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  1. #1
    Senior Member Populist's Avatar
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    Reid said to set deadline for bipartisan immig deal (3 week)

    The Washington Post
    Obama calls for overhaul of nation's immigration laws, calls Ariz. bill 'misguided'

    By Spencer S. Hsu and Anne E. Kornblut
    Washington Post Staff Writer
    Friday, April 23, 2010; 11:11 AM

    President Obama urged Congress on Friday to overhaul the nation's immigration laws, saying that inaction would lead to "misguided efforts" and "irresponsibility' by others.

    The president also said an immigration bill currently on the Arizona governor's desk was "misguided," and he has ordered his staff to "closely monitor the situation" to make sure people's civil liberties will not be violated by the measure. The bill, already passed by the state House and Senate, would require authorities in Arizona to question people about their immigration status if there is reason to suspect they are in the country illegally.

    The remarks came in a Rose Garden ceremony to naturalize 24 members of the U.S. military. The immigrants earned citizenship through their active-duty service.

    Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid is also pushing for action on immigration on Capitol Hill. Reid vaulted the issue to the top of Congress's spring agenda, saying at a leadership meeting this week that the Senate could take up the measure before it considers an energy bill.

    And, having concluded that talks to advance a bipartisan immigration overhaul are stalled and party lines in the Senate are hardening, Reid (D-Nev.) has told Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) to strike a deal in three weeks or Democrats will bring their own bill forward, aides and lobbyists said Thursday.

    House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) agreed to hold a vote before congressional elections in November if the Senate passes a bill, aides said.

    The developments underscore election-year realities and appear to reflect in part a political calculation by some Democrats: even if their bill fails, a debate could rally their base and mobilize Hispanic voters against GOP lawmakers in some districts.

    In recent weeks, key Democratic supporters including Latino groups, labor unions and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have stepped up pressure on Reid and Obama to tackle the immigration question, as Obama pledged to do in the 2008 presidential race and as Reid has committed to supporters in his Hispanic-heavy home state, where he faces an uphill re-election battle.

    As pressure on Democrats has increased, Graham has cooled his support for a measure that would strengthen border enforcement, crack down on employers who exploit illegal workers and lay down a path for legalization or expulsion of roughly 12 million illegal immigrants. Instead, he has made clear in interviews that his priority is an energy and climate bill, and he has blasted the White House for failing to lay the groundwork for a Schumer-Graham package.

    Immigration advocates said Graham's new stance decreases the odds that an immigration overhaul will pass the Senate. If Democrats choose to advance a bill with no Republican backing, however, they could attempt to shake loose support from nine or 10 Republican senators, using language voted on recently by the House and debated by the Senate in 2006 and 2007.

    "They [Democrats] can fold their tent, say Lindsey Graham doesn't want to go ahead, or they can say, 'We're the ones in the majority, in the White House, let's lean into it, see if we can make it harder for them [Republicans] to say no,' " said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, an umbrella pro-immigration advocacy group.

    Obama has joined the fray, calling Republican Sens. Scott Brown (Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), George LeMieux (Fla.), Richard G. Lugar (Ind.) and Judd Gregg (N.H.) to solicit their support on Tuesday, his spokesman said.

    Adding fuel to the volatile political mix, Arizona's legislature recently sent Gov. Jan Brewer (R) legislation that would give police in that state the broadest power in the nation to check the status of people they suspect are illegal immigrants, galvanizing activists on both sides.

    With that battle brewing in his home state, Sen. John McCain (R) -- who also is facing a primary challenge this year -- and fellow Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl (R) threatened to filibuster any deal that did not secure borders first.

    Republicans appeared to welcome a fight. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that at a time when one in 10 Americans are unemployed, "There is little enthusiasm in Congress to pass legislation that would legalize millions of unlawful residents to compete with out-of-work Americans for needed jobs."

    He added, "One has to ask: are members raising the idea of comprehensive reform now because they believe the majority of Americans truly want it, or because it serves a specific political purpose in a tough election year?"

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... eheadlines
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  2. #2
    Senior Member Captainron's Avatar
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    Calling them now! Obama HAS NOT SECURED OUR BORDERS as he promised! DISASTER IMMINENT! Also, elected US officials should not be entertaining groups of non-citizens who pose as constituents to lobby them. VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW!
    "Men of low degree are vanity, Men of high degree are a lie. " David
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  3. #3
    Senior Member TexasBorn's Avatar
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    If these treasonous clowns try to shove immigration reform, ie; amnesty down our throats, the resultant uprising will make the Tea Parties pale in comparison! Our elected representatives have been duly warned by the citizens of this country. They will be wise to take heed.
    ...I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid...

    William Barret Travis
    Letter From The Alamo Feb 24, 1836

  4. #4
    Senior Member Populist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Captainron
    Calling them now! Obama HAS NOT SECURED OUR BORDERS as he promised! DISASTER IMMINENT! Also, elected US officials should not be entertaining groups of non-citizens who pose as constituents to lobby them. VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW!
    Thanks CR. I'm on it too. We need to focus our frustrations logically and productively.

    I would also add the following GOP Senators to the call list: Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Sam Brownback, John Cornyn, and K.B. Hutchison.

    And of course, the moderate Democrats.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

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