See other Immigration Articles
Title: The Democrat's Immigration Priority
Source:
The Nation/NPR
URL Source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124519474
Published: Mar 11, 2010
Author: Kai Wright
Post Date: 2010-03-11 20:33:54 by Deasy
Ping List: *The Border*
Keywords: amnesty, graham, schumer, diversity
Views: 300
Comments: 18
The great thing about racists is they'll always take the bait. You won't get far into an immigration-reform debate, for instance, before the GOP's more zealous legislators start doing things like criminalizing priests and calling Miami a "third world country." Which is why Democrats ought to be more eager to spend 2010 debating immigration. Back in summer 2009, that looked like the plan. President Obama made a big show of brainstorming reforms, by holding a White House summit and meeting with legislators in both parties. New York Sen. Charles Schumer teamed up with South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to work on a bipartisan bill and immigration seemed destined to get space at the top of the 2010 agenda. Now, of course, Graham remains the lone Republican on board and the congressional calendar remains clogged with the bipartisan blockades of 2009. It's hard to imagine where Democrats will wedge meaningful immigration reform in between health insurance, jobs and banking. Nonetheless, reform advocates have run out of patience — and the White House is once again very publicly brainstorming the issue. The president met with Schumer and Graham Monday for what Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton described as "getting an update from them on efforts to create bipartisan immigration legislation." One gets the feeling Obama's trying merely to get in front of a conversation that's destined to heat up, with a reform rally on the National Mall set for March 21 and tea partiers prepping an April response. But Democrats would be wise to do a good bit more than parade Schumer around. Lay to the side the clear economic and moral arguments for fixing our corrupt, exploitative system. Immigration reform is an issue where Democrats are served better politically by picking a fight with the GOP than running from one. The long-term politics are plain: Latino communities nationwide are young, growing and increasingly ready to show up at the polls. And the certain-to-be xenophobic reaction of the GOP's loudest voices today will not only motive Latinos this November, it will alienate independent voters as well. Obama's hearty embrace of immigration reform served Democrats well in 2008 (a fact the National Council of La Raza is reminding him of in a new ad; see below). Polling wonks split hairs over whether the Latino vote turned any states, but the fact that we're down to hairs is enough. Latino voters arguably made victory possible in places as disparate as Indiana and Florida, and their political networks have only matured since. Throughout both the South and the Midwest, motivated Latino voters can strengthen Democrats' hand. And after the party's tin-eared 2009, in which it squandered its reform capital while courting enemies, Obama and the Dems could surely use at least one motivated voting bloc this fall.
Poster Comment: People expect the Tea Parties to stop this?
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#1. To: Prefrontal Vortex, Cynicom, Esso, Lod, abraxas, wbales, Bub, Original_Intent, HOUNDDAWG, bluegras, PCUSA, Pinguinite, Eric Stratton, Samuel Gray, noone222, echo5sierra, abraxas, Phant2000, Dakmar, X-15, James Deffenbach, Lod (#0)
What do you folks see on the horizon with this? Is anyone out there actually organizing political efforts to stop this thing?
I am as worried about the GOP. Some say Sarah Palin for President. She would sign legislation in a heart-beat.
"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves." -- Ronald Reagan, circa 1977
I agree. This thing poses as being "liberal" but it comes from Wall Street and the pulpit too.
Obama and brainstorming--tempest in a teapot.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. This "brainstorming" got him elected. Si se pueda.
Well yeah, I suppose. One thing, probably the biggest thing that got him elected, was the misplaced adulation of white guilters. People who have guilt trips about things that happened hundreds of years before they were born and whose ancestors most likely didn't even have anything to do with the grievances they are doing penance for. Very sad business.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. So what's the answer, besides the obvious, which isn't going to happen because white America is afraid of the nasty names they'd be called if they joined together.
We do need a critical mass of people who understand the real impact of this thing on our future as a nation. It needs to be a visceral awareness. It will come.
Well, in what form will it come? And how will we know it when we see it? As an example, I'd guess the Tea Party folk are anti-illegal immigration. Would you agree?
My prediction is that the Senate will pull an out-of-the-blue, late-night move and pass some BS amnesty legislation, with most of the Republican senators voting "Yea".
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The relationship between morality and liberty is a directly proportional one.
Agreed.
neocon - Israel = "libertarian" anti-white
Black humor will be black humor. As an example, I'd guess the Tea Party folk are anti-illegal immigration. Even immigration (never mind illegal) is yesterday's fight. I'm actually for amnesty now. Anti-white Americanism must be destroyed, and the way to destroy it is with more "Americans". The more the faster the better.
neocon - Israel = "libertarian" anti-white
You well could be right. If the dems get a pasting on both health care and cap and trade, they'll have to have something to show the troops. After all, they do have a majority in both houses, ferchrissake. Their grass roots will be screaming bloody murder at them. I'm afraid they'll get desperate enough to manage some policy horror or other that most of us will find hard to swallow, and damn the Marquess of Queensberry rules.
7 words or less. That one's a beaut.
neocon - Israel = "libertarian" anti-white
You'll get it. They got 200,000 out. Anti-amnesty marches are lucky to get hundreds.
"We have families being separated." "A responsible set of leaders."
Arm up. Five for one at a minimum. Simple math.
#2. To: Deasy (#0)
It's hard to imagine where Democrats will wedge meaningful immigration reform in between health insurance, jobs and banking.
#3. To: buckeroo (#2)
#4. To: Deasy (#0)
President Obama made a big show of brainstorming reforms
Lord Acton
#5. To: James Deffenbach (#4)
#6. To: Deasy (#5)
Lord Acton
#7. To: Deasy (#0)
People expect the Tea Parties to stop this?
#8. To: Jethro Tull (#7)
#9. To: Deasy (#8)
We do need a critical mass of people who understand the real impact of this thing on our future as a nation. It needs to be a visceral awareness. It will come.
#10. To: Deasy (#1)
What do you folks see on the horizon with this?
"This man is Jesus,” shouted one man, spilling his Guinness as Barack Obama began his inaugural address. “When will he come to Kenya to save us?”
-Schweizerische Schuetzenzeitung (Swiss Shooting Federation) April, 1941
#11. To: X-15 (#10)
#12. To: Deasy (#8)
It needs to be a visceral awareness. It will come.
#13. To: Jethro Tull, Deasy (#9)
Well, in what form will it come? And how will we know it when we see it?
#14. To: X-15 (#10)
My prediction is that the Senate will pull an out-of-the-blue, late-night move and pass some BS amnesty legislation, with most of the Republican senators voting "Yea".
#15. To: Deasy (#5)
Si se pueda.
#16. To: Prefrontal Vortex, abraxas, Artisan, bluegrass, Bub, Bub, christine, Cynicom, Deasy, Esso, FormerLurker, Horse, HOUNDDAWG, IDon'tThinkSo, Lod, maxbluto, Obnoxicated, Phant2000, Pinguinite, PSUSA, randge, Refinersfire, Jethro Tull (#13)
I'm actually for amnesty now.
#17. To: All (#16)
#18. To: Deasy (#17)
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