Thread: Immigration embers could turn into political fire for Obama

Immigration embers could turn into political fire for Obama
By Susan Ferrechio
Chief Congressional Correspondent 3/21/09


"Stop the racist raids" signs are held by Latino activists as they protest recent immigration raids across the country at a demonstration and news conference in front of the downtown Federal Building December 19, 2006 in Los Angeles, California. (File photo by David McNew/Getty Images) President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats, already burdened with pushing through the president's massive agenda, seem to be sidestepping the issue of illegal immigration.
But with Hispanics expecting big things from the party they helped put in control of Washington last year, fancy footwork won¹t be enough. Hispanic lawmakers went to the White House last week to find out why Obama's
overflowing agenda left out the immigration reform he promised during his campaign.

Days before, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had drawn criticism when she told an audience in San Francisco that some raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency are "un-American" because they separate illegal immigrant parents from their U.S.-born children.

The remarks brought quick denunciations from opponents of illegal immigration and amnesty for illegal immigrants.

But putting a halt to such raids has been one of the top priorities for Hispanic leaders. At their meeting with Obama last week, the Hispanic lawmakers managed to get the president to pledge that he is "pursuing ways"
to end such raids.

That may be the closest Obama gets to reforming immigration anytime soon.

"Immigration reform makes Social Security reform look like a walk in the park," said former Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas., who chaired the House Democratic Caucus from 1999-2003. "It is the single toughest, meanest subject Congress has to deal with. Given the scope of the problems they are facing right now it would be very hard to put immigration reform into the mix."

If Frost is right, and many congressional lawmakers believe that he is, Obama could face the wrath of not only the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, but Hispanic voters in general, who voted for him by a margin of 2 to 1 over
Republican candidate John McCain and whose growing numbers helped Obama capture key swing states including New Mexico, Florida and Colorado.

"The President showed the CHC that, although it is very early in his administration, he understands that for the immigrant community it's the 11th hour, and there is no time to waste," said Rep. Luis Gutierrez , D-Ill., after the meeting with Obama.

The White House reaction to the meeting was much more subdued. "The President discussed how the administration will work with the Hispanic caucus to address immigration concerns in both the short and long term," a statement read. Obama also announced to the Hispanic Caucus he plans to travel to Mexico next month and immigration reform will be a topic of discussion.

Even if Obama wants to dive into immigration reform, he cannot do it without the cooperation of Congress and few there seem eager to put it on the schedule.

Lawmakers are preparing for a potentially colossal fight over Obama's $3.6 trillion budget and when that battle is over, they are anticipating the even more divisive fights over a proposed global warming tax and health care
reform legislation.

The chances of getting to immigration reform this year, speculated Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass., "are probably mediocre. It's a tough issue even if nothing else is going on." Capuano said it would be possible for Congress to pass immigration reform in pieces.

"I don't know how we can get a full-blown bill through," he said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he believes the 111th Congress will pass immigration reform. "The question is whether it will happen this year," he told The Examiner.

Peloso has tasked the Hispanic caucus with rounding up enough support in the House to get a bill through. Her top aides say the caucus needs to whip the issue with the members, "and see what numbers they get to."

Those numbers might be low, said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., one of the House's biggest proponents of immigration reform.

"There are a lot of us who are anxious to get it done, but I think a lot
more of us are anxious to put it on the back burner," Flake said.

www.washingtonexaminer.com

Capuano said it would be possible for Congress to pass immigration reform in pieces. "I don't know how we can get a full-blown bill through," he said.

This is what I am mostly afraid of, these snakes will try to sneak little pieces of pro-amnesty legislation through piece by piece, thinking the majority of Americans won't notice like they would a full-scale amnesty bill. They know full well the large majority of us, the legal citizens they represent, do NOT want amnesty.

We need to watch them very closely. We need to let our representatives know we are watching them, keeping track, and will vote accordingly. We should let them know now, in advance of any votes.

This is how I feel. If the Congressional Hispanic Caucus feels it's their job to pass immigration reform that serves foreign nationals instead of US citizens, then there should be no Congressional Hispanic Caucus unless there is a Congressional Anglo-Saxon Caucus to support American interests to countermand the Congressional Hispanic Caucus's foreign butt slurping.

Why do American Hispanics want their Hispanic Congressmen and Congresswomen trying to sell out our country to illegal Hispanics from another country who have already violated our immigration laws, our labor laws, our civil rights laws, our tax laws, our fraud laws, our identity theft laws, our traffic laws, our drug laws, our criminal laws and stolen jobs from Americans, increased our cost of government, deflated our wages and salaries and for all intents and purposes, bankrupted our nation?!!

Wake Up Hispanic-Americans! You must tell your Congress Critters "No more illegal immigration because we can't afford it. Therefore, we need to secure our borders, enforce our laws, deport illegal aliens and curtail legal immigration to the 1970 levels."

Please do this. Please do not let your love for an ethnic heritage destroy your nation through your silence. It doesn't make any sense! These are your wages and salaries they deflate, these are your taxes they waste, these are your schools crammed to the gills that no one can afford, these are your jobs they steal, your laws they break.

Come on, now! Americans, all Americans, have to come together on this issue and stop this madness. Hispanic-Americans must let their Congresspersons know where they stand on this issue. I know you stand with all other Americans and want it stopped too, so you must stand up, stand tall and tell them "No More Illegal Immigration", so they know!

These Congresscritters are listening to the paid pundits of these phony 501 C 3 and C 4 organizations funded by multi-national globalists. They don't speak for you and they don't care about you. They're just doing a job for a big inflated salary kissing corporate sponsor butt by slurping foreign butt to keep their cush jobs by selling out yours!

You have to be the ones to help us stop this, and stop it now. Bad things are being done to our country in your names under the banners of Hispanic and Latino when I don't believe for a second most American Hispanics and most American Latinos support one damn bit of it. Why would you??!!

Clear the fog, destroy the myth, let them know how you really feel. Help us stop the travesty of illegal immigration into the United States. I beg you, and I thank you.

Judy -
Good plea for Hispanic legal citizens to voice their opposition to the invasion. Your point is important - If your ethnic heritage is MORE important than your desire to be an American, if you will allow this country to be destroyed in the name of your ethnic heritage, then you probably can never truly be an "American". Thats part of the sacrifice it takes to be an American.

There is an Hispanic organization called "You Don't Speak for Us", that is opposed to illegal immigration. I wish we heard more from them. Their words are probably censored by the media.

Yes, I am familiar with that organization. I think we'll hear more from them if the Shamnesty heats up again.

I know American Hispanics and American Latinos view it the same way we do. Look at this which I feel is excellent proof of that fact:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_ ... mmigration

"68% of Arizona Voters Favor Sheriff Who Gets Tough on Immigration

"Thursday, March 19, 2009

"Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Arizona voters have a favorable view of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose aggressive enforcement of laws against illegal immigration have triggered an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Forty-six percent (46%) view the sheriff very favorably.

"Just 26% have an unfavorable opinion of Arpaio, including 16% who are very unfavorable, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Arizona voters. Seven percent (7%) are not sure.

"Arizona voters also strongly approve of some of the tactics the sheriff employs to fight illegal immigration and crime related to it.

"Seventy-four percent (74%), for example, believe that when a police officer pulls someone over for a traffic violation, they should automatically check to see if that person is in the country legally. Twenty-one percent (21%) disagree. These numbers are virtually identical to national findings on the same question.

"continued in link"

_____________________

Arizona is over 30% Hispanic/Latino yet they voted overwhelmingly for Sheriff Joe and voted the same, 1% higher in fact, on the question of cops checking immigration status during traffic stops as the rest of the country at 74% in favor. So, we are one nation of one people with one goal to protect the interests of the United States and the American People.

So the Congressional Hispanic Caucus isn't representing American Hispanics and American Latinos when it pushes for immigration reform, Shamnesty, and Guest Worker Programs ... it's pushing for their Globalist PayPals to protect their cush jobs by selling out the jobs and wages of American Hispanics and American Latinos, just like they're selling out every American.

American Hispanics and American Latinos know this ... they know it better than any group in our country, because they are the first line adversely impacted by illegal immigration. But they must be timid or afraid to speak up or something, so we must build their confidence and let them know, they must stand up and shut these phony traitors down who are clearly lying in the names of American Hispanics pushing agendas that are destroying their lives, robbing their wallets and stealing their futures.

In fact, maybe ALIPAC and some of our associates could develop a "we need your help" piece to attract more American Hispanics to our activist organizations. If they believe all the crap the phony traitors say about our efforts, American Hispanics may believe some of it. We need to clear that up in no uncertain terms and get them involved so they have the opportunity to fight with us to save their job, wages, space, businesses, education, healthcare, governments and nation by shutting down those lying in their names.

Maybe Ramos and Compean could help us with that somehow while they're waiting to hear about their cases?!! Maybe someone should approach them and ask for their help in getting this plea out to the American Hispanic and American Latino communities?!

The "political fire" will come when American citizens and legal immigrations burn up the phone lines protesting amnesty in any way, shape or form, piecemeal or not.