Bill Whalen
Bill Whalen · May 10, 2011 at 1:13pm

I just watched the President's speech in El Paso -- his "major policy address" (the White House's spin, not mine) re. immigration reform.

Immediate thoughts:

1) The man had political capital following the bin Laden raid. Why not use some of it by inviting congressional leaders down to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, hand them the immigration big-fix and tell 'em to make it happen. As opposed to going to the border, tossing out a few ideas, and basically  telling Congress: "Whatever . . . I roll with you". It was this kind of passive approach (letting Congress drive Obamacare and stimulus spending) that drove Obama into a ditch.

scarleta

2) Here's a pdf of Obama's "Building a 21st Century Immigration System". Does this mean the President now wears a scarlet "A" -- for "amnesty"?

3) Obama faces pressure from both sides on this issue. Red states want tougher enforcement; blue states go soft. Obama looks at the electoral map and sees Latino voters maybe holding the keys to his re-elect. Does this better-late-than-never approach give Obama enough cover to get him through next year's election?

4) I just can't take the man seriously on this topic -- the event reeking too much of a campaign event. The time to act on immigration reform was when Obama had a Democratic Congress and he himself was seen as a novel, exotic political creature. Not a divided Capitol Hill more concerned about deficits, debt and entitlements -- and a President looking like just another scurrying incumbent.

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show anon_academic's comment (#1) ←
anon_academic
Joined
Aug '10

Re: A Scarlet "A" for Amnesty?

anon_academic

Does "political capital" ever actually work? I'm reminded of Dubya's leveraging of his 2004 victory political capital to push social security reform and we all remember what a resounding success that was.

show Ken Sweeney's comment (#2) ←
Ken Sweeney
Joined
Oct '10

Re: A Scarlet "A" for Amnesty?

Ken Sweeney

This speech is so transparently political, with zero chance of any legislation being enacted, that Hispanics will not be fooled by today’s cynical campaign speech by President Obama.  Don’t believe me?  Check out ‘Commentary’ magazine.

  • The question is whether his belated push on immigration will solve the president’s problems with the Hispanic community. Obama promised to outline his overall vision on immigration issues shortly after he took office, and the fact that he hasn’t has become a source of disappointment for some Hispanic leaders. The Hispanic community’s economic concerns may also make it difficutt for the president to win their support in 2012.
  • “I believe that if the economy was better, and Hispanics were not suffering economically, immigration would not have the kind of drag, the kind of impact that it has on Obama’s reelection,” Arnoldo Torres, a political consultant on Latino issues, told me. “I have never ever heard as much disenchantment—as much frustration, as much disappointment—as I hear from Hispanic voters about Obama this time around.”
show Michael Patrick Tracy's comment (#3) ←
Michael Patrick Tracy
Joined
Apr '11

Re: A Scarlet "A" for Amnesty?

Michael Patrick Tracy

Sheer bald-faced electioneering--race-baiting kabuki. House will not pass it. He knows it. It's like the dance steps are painted on the floor like an Arthur Murray lesson from hell.

But finally, transparency.

The biggest irony is that the promoters of illegal immigration screw low-income blacks more than anyone. Yet...no cognitive dissonance. None.

Race card that.


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