Thread: Obama vows immigration push

Obama vows immigration push
By: Carrie Budoff Brown
December 21, 2010 02:25 PM EST
Politico

President Barack Obama told Congressional Hispanic Caucus members Tuesday that he’ll renew his push for comprehensive immigration reform in 2011 — even though such an effort would face even longer odds in a Congress where Republicans control the House.

Obama made the pledge following the defeat last weekend of a more narrowly tailored legalization measure, which cleared the Democratic House by a slim margin but failed in the Senate Saturday.

"It was to reassure us that he wasn't giving up," Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas), chairman of the caucus, told POLITICO. "What he said was we would still be looking at reforming the immigration laws and it would be comprehensive."

After a 45-minute Oval Office meeting, Gonzalez and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said the president suggested he would address the issue in his State of the Union speech, which aims to set the agenda for the next year.

"My impression was this issue is not going away, and it is necessary for the economic health of the country," Gonzalez said. "He will be touching on it in the State of the Union."

By reiterating his commitment, Obama has decided that the rightward tilt of the next Congress will not deter him from pushing the comprehensive reform, even though the chances for success are quite slim. The incoming House leadership has pledged to go in a much different direction than Democrats, pushing for more border control measures and stronger enforcement.

The meeting included a discussion of what would be legislatively possible, given that Republicans will take control of the House and narrow the Democratic majority in the Senate, participants said.

"He was looking to us for our input for what would happen in the House," Gonzalez said. “We told the president we would be incredibly vigilant at the subcommittee level and through the legislative process.â€

We have to oppose Obama and the Democrats. These people do not get it!!!

Obama vows immigration push. The American people vow to push Obama out the door in two years.

Barakula is grasping at straws. He will be politically neutured in January. This is just another dog and pony show to appease illegals and their supporters.

I guess I will never understand a culture that puts their own ethnic kind above our laws or expects us to bend our laws specifically for them and to hell with the best interests of all of our citizens and our country. How can any non-hispanic American be an advocate for this? I mean, are these the kinds of people any loyal American should be aligning themselves with whether they be citizens or immigrants legal or illegal? What is wrong with our president and our congressmen? Don't they realize that an increase of people in this country with that kind of mindset is dangerous to our country's future? We will never be a united country this way. We will be forever divided by those who think ethnicity trumps all the principles and values that has made this country great.

Originally Posted by Oldglory

I guess I will never understand a culture that puts their own ethnic kind above our laws or expects us to bend our laws specifically for them and to hell with the best interests of all of our citizens and our country. How can any non-hispanic American be an advocate for this? I mean, are these the kinds of people any loyal American should be aligning themselves with whether they be citizens or immigrants legal or illegal? What is wrong with our president and our congressmen? Don't they realize that an increase of people in this country with that kind of mindset is dangerous to our country's future? We will never be a united country this way. We will be forever divided by those who think ethnicity trumps all the principles and values that has made this country great.

We have to replace Obama and all the Democrats. They will never change. Now we know. So it is time to get ready for 2012 and vote them out.

When will Obama have a meeting with the "Victims of Illegal Immigrants Caucus"? This caucus might be made up of people like Tiffany Hartley, Sue Krentz and the family of recently slain CBP officer Brian A. Terry.

I also notice that the Hispanic Caucus could give a crap that the country is going down the shi*#er. The only thing on their agenda is how to get amnesty for 12 – 20 million illegals. Tell me how that helps the economy or the American people..

This is why I say we have to start preparing. Gathering our stories, complaints and pictures. We have to start documenting everything. Then we have to start faxing and emailing. Calling and talking to staffers won't do it. Let's face marking down whether someone is for or against legislation is not getting our stories out there.

The Dreamers played on American's goodness. The sob stories and pictures were targeted at every Americans heartstrings. They took over the media and even our Congress. We never once heard the heart wrenching stories of American kids and the struggles they are going through to get an education. We never heard of any of their success stories.

Instead of the Latino Community putting the focus on the struggles of the illegal Latino Community we need to put the focus back where it belongs. Back to what illegal immigration is doing and has done to Americans. Everyday Americans are losing their education, jobs, parks and Language and countrysides to the illegal communities.

We have heard their voices, listened to their sob stories and seen their poster children. It is past time for our government to hear and see our stories. Time to no longer just be a voice on the phone. Time to take back the halls of Congress.

Originally Posted by MontereySherry

This is why I say we have to start preparing. Gathering our stories, complaints and pictures. We have to start documenting everything. Then we have to start faxing and emailing. Calling and talking to staffers won't do it. Let's face marking down whether someone is for or against legislation is not getting our stories out there.

The Dreamers played on American's goodness. The sob stories and pictures were targeted at every Americans heartstrings. They took over the media and even our Congress. We never once heard the heart wrenching stories of American kids and the struggles they are going through to get an education. We never heard of any of their success stories.

Instead of the Latino Community putting the focus on the struggles of the illegal Latino Community we need to put the focus back where it belongs. Back to what illegal immigration is doing and has done to Americans. Everyday Americans are losing their education, jobs, parks and Language and countrysides to the illegal communities.

We have heard their voices, listened to their sob stories and seen their poster children. It is past time for our government to hear and see our stories. Time to no longer just be a voice on the phone. Time to take back the halls of Congress.

Exactly.

Despite a more Republican Senate & a GOP-controlled House I'm fairly certain that some moderate & Hispandering Repubs will seek to promote their own form of amnesty.

I think Boehner might do so to pander to the pro-illegal community and so might others.

I our job might not be as difficult in 2011 but it's far from finished.

Obama is using the Hispanic Caucas as a means to an end. And, the Hispanic Caucas is using Obama as a means to their ends. And, neither give a damn about the overall welfare of this country.