Thread: Obama’s Silence on Immigration Can’t Last Long: Albert R

Commentary by Albert R. Hunt

March 2 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama, in his speech to Congress last week, painted a canvas of issues breathtaking in scope: creating jobs, rescuing banks, overhauling the health- care system, reforming education, fixing Social Security and reversing the nation’s direction on energy -- all this year.

In the 6,134-word speech, which briefly touched on Afghanistan and the Middle East, one crucial issue wasn’t mentioned: immigration.

The agenda is so full that the political circuits may be overloaded. Some argue the urgency is eroding with the deteriorating economy. The number of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. has plunged -- down to as few as 300,000 last year, or less than half what it was several years ago -- with more leaving now than arriving.

And the politics are even tougher than in the last Congress, when the bipartisan effort of Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain and President George W. Bush exploded in emotional recriminations by Republicans and crass calculations by some Democrats. With joblessness having soared since then, it is tougher to argue that the economy needs these workers.

Still, the notion that illegal immigration can be finessed is a mirage. The problem will only get worse, and so will the politics. Obama, 47, a Democrat, would have to renege on his campaign promise to push a major immigration overhaul along the lines of the Kennedy-McCain measure in his first year.

There are industries -- agriculture, food service, construction -- that rely on immigrants. They are going through down times, yet they’ll need more people when they bounce back.

No Easy Case

That’s true of the overall economy, says Tamar Jacoby, a scholar who favors an overhaul of the immigration system.

“Immigration reform may be harder in the middle of a recession, to make the case that we need more workers,â€

Even with the dropoff in the number of illegal aliens -- there are still an estimated 11.5 million in the country, or about 4 percent of the population -- the social tensions are worsening. Highly publicized raids are disrupting communities and generating furious resentment among Hispanics.

There are now over 14 million and counting AMERICANS out of work, tell me again why we need illegal aliens? We don't. The Dems had better wake up and smell the reality and it ain't pretty. Illegal aliens must be made to leave.

The elitist ethnocentric ignorant idiots in Washington and the leftist media need it embedded in their feeble brains that .
As American we respect all jobs , Service jobs , all skilled and non skilled blue collar vocations are precious commodities to us not to be cheaply hand over to the lowest third world bidder .
There are no jobs Americans can't or won't do .
This has been proved when existing laws have been enforced in the work place and E-Verify has been mandatory by law ..
This Albert R. Hunt sure does not live in our America .
In My Opinion

[quote]If so, immigration-reform advocates insist they’re ready. “I expect we’ll have a come-to-Jesus moment in June, and Rahm will check on how many Republicans there are for the bill,â€

"Immigration reform may be harder in the middle of a recession, to make the case that we need more workers,â€

Even with the dropoff in the number of illegal aliens -- there are still an estimated 11.5 million in the country, or about 4 percent of the population -- the social tensions are worsening. Highly publicized raids are disrupting communities and generating furious resentment among Hispanics.

Who cares about the so called resentment among those who do not believe our immigration laws should be enforced!

What about the resentment building amongst American citizens, who are geting sick and tired of having to endure the devastating consequences of illegal immigration, while our government refuses to secure our borders and enforce our laws, all the while attempting to pass legislation which does little more than aid and abetts this inavasion!

Does their resentment count?