Awesome News: Senate to take up Immigration Reform this year!

[Perky]

Not only is this the right thin for the country, but it provides a perfect storm for the Dems going into the midterms. It creates a wedge between responsible Republicans while inflaming the Tea Partyers and it bring out the brown vote in support of the Dems. Awesome and politically very shrewd.

President Barack Obama called Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) on Tuesday to gauge his support for a comprehensive immigration reform bill, a sign the White House is serious about pushing the issue in Congress this year.

Obama’s outreach to Brown is part of a quickly hatched, coordinated effort with congressional leaders to thrust the volatile immigration debate back to the front burner. At a joint House and Senate leadership meeting late Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promised to House leaders that he would put an immigration bill on the floor this year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also in the Tuesday evening meeting, said the House would prioritize immigration reform, according to a Democratic leadership source with knowledge of the meeting.

The president called Brown from Air Force One, White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said. But Brown didn’t signal any willingness to dive into immigration reform.

“Sen. Brown told the president that he would review any legislation if it came before the Senate, but he believes that the immediate focus should be on fixing the economy and creating jobs,” Brown spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said.

The outreach to Brown is significant because Brown has already shown himself to buck his party on occasion, voting for a Democratic jobs bill and helping break a filibuster a major unemployment package. But getting Brown on board any major immigration plan would be a much heavier lift, especially in an election year.

On the campaign trail, Obama pledged to move immigration reform through Congress during his first year as president. The White House is now touting a bipartisan framework put forward by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y).

But Graham is pessimistic. “No one’s spent any political capital laying the groundwork for this,” he told POLITICO Tuesday. “In 2007, with President Bush, you had two Cabinet secretaries up here for three days a week, two to three hours a day. That’s what it takes, and that’s what’s been missing,” he said.



Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36112.html#ixzz0lji4Mkl5

[w4rma]

1. Very dumb move. Republicans will rally around this. A large majority of Americans oppose this. nt

[ChicagoSuz219]

2. They do it at their own risk...

...Hispanics vote in HUGE numbers!!

Having said that, Immigration Reform will make HCR look like a day at the beach!

[Lance_Boyle]

8. Illegal aliens can't vote, and lots of LEGAL immigrants resent them. n/t

[Perky]

3. Look at what happened when Bush pushed the issue

the GOP split down the middle. Look the rethugs are going to vote regardless but there is a big difference on the issue between the Tancredo wing and those with business and agribusiness concerns. It certainly helps rally the troops and raise money on the right. Bu it also gives plenty of anecdote for those in the middle to see the RW as "gone 'round the bend" loony

[mkultra]

6. Only rethugs oppose this, hispanics(which are swing voters) do not

SO its a smart fucking political move.

[ShortnFiery]

10. Think again, many Latinos have waited years LEGALLY to be citizens, they don't like

others pushing ahead of the line. I don't blame them.

There's plenty of legal immigrants/citizens of many ORIGINS who RESENT quick immigration fixes in favor of those who break the laws.

[mkultra]

12. being here illegally is not a criminal offense

And most legal Latinos have illegal family. Most people know that the "legal" limits on immigration are a joke and the only reasonable argument against it is taxation. A path to residency solves that problem so the only complaint that remains is among those who are bigots which are the republicans. The "front of the line" crap is a mask for their racism.

Obama made it clear that there should be a path to citizenship for families currently living here and he still won widespread independent AND Latino support. Hispanics voted for Obama 67% to 31%.

[ShortnFiery]

18. That's why our bought-off Congress is bringing up THIS Legislation now instead of the

TWO illegal occupations or potential war crimes of the past Administration.

The OWNERS of this nation LOVE to keep "the masses" at each others' throats while they continue to horde all the wealth and wage endless wars.

[mkultra]

19. your argument slides around like GOP talking points

[ShortnFiery]

20. Yeah, your only enemy is the GOP. It must be so nice to live in a simplistic world? eom

[mkultra]

21. Its nice to know how the enemy is

clarity is a helpful paradigm.

[ShortnFiery]

22. Gee, if you are referencing me, then you are IDing a life long democrat.

Albeit ONE who will not vote for any more corporatists.

[mkultra]

23. well, i wasnt

But I must say that i have doubts that you are a Democrat. Liberal or lefty perhaps.

[ShortnFiery]

24. I'm a mainstream democrat. There's nothing out of sync with what democrats

were promoting during the 1970s.

Problem is *THE LEADERSHIP* OF MY PARTY HAS VENTURED TO THE CORPORATE RIGHT-WING since the rule of Saint Reagan.

We can thank the M$M for this mis-perception of America being a center-right nation.

I fully believe that "Rank and File Democrats" are more left-of-center on the political scale when given a free choice.

Me - a leftist?

I support a strong military - but as a deterrent, not as an invading hegemonic force.

That's hardly what one would call "leftist."

[mkultra]

25. well, i dont feel that corporations deserve special or prefered treatment

and that they need regulation. But im not foolish enough to believe that our economic well being involves corps as well. I believe in a strong defense for t he purpose of DEFENSE. I don't worry to much about deficits and believe in regulation and funding for social needs. But i supported the bailouts because they represent JOBS and jobs represent food on the table and well being for families and children.

I am a mainstream democrat, and if you want to abolish corporations, you are not. If you don't support a path to residency, then you are not.

[ShortnFiery]

26. Who said "abolish?" ... But heavy regulation and fair taxation on corps? BINGO!

;)

[mkultra]

28. without the bailouts

we would have lost a major segment of our economy. While i don't particularly like the idea that those greedy bastards are getting assistance, i also enjoy having a job and living in a robust economy. I was unwilling to suffer a 10 year recession just to teach them a lesson. regulate on the front end but save the economy when necessary.

[backscatter712]

16. It's a little more complicated than that.

On one hand, there are the legal immigrants who don't like illegal immigrants being given shortcuts.

OTOH, there are millions of families out there with some members that are citizens, others that are in the country illegally - deportation results in broken families, and these are the people that recognize that something must be done to restore the immigration system to sanity.

Hopefully, the proposals that have been floated will get in the bill - pay a fine for illegally entering the U.S. (which isn't a serious crime, despite all the right-wing screeching about it), get in the back of the line, and you can stay in the U.S. and get a path through which you can earn citizenship. Also crack down hard on businesses that hire undocumented workers, remove the incentive for crossing the border.

[pampango]

9. Polls I have seen show that most American support immigration reform.

Here's one from Pew Research in April 2009.



"Pew Research has asked about the path to citizenship three times since 2007, most recently in April of this year when 63% again said they favored providing a way for illegal immigrants currently in the country to gain legal citizenship if they pass background checks, pay fines and have jobs. Unlike in 2007, there is now a substantial partisan gap, with 73% of Democrats but just 50% of Republicans in favor of the path to citizenship."

In this first graphic it is interesting that support for "a path to citizenship" increased between 2007 and 2009 from 62% to 73% among Democrats and from 58% to 61% among independents, while it dropped among republicans from 56% to 50%.



"When Congress and the president abandoned efforts to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2007, public opinion was quite conflicted. A Pew Research poll found that, among those aware of the legislation, more people opposed (41%) than supported (33%) the bill being considered by the Senate, but a solid majority of 63% of the general public supported the bill's main objective to provide a "path to citizenship" for undocumented immigrants. At the time, support for this principle was bipartisan, with nearly as many Republicans as Democrats favoring it. And even when the provision was described as "amnesty," a majority still supported it -- though by a smaller margin of 54%-39%. Republicans were evenly divided on the question when the policy was described as "amnesty.""

The second graphic is interesting. In 2007, if the question was "Providing a way for citizenship for illegal immigrants ...", those polled favored it 63% to 30%. If the question was phrased "Providing amnesty to illegal immigrants ...", those polled still favored it but only by a 54% to 39% margin. Using the word "amnesty" produced a 9% swing in the poll.

Therefore, it's not too surprising that Rush, Glenn and the other RW boys use "amnesty" in all discussions of immigration reform. It has passed their test as a "scare" word which fits their strategy of keeping Americans afraid so they can sell their agenda.

[KingFlorez]

17. They are already rallying against every single thing the Democrats have proposed

It's time to get this issue debated, no more talk of immigration reform, we need action. There's nothing that can be done to stop Republicans from throwing fits.

[pampango]

4. Good. The unions, the Progressive Caucus, and the Congressional Black caucus all support reform

outlined earlier by Obama.

In reading the OP, however, I don't see any commitment from Obama or congressional leaders to push immigration reform this year. I think it is still a possible move on Obama's part, but not one that he has decided to do just yet.

On another DU post I found this summary of the republican, anti-immigrant strategy to oppose immigration reform - this year or ever.

""In October 2008, the Anti-Defamation League criticized anti-immigrant groups for utilizing the strategies of hate groups and "resorting to hateful and dehumanizing stereotypes and outright bigotry to demonize immigrants." To the categories identified by the ADL we can now add demagoguery over the swine flu virus and exploitation of the nation's economic woes.

Here is a review of the rhetorical strategies used to inflame anti-immigrant sentiment and build political opposition to comprehensive immigration reform."

"Table of Contents

* Introduction
* The Fire Last Time-And the Arsonists-in-Waiting
* Strategy 1: Appeal to Racial Fear and the 'Brown' Threat to 'White' America
* Response to Strategy 1
* Strategy 2: Appeal to Racial Resentment by Portraying Immigrant Rights Advocates as Racists
* Response to Strategy 2
* Strategy 3: Portray Immigrants and Their Supporters as Invaders, Conquerors, Enemies of the U.S.
* Response to Strategy 3
* Strategy 4: Portray Immigrants as Criminals and Terrorists
* Response to Strategy 4
* Strategy 5: Portray Immigrants as Carriers of Disease and Weapons of Bio-Terrorism
* Response to Strategy 5
* Strategy 6: Stop Reform by Shouting 'Amnesty'
* Response to Strategy 6
* Strategy 7: Denigrate Reform Efforts as Vote-Buying
* Response to Strategy 7
* Strategy 8 : Portray Anti-Immigrant Stance as 'Pro-Worker' (While Voting Against Worker Interests)
* Response to Strategy 8
* Strategy 9: Push Divisive Black-Brown Wedge
* Response to Strategy 9
* GOP, Right Wing Gearing Up To Oppose Comprehensive Immigration Reform
* Decency in Debate"

The details of each GOP strategy are at http://www.pfaw.org/rww-in-focus/previewing-the-right-wing-playbook-immigration-reform .

[Clio the Leo]

5. Gonna be fun! fun! fun!!! NT

[KansasVoter]

7. Something needs to be done.......

I have "liberal" friends who live in the south who support dems in every way. But hate how they feel about the immigration issue.

You cannot have millions of illegal people in this country and not try to deal with the issue. The dems need to take the lead on this.

You have to punish the ones here illegally somehow, but allow them to stay, and then punish employers in the future.

This issue crosses party lines with a lot of people.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

11. I think it's risky. I would have waited until the day after the election but having said that

they should name it the "Ronald Reagan Immigration Reform Act". :evilgrin:

[Perky]

13. Or just use the Kennedy McCain Bill

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. Sure, but what better way to fuck with these pukes than using Mr Amnesty's

name in the bill? Don't get me wrong. I'm sure McCain would get lots of RW love if they used his bill (which he now rejects). It's a win-win.

[backscatter712]

15. I was hoping the Dems in Congress would be smart enough to do this.

As you stated, it fires up the Latinos and gets them voting for us, it drives a wedge in the GOP, it will get the teabaggers frothing at the mouth, which will make them look like the raging bigoted assholes that they are just in time for the election - it's win-win for us!

[harkadog]

27. You are assuming three incorrect things.

1) You are assuming that immigration reform is popular among voters. It is not.

2) You are assuming Democrats will be united on a reform bill. They will not be. Labor and Hispanics have competing interests and will be at each other's throats.

3) You are assuming Hispanic citizens will vote for Democrats. Most do but they vote in very low percentages compared with other groups. Other than local politicians no one has ever gotten elected based on the Hispanic vote. Political reality.

[Perky]

29. Well lets see

I never assumed any of these things. Immigration reform has to be Bi Partisan.

But as we saw when Bush tries it split the GOP that is the benefit.
Immigration is a a compelling issues for the GOP and they are split right down the middle

Secondly we got a huge bump from Hispanic voters in 2008 specifically because they were mortified by the Tancredo-nauts.

I