Obama Plays Politics with Immigration Reform
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Obama talks about immigration, but does not set a clear path to real reform
For the second time in less than a week, President Barack Obama was in full campaign mode Thursday, as he blamed recalcitrant Republicans in Congress for the “partisanship and election-year politics” that have prevented passage of comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
Republicans were quick to respond that Democrats control both houses of Congress and that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, could call a bill to the floor any time they wanted. And they insisted that the administration had to secure the border first, before they would be willing to talk about immigration reform.
Candidate Obama promised in 2008 that he would pass an immigration reform bill in his first year in office with the help of the huge Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress.
As President, Obama took 18 months to address the immigration issue to the nation for the first time. Even The New York Times in a story on its website, questioned the president’s motives for delivering his speech American University at this point.
“Mr. Obama’s public focus on the issue appeared aimed at framing the debate for the approaching midterm elections, when the Hispanic vote could be critical in several important states,” the NYT said in its story.”The president’s attention is a favor to Senator Harry M. Reid, the Democratic majority leader, who faces a tough re-election battle in Nevada and promised to pursue immigration legislation in an appeal to his state’s growing Hispanic population.”
The story added that the president had invited Reid to meet with him at the White House after the speech.
The Associated Press said much the same thing in its story.
“The president’s speech, along with high-profile meetings earlier in the week with advocates for immigrants and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, was more about politics than legislation at least in the near term,” the AP story said. “Neither the White House nor the Democratic leadership in Congress has any expectation of trying to actually push through a law this year, given the major issues already on their plate, like financial regulation and energy.”
Analysts were even harder on the president, pointing out that while his Gallup Poll’s favorable numbers had remained fairly constant among blacks and white voters, his popularity among Hispanic voters had declined by 12 points this year.
Obama dismissed the focus on a “border security first” approach, saying the system is too big to be fixed “only with fences and border patrols.” He advocated a comprehensive approach that would call on the government, businesses and illegal immigrants themselves to live up to their responsibilities within the law.
The president also wants to create a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S; critics call it amnesty. But Obama said the immigrants must first acknowledge that they broke the law, pay fines and back taxes, perform community service and learn English.
Without setting a timeline, Obama questioned whether the political will exists to get a bill through Congress. Sen. Reid, who is in a tight re-election race in Nevada and could benefit politically from enacting a broad overhaul, said he was committed to passing a bill this year.
Several Republican lawmakers fired back, arguing that the real problem is an administration that does not do enough to enforce laws already on the books. Moreover, they said, with 10 percent unemployment, this is the wrong time to be loosening the laws on illegal workers.
“President Obama is on the wrong side of the American people on immigration. The president should support policies that help citizens and legal immigrants find the jobs they need and deserve rather than fail to enforce immigration laws.” said Republican Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, co-chairman of the Reclaim American Jobs Caucus.
Obama also used the opportunity to repeat his opposition to Arizona’s new law requiring law enforcement officers to question the immigration status of anyone they stop for other reasons if they suspect that they are in the country illegally, calling it “ill conceived” and “divisive.” But he did not announce the lawsuit that the Justice Department is preparing to challenge it.
Arizona Republican state Rep. John Kavanagh said he was offended by the president’s speech and comments about the new state law.
The Americano/Agencies
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The security of our borders (both north & south) – though intertwined w/immigration – is, in my view, more important for the protection of all our citizens – whether they’re here legally or not… The truth is, that while our world is unbelievably awesome – it is (undeniably) as dangerous as it is wonderful… The “border security first” approach is right for numerous reasons; the greatest being our (collective) safety, and the absolute least? …the (illegal) entrance of people who simply come looking for a better life. My personal opinion is that we should secure our borders (first!); remove the “legal-loophole-incentives” that attract illegal immigration (such as our “anchor-baby” law); reform & expand guest worker programs; return (at least for now) to the enforcement of existing Federal Immigration Laws; and, then (& only then) – figure out how to best identify and properly integrate (w/reasonable pathway to citizenship) all (non-criminal) illegal immigrants.
Right on, OldSusanna. I agree whole-heartedly. The ONLY way to allow those already here to stay is to stop any more from entering illegally by taking away the incentives. The ONLY WAY.
The President “advocated a comprehensive approach that would call on the government, businesses and illegal immigrants themselves to live up to their responsibilities within the law.”
I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. I guess that’s why we pay him the big bucks.
I’m sure that will work because we all know that the government has been living up to their responsibilities by enforcing the Federal law already on the books, businesses are living up to their responsibilities by not hiring illegal aliens and the illegal immigrants are not crossing over our border illegally, because gosh darn it, they are living up to their “responsibilities within the law”.
What a crock.
Talking about playing politics. On April 23 Obama, in criticizing the Arizona law, gave a similar description of the pathway to citizenship, but at that time, unlike this speech, he said “or face removal”. What changed, except politics, that is? (Vancouver Sun April 23)
It is all politics…all the time. The problem of illegal immigration has been with us since modern history.
While we had illegal immigration, only at a lower volume, the North American Free Trade Agreement catapulted us into this river of immigration that we face today. The government knew then that this scenario could occur when that agreement was signed and made into law. It has basically benefited those of money and political influence on both sides of the border, while devastating the working classes in both countries. It has contributed to increased job losses in the southern agriculture region of Mexico while not providing an adequate increase of industrial jobs to replace those losses. Now that job disparity coupled with the drug violence in the southern region of Mexico has dramatically increased the flow of illegals into the US which has set up no border controls. The population in Mexico streams across our borders to escape the violence and to seek jobs to support themselves and their families. This takes jobs from Americans and creates a lower standard of living for those Americans on our southern borders. Increased public welfare and reduced wages are not incentives to endear Mexico’s illegals to the American worker. The bottom line is that despite the impoverished conditions of Mexico the birth rate in that country continues to expand it’s workforce of young adult workers faster than jobs are created. The bottom line is that Americans are tired of supporting such an influx of people, here illegally, that are diminishing their standard of living and costing them in government programs and educational expenses. The bottom line is that the only benefactors are the big money players and those seeking a low income workforce. Both governments are at fault in this mess and Americans are tired of reaping the damage from it. The Mexican government needs to get it’s house in order. The American government needs to get it’s house in order. Mexico has to control corruption in it’s government and close down the drug cartels operating along it’s borders and large cities. Mexico then needs to focus it’s energies on creating jobs at a level that will keep up with it’s increasing workforce. American government needs to help Mexico in a border cooperation effort to squash these drug cartels. If Mexico can eliminate it’s internal political corruption then the US should help Mexico develop a plan to increase jobs that pay a livable wage to it’s population. The US should not throw money into Mexico as the corruption would only pi$s it away.
The real reason why “he” has not been able to get away with immigration reform is (not because of the republicans opposition) just that he has abused his power a few too many times passing bills he knows the Country opposes. This administration knows how fed up the majority of us are with all these liberal, “in your face” policies. They know they are losing people that in the past were not involved and now they’ve become aware of his true colors (am I allowed to say “colors” without being called a bigot?)