Thread: Democrats promise immigration reform, no more fences

Democrats promise immigration reform, no more fences
Presidential candidates discuss issues at forum organized by Latino group.
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By Eunice Moscoso
WASHINGTON BUREAU
Sunday, July 01, 2007

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Two days after a major immigration overhaul plan died in the Senate, Democratic presidential candidates vowed if elected to push for legislation that would protect workers and give unlawful immigrants a path to citizenship.

In a forum at Disney World sponsored by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, the candidates said they also support stronger border security and cracking down on employers who exploit undocumented workers.

"As president, I will sign comprehensive immigration reform," said Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois. "I want my daughters to be raised in a community in which all people, and not just some, are considered part of the American dream."

Obama also defended his vote last year to build 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, saying that he does not believe that "good fences make good neighbors," but that Congress had to give the American people confidence that it was committed to an orderly immigration process as part of a broad reform.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards garnered applause when he said he "would never be for building a wall all the way across our Southern border." Edwards said he would deploy more personnel and more technology along the border as enforcement measures, while offering illegal immigrants here "an absolute path to citizenship."

Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York said she was disappointed that the Senate did not move forward with its immigration bill and that the cornerstone of any future measure must be a "path to legalization" for the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the United States.

Clinton also said she thinks the United States must end the Iraq war and start bringing U.S. troops out of combat, a sentiment that was echoed by all the candidates, which included Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Joseph Biden of Delaware, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Earlier at the convention, Clinton criticized probable Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson for saying last week that Cuban immigrants pose a terrorist threat.

"I was appalled when one of the people running for, or about to run for, the Republican nomination talked about Cuban refugees as potential terrorists," she said, adding that Thompson "apparently doesn't have a lot of experience in Florida or anywhere else, and doesn't know a lot of Cuban Americans."

However, in a posting on his Web site, Thompson said he was referring to spies from Cuban dictator Fidel Castro infiltrating the United States.

The Democratic candidates appeared on stage one at a time and were asked questions on immigration, the war in Iraq, terrorism, education and health care.

The crowd of several hundred people gave each candidate a standing ovation, but the most celebrated was Richardson, who at one point asked for more time to speak by saying, "I'm the only Latino running for president; give me a break."

The comment garnered applause and yells of approval. A similar reaction ensued when Richardson said, "The first thing that will go down when I'm president is this wall."

Richardson also criticized the media's portrayal of immigrants as people jumping over a wall.

He said the images should include farm workers "who break their backs to bring agriculture to this country," people who clean the toilets at hotels and the "Latino immigrant who has died for this country" in the military.

He closed his appearance in Spanish, telling the crowd that they are his family, but that they should not vote for him just because he is Hispanic.

"Vamos a ser una historia. Vamos a ganar," he said, which means, "We are going to make history. We are going to win."

According to a USA Today/Gallup poll released last week, Clinton has a major advantage with Hispanic voters. Fifty-nine percent of Hispanic Democrats said they support Clinton, compared with 13 percent for Obama, 11 percent for Richardson, 7 percent for Edwards and 1 percent for Biden.








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Lord help us all should a Democrat be voted into the White House next fall!

Something tells me Obama could be as bad as Bush.

Do these clowns actually believe that all Democrats want amnsety??? Little do they know that they are pushing Democrats to vote for a Republican. Democrats support the rule of law just as much as Republicans do. Democrats want their jobs in construction and other industries protected from illegals. These guys need to pull their heads out of the sand.

I would like to see those speeches given to a group outside the Latinos. They would be booed out of the room.

As president, I will sign comprehensive immigration reform," said Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois

SO WHAT! So would Bush if we hadn't stopped him!

By making such promises, the Democrats are driving a wedge in the gap between the pro and anti-illegal forces and this wedge is helping arm a ticking time bomb. This shows a complete lack of wisdom on the part of those who should know better and are running for President. The rule of law must apply deportation for all of those who here illegally and to secure the borders. Those who would circumvent our laws are aiding and abetting. We cannot change our laws just to suit an interest group.

For all of you who are pro-illegal that are reading this, your stupidity will destroy you. If you continue to allow your resources and your prosperity to be given away to others, especially illegal others, by your philiosophy, the ones you help will take advantage of you and destroy you. The Democrat party will eventually disappear by means of a rising latin vote who will, for the most part, ONLY vote latin, not American. Wake up before you shoot yourselves in the foot.

Political prostitutes pandering for Hispanic votes.

I guess it's not surprising that Hillary is staying so far to the left, which just shows how far out the mainstream the Democratic Party is on this issue. At least her hubby pretended to somewhat of a moderate Dem when he was running for the Dem nomination and presidency in early/mid 1992.

These idiots need to get a clue, it's not a Dem or Rep thing it's protecting our country. This will get very intresting, when these clowns see that their pandering will get them no where.

Originally Posted by MW

Lord help us all should a Democrat be voted into the White House next fall!

That's right!! All of them are spouting about the "American Dream" for lawbreakers, and this "everyone in the world can come here" attitude!

Obama....he's already said he will increase foreign aid over $50 Billion, if elected.

Why do these politicians think Americans only work to have their tax dollars given to foreigners all over the world?

This burns me!