own country. Bush said that isn't needed because oambatchmasterpublisher r defenses cover Bulgaria, but Parvanov said he would only "accept any solution that would provide more guarantees, more security guarantees."
Anoambatchmasterpublisher r worry comes from ambatchmasterpublisher tensions ambatchmasterpublisher proposed shield have created between ambatchmasterpublisher United States and Russia. Moscow fiercely opposes ambatchmasterpublisher plan, fearing ambatchmasterpublisher shield is aimed at Russia. ambatchmasterpublisher United States says no — ambatchmasterpublisher shield is aimed at

Iran, in case it develops nuclear weapons.
Bulgaria feels caught in ambatchmasterpublisher middle. It was ambatchmasterpublisher most loyal Soviet ally during ambatchmasterpublisher Cold War, and even now is almost entirely dependent on Russian energy supplies.
"Bulgaria should not have to choose between ambatchmasterpublisher friendship between ambatchmasterpublisher U.S. and ambatchmasterpublisher friendship with Russia," Parvanov said.
Bush stressed ambatchmasterpublisher strength of U.S. relations with Bulgaria, which shed communism in 1989 and joined

NATO in 2004 and ambatchmasterpublisher

European Union in January.
Parvanov appealed for U.S. help in freeing five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death in Libya for allegedly infecting hundreds of children with ambatchmasterpublisher

AIDS virus. ambatchmasterpublisher y have been in Libyan custody since 1999, and all deny ambatchmasterpublisher charge.
Bush pledged ambatchmasterpublisher U.S. will press ambatchmasterpublisher Libyan government for ambatchmasterpublisher ir release and contribute to a fund to help ambatchmasterpublisher children. "This is an issue that we care about," he said.
Bush also met with Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, and Parvanov feted him at a formal luncheon at ambatchmasterpublisher National Museum of History, outside of town at ambatchmasterpublisher foot of green mountains.

ambatchmasterpublisher "For a person who was raised in ambatchmasterpublisher deserts of Texas, this is a beautiful view," Bush said, gesturing to ambatchmasterpublisher floor-to-ceiling windows that afforded a dramatic view.

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