Obama, Tossing a Hardball
As Brother McGurn has noted, President Obama's immigration proposal, which he announced in a speech today, appears substantially identical to President Bush's 2006 proposal: We'll regain control of the border, preventing illegal immigration in the future, while creating some sort of path to citizenship for the 11 million or so illegal immigrants who are already here.
The difference? Whereas President Bush made his proposal in good faith, President Obama is engaging in bareknuckle politics.
When President Bush made his proposal, he had reason to suppose it would command broad support within his own party--after all, it had the backing of figures such as John McCain, the senior senator from the border state of Arizona. What President Bush didn't realize--and what took McCain himself completely by surprise--was the anger ordinary Republican voters quickly displayed. The President simply didn't understand how disgusted Americans had become with the federal government's failure to control the borders--or how profoundly skeptical they had become that it would suddenly prove willing to do so if Bush's proposal became law.
But of course President Obama does know all this. Even as he claims that "[r]eform that brings accountability to our immigration system cannot pass without Republican votes," he knows that neither John McCain nor any other Republican facing the voters this year would so much as consider voting for Obama's proposal. Their position--a position based on the entirely understandable and perfectly reasonable demand of ordinary voters--is to pursue comprehensive reform second. First? Fix the borders.
For all the portentous high-mindedness of his words this afternoon, President Obama meant almost nothing that he said. He was instead merely attempting to rally Hispanics to Democratic candidates, doing what he could to limit the losses his party will suffer on election day. Hope and change? Post-partisanship? Nonsense. Our chief executive is intent on manipulation, not governance.
- Comment (10)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
Comments :
May '10
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
Peter, you have no idea how happy I am to hear this from a conservative. I've gotten used to rolling my eyes as Republicans talk about Obama's words as if they actually meant something.
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
There are those who say Peter is parading straw-people for the purpose of creating a false dichotomy, but I reject those who employ these tired rhetorical cliches! <applause>
I actually prefer "secure the border" - borders are, by nature, fixed. The president could simply highlight existing borders on a map with a Sharpie, and say there: it is fixed.
May '10
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
President Obama was using the only weapon he knows how to use: a speech. This man does not "do", he merely speaks. It is tiresome and ineffective, but it has become quite apparent that action is not his style. Maybe he believes a speech will rally Hispanics to Democratic candidates, but at this point, I think it is only hope....
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
The speech felt like leftovers, to me. I mean, okay, fine, all of those things we need to do to address the illegal immigrants already in the country? Let's talk about that. I'm a famous squish about this issue (and so many others) -- I just don't see us deporting illegals anytime soon. I just can't imagine putting parents on a bus to Matamoros while their kids (born here; US citizens) wave goodbye. So, yes, let's talk about that.
After we secure the border.
That's really where the Bush plan, which I thought was sensible, fell short.
First, secure the border.
Then let's talk.
Jun '10
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
As Peter mentioned in a previous post, if you were an adult in 1986, you've been to this rodeo before. Amnesty came first, and border-sealing never showed up.
May '10
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
I completely agree. This president is all about the platitudes: I want healthcare "reform" that will cover everyone, lower costs and shave the deficit. I want immigration "reform" that will secure the borders, legalize everyone, and make everyone lock arms and sing "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" in perfect harmony. How? You figure it out. Just make sure I get my name on the cover page.
While we're on the topic of naked electoral appeals to particular groups, I'd like to see a discussion begin about the recent news concerning the New Black Panther Party dismissal. The allegations from the former DOJ attorney are very, very disturbing.
May '10
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
Let's be honest here. There has not been one policy or proposal made since January 2009 that was not first, foremost, and fundamentally about politics. This crowd does not understand anything whatever about government- only Tammany-style power.
Rob- I agree that the 2006 proposal started that way, but when the message got through, Chertoff and Myers did more actual productive work on the problem than anyone in the last 50 years. Chertoff used every decision, NEPA waiver, and discretionary tool he had to get the construction moving, in the face of enviro opposition.
Bush was kind of unique that way. He listened to the populace and considered the arguments. (nostalgic sigh)
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
The Bush and Obama speeches are fairly similar in what they want: a better legal immigration channel, a guest worker program, a sensible way to get distinguish between the criminals who are here and those who are productive members of their communities.
With one difference: George W. Bush was trying to get an immigration bill passed. There was no castigation of parties. Barack Obama -- as Peter points out -- is just trying to score political points. (No one who is serious proposes legislation like this in July.) It is telling that this speech may be the only instance of President Obama saying a kind thing about President Bush.Of course it is in the context of blaming Republicans for no immigration reform.
Let's be clear: in the summer of 2007, there were 15 Democratic "no" votes in the senate on the last cloture motion that defeated the bill last time around. If they had gone for reform, it would not have been killed.
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
I couldn't agree more. On the bright side, I think the electorate will grow increasingly fed up with a President who continues to whine about the Republicans after the Democrats have controlled 2 of the 3 branches of government for 18+ months.
After securing the border, why not shift immigration policy away from exclusive reliance on "family reunification" and closer to the Australian point system that puts a premium on skilled immigrants?
Jun '10
Re: Obama, Tossing a Hardball
I think Bill Clinton's veiled criticism of the oil-spill cleanup is appropriate here, and probably will be a good template for any future initiative Obama tries to address: "I think the federal government's position ought to be very straightforward: The most important thing is to fix ______. Anybody who can help us fix _____, I'm for that. The second most important thing is to keep _____. The third most important thing is to minimize the damage of _____. The fourth most important thing today is to figure out who did what wrong and hold them accountable, whether it was somebody in _____ or somebody in the U.S. government, and I'll do that, but let's do 1, 2, and 3 first. And then, yes, he should show empathy, and yes, he should feel their pain and all that, but what people want is to fix _____."