Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 | 2:02 a.m.
Can Republicans find a way out of the political dead end they marched into during the 2012 campaign? Can President Barack Obama make his second term more productive than the final gridlocked years of his first? Can Democrats and Republicans in Congress relearn the forgotten art of compromise after years of angry polarization? The answers may depend on how the new bipartisan plan for immigration reform fares in Congress. The initial signs are promising. The senators leading the effort are among the chamber’s most practiced negotiators, Sens. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ariz. The Republicans who lead the House, ...
Doyle McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
The only person that can STOP REFORM is Obama
Obama's extreme proposal for illegal immigration reform includes poison pills. These include:
- The Bi-partisan Senate plan requires registration, guest worker program, establishes a green card process followed an opportunity for citizenship at the back of the line.
Obama has issued EOs to ICE and Customs Agents for rules of engagement that prevent them from implementing workplace enforcement laws. Obama want no contingencies, he wants to confer guaranteed citizenship to every illegal the day the bill is signed.
- The 1986 immigration amnesty law FAILED because there was no enforcement. Obama will NOT accept enforcement; securing the southern border, e-verify, Identification of illegals - as a basis of for starting the pathway process.
- Accepting Gay marriage contrary to the Defense of Marriage Act-1996 passed by Clinton.
Changing the Defense of Marriage Act is the only acceptable way to address this issue
Based on this it is evident that Obama is try to scuttle the immigration bill to keep it alive as a campaign issue
I opine that the columnist's question was already answered. Senator Rubio already has convinced several bipartisan Senators to come onboard with his proposal before Senator Schumer rolled it out for national TV/consumption with the group in tow. President is trying to steal Rubio's [GOP]thunder on immigration just like he did in 2012 by passing an Executive Order on immigration.
CarmineD
Obama has endorsed the plan that has been offered by the bipartisan group of senators with the proviso that if it goes off the rails he will send legislation and use the bully pulpit to force an up or down vote.
So far, it looks like we may have a chance at getting started on the road to immigration fairness.
My wife wasn't born an American, I am very aware of the pitfalls of the immigration system. We waited nearly 18 months, 15 of them unnecessary.
We need to get our act together by the spring, we' ve sat on our fear and loathing long enough.
Jeff:
President Obama did not make immigration reform a priority in his first term. The GOP, thanks to Senator Rubio, did. When he/it [Rubio/GOP] did, President Obama pushed through an Executive Order, NEVER going the legislative route AT ALL. When the Senate, led by Rubio, put forth a bipartisan immigration plan for passage by the Congress, President Obama stole their thunder and glory. Threatening that if Congress did act soon, he [the President] would. Really? Presidential leadership or kabuki theater? Americans, of both parties, see right through the President's political motives. He's a day late and a dollar short on all the big issues affecting the US and Americans. He's been AWOL on Presidential leadership. Instead spending his Presidential time/efforts on the golf links.
CarmineD
Carmine:
You're acting like a woman left at the alter 5 years later who has never gotten over it.
If it becomes law, all who worked for it AND the man who signs the new law, will get credit.
It's an American problem being solved, not a republican talking point.
There is no way Nevada's economy (government services) can withstand the impact of legitimizing the illegal invaders. We have more than 50,000 illegal students in CCSD and the teachers tell us K-12 is woefully inadequately funded. Washoe CSD wants half a trillion (state dollars I'm sure) to rehab and rebuild school buildings--now talk about ridiculous. We cannot afford to adopt illegal kids. American seniors and cold, hungry and doing without RX -- so the politicos at the federal level can shovel our money out to illegals and their kids.
A million a year LEGAL immigrants have found the pathways to citizenship. We should void the rule of law so Obama can register 15 million illegal voters for Hillary?
I'm all for immigration reform as soon as the southern border is secured and not one minute before.
Jeff:
I provided the facts on immigration and this President. I didn't expect you to like them.
CarmineD
BTW Jeff, some more facts to stick in your craw: The Nevada GOP this week came out in support of the bipartisan Senate immigration proposal.
And Geraldo Rivera, you know that GOP Fox News conservative that liberals love to hate, is comtemplating a Senate run from the State of NJ. Go figure!
CarmineD
Who knows Geraldo Rivera could actually be the future GOP icon to win the White House.
CarmineD
REMEMBER THIS.........if legalization is given to 12 MILLION illegal aliens they will be eligible to bring their relatives into the U.S. 12 MILLION will turn into 50 MILLION or more!!!
Complaining here does no good. DO SOMETHING.
Help stop ANOTHER Amnesty:
SUPPORT NUMBERSUSA: http://www.numbersusa.com
Numbersusa is a grassroot organization with 1.3 million members, who lobbies in Washington D.C. against illegal immigration and they will show what YOU can do to help. Be sure to sign up for their e-mails that will let you know when the latest bills dealing with illegal immigration are being introduced and how YOU can make a difference! Support Numbersusa!
The question is: ENFORCEMENT first. Any consideration of additional paths, long after the feds ENFORCE OUR LAWS. The only other thing that needs attention is revising and tracking TEMPORARY agriculture work permits--perhaps issue some ON A TRIAL BASIS to say 10,000 illegal K-12 graduates--who need to pay back the costs of their invasions.
Carmine, we need to voice our concerns to politicos but we must allow them enough room to PLAY politics. The Dems have taken cheap shots misleading Reps that they'd win more votes by giving away the nation to illegals. So the Reps response is some of the learned rhetoric that the Dems eat up. In other words, the GOP platform may be for immigration reform. But what does that mean? Does that mean we'll outlaw "birth right" claims to citizenship and stop the Birthing Centers where illegals and vacationing people come here to give birth? Does it mean we'll end the chronic abuse by those here on guest work permits--so they have a kid here and claim "family reunification" to stay and bring in every distant relative?
Roslenda:
The US has always welcomed its borders to ALL immigrants who are worthy and willing of US citizenship. And it always will. The US Constitution guarantees human freedoms to all regardless of their place of birth and origin. That will not change. Immigration reform will merely formalize what we already know and do.
CarmineD
Jeff:
Here's the facts on immigration reform and then Senator Obama. He killed it in the Senate in 2005-2007. How? Obama was in BIG LABOR'S pocket. When Senators McCain and Kennedy attempted immigration reform, Obama voted against it. Why? AFL-CIO, read Trumka, was and still is against the guest worker program. For all the obvious reasons. And Trumka convinced Obama, read twisted his arm, to water it down, or get rid of it. The Senate rejected both [water down/scrub]. Obama with the key vote refused to support the bill.
Of note is that President Obama made no mention of the Guest Worker Program in his speech last week in favor of Immigration Reform.
CarmineD
"Obama with the key vote refused to support the bill."
...unless and until the bill scrubbed/watered down the Guest Worker Program. Obama's vote supported the measure to do so. BUT with that provision, the other Senators refused to support it and immigration reform died.
CarmineD