President reaches out to bridge the two sides of a deep division

WASHINGTON -- President Bush last night stood in an unfamiliar place -- the political center -- and tried to persuade people of firm, unyielding principles on both sides to embrace his multi-faceted approach to handling illegal immigration.

Some of Bush's rhetoric was tougher on undocumented immigrants than in recent months, to reassure law-and-order conservatives skeptical of his guest-worker plan. And he emphasized measures to secure the border, including a deployment of 6,000 members of the National Guard.

But his overall program -- a ''comprehensive reform" involving more border enforcement, a guest worker plan, and an eventual path to citizenship for some -- was more to the liking of moderates.

So he tried to convince skeptical conservatives, along with some liberals holding out for a more generous ''amnesty" program, that balancing two important principles doesn't do violence to either one.

''We are a nation of laws, and we must enforce our laws," Bush said. ''We are also a nation of immigrants, and we must uphold that tradition, which has strengthened our country in so many ways. These are not contradictory goals."

Bush expressed these ideas with eloquence and brevity, in more of a manifesto than a political speech.

The president's message of moderation already resonates with many Americans, and is as close to a national consensus on immigration as any plan under consideration.

The Senate was close to enacting a compromise along very similar lines about a month ago, and Bush clearly hopes that by taking ownership of the plan -- rather than having it associated with Senator Edward Kennedy -- a few more Republicans will sign on, guaranteeing its passage.

A majority of House members also support Bush's type of plan, but the leaders of the Republican-controlled House, who determine which bills get to the floor, aren't yet on board.

Bush was clearly speaking to House leaders, some of whom have been vehement in pushing their own bill to criminalize undocumented immigrants and many of those who assist or employ them.

He said, ''America needs to conduct this debate on immigration in a reasoned and respectful tone. . . . We must always remember that real lives will be affected by our debates and decisions, and that every human being has dignity and value no matter what their citizenship papers say."

The speech was noteworthy for the president's willingness to serve as a national convener, bringing together all sides.

Both the rhetoric of persuasion and the complicated program, seeking a middle ground between opposing interests, seemed out of character for Bush, who has prided himself on being a ''decider" who stakes out a position and gives little ground to opponents.

Yet Bush also came into office in 2001 promising to be a ''compassionate conservative" and a ''uniter, not a divider." The war on terrorism intervened, and the president emerged as a figure of unyielding convictions, appreciated by many people and reviled by many others.

On many recent occasions, Americans have seen the president either issuing an ultimatum of some sort or vowing to stay the course in Iraq.

Last night served as a reminder that another Bush exists behind the caricature of the cowboy warrior -- a conciliator of some delicacy and sensitivity, a man capable of saying: ''We honor the heritage of all who come here, no matter where they are from, because we trust in our country's genius for making us all Americans."

Still, it remains to be seen whether the Americans who love Bush as a decisive war leader will also follow him on the path of conciliation.