I know we are all busy doing work for W however I feel I need to post this right away. This is from the Chicago Tribune.
They are brainstorming in Chicago.

"Advocates for illegal immigrants suggest a trade-off for legalization
They press politically risky plan to Barack Obama, Congress
By Peter Wallsten | Washington Bureau "
March 27, 2009
WASHINGTON — "With their prospects in Congress sinking along with the economy, liberal advocates of giving undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship are launching a risky strategy to push lawmakers and the White House to take up their cause.

They propose that Congress legalize millions of undocumented workers now in exchange for reducing the number of temporary foreign workers allowed to enter the U.S. in the future. It is a calculation that could win a new and powerful ally—organized labor—but risks alienating businesses that rely on temporary workers as well as key Republicans such as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

With unemployment on the rise, the Immigration debate has moved to the back burner as lawmakers fear enacting a law that could be seen as benefiting immigrants at the expense of struggling American workers.

Advocates believe that winning support from the AFL-CIO, which opposed previous legalization plans, will help gain support from House Democrats and increase leverage with the White House.



"Last time the coalition was not quite as solid as we would have hoped," said Ali Noorani, director of the National Immigration Forum, one of the advocacy groups negotiating with labor leaders over the strategy.

Ana Avendano, the AFL-CIO's point person on the issue, said the labor federation believes the economic woes and Democrats' enhanced power in Washington represents a sea change in which liberal groups can forge ahead without working with Republican-leaning business lobbyists.

President Barack Obama told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus last week that he would deliver a public statement of support this spring for a legalization plan. But White House officials have not committed to the new idea on temporary worker limits, nor have they signed off on pushing the legislation this year, as advocates have been hoping.

Obama reiterated his support for legalization last week during a stop in Los Angeles, but advocates are growing anxious he might prefer to delay what shapes up as a politically charged fight. Immigration advocates have already raised concerns that the Obama administration has not called off workplace raids.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said he and other caucus members leaned on Obama to act fast—pointing out he has managed to find time to satisfy other constituencies on issues not directly related to the economic meltdown.

"We're saying, 'OK, you took time out for stem-cell research and you're taking time out for health care,' " Gutierrez said. "And our communities expect you to take time out for our issues." Failure on the issue this year could be harmful to Democrats' hopes of building on their Latino support, and some close to the White House said in interviews that the administration might prefer to wait until 2011."

pwallsten@tribune.com