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DES MOINES, Iowa – Speaking to Democratic activists at a fundraising dinner here on Saturday, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa lashed out at the Republican Party and said a Mitt Romney presidency would halt progress won under President Barack Obama.
"Today, between the Tea Partiers, the climate change deniers, the birthers and the flat-earthers, I hardly recognize the Republican Party anymore," Villaraigosa said, telling the crowd that as a mayor he has sought to work across party lines.
"Republicans used to stand for something,” he said. “And now they just stand in the way."
Villaraigosa was in Des Moines to headline the Iowa Democrats' Jefferson Jackson dinner, the state party's annual marquee fundraising event.
In an interview, he called the invitation a great honor. Past keynoters have included other Democrats on a national trajectory, including a turn in 2007 by then-candidate Obama.
But if it seems like Villaraigosa is eyeing a White House bid, he wouldn't say.
"My aspiration right now is to get the president elected," he told NBC News.
Villaraigosa will be term-limited next year in Los Angeles and said he wants to "finish strong."
Though he supported Hillary Clinton for president in 2008, he has since emerged as a visible surrogate for President Obama.
In September, he served as chairman of the Democratic National Convention, helping to raise the profile of the Hispanic community at a time when both parties are battling over the country's largest-growing demographic.
Villaraigosa said during the interview that he predicted Obama would win more than 70 percent of the Hispanic vote in August – a time when the president, though still enjoying an advantage, was polling in the low 60s.
"I still maintain that when it's all said and done, Latinos will vote overwhelmingly for President Obama," Villaraigosa said Saturday.
He cited Republican opposition to the DREAM act, which would provide a path to citizenship for children who moved to the United States illegally as children, and which he said Republicans say is a "handout."
Asked about Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the rising Republican star who makes frequent references to faith, family and free market principles – ideas that some conservatives say will lead Hispanics to the Republican Party – Villaraigosa was polite but said the GOP has "gone so far to the right."
"I have a lot of respect for him," Villaraigosa said of Rubio. "But that's not the point of view reflected in the Latino vote."
(Rubio has said the Republican Party needs to soften on immigration, and has proposed alternative legislation which would not include the DREAM Act's pathway to citizenship.)
While Villaraigosa called for moderation from the right, he was outspoken in his defense of the broad reforms enacted by the Obama administration that Republicans have called divisive and have pledged to undo.
During his speech, he called the election a decision on the country's "fundamental direction."
"What people don't realize about those first two years with Nancy Pelosi and Democratic majority in the House and Senate, and President Obama," he said, "it actually was the most productive congress since the Johnson administration."
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MAYOR Villaraigosa, maybe we can vote on it 3 times and you can count the Yeas and Nays. This time you can feel free to be honest and not read the predetermined decision off a teleprompter.
Some serious haters on the blog. Illegals are coming for jobs when they are available. We haven't had many coming over. Farms hire them because they can hire them cheap, pay no benefits, and if they get hurt, well thats just too bad. They pretend to take out payroll taxes and disability and social security from their paychecks but they know they are illegal and just keep the withholdings for themselves. Never forwarding it to the IRS. If they did then the IRS would have a data bank of all the deceased social security numbers being used, or used twice, or . . . The IRS doesn't seem to have this database so that is your big clue that the farms are screwing the illegal workers. Republicans don't want this fixed because cheap illegal labor is a lifeline for them. An new source of slavery. Much like the large black and brown prison populations now is the new form of slave labor. Therefore they keep insisting on doing nothing. Republicans are very good at doing nothing about illegal immigrants. Just rhetoric, no action. We have a long way to go as a nation to clense ourselves for the evils of racism.
Democrats, Republicans it doesn't matter. The last significant illegal clean-up was Operation Wetback in the 50's.
You might want to check your facts on whether employers report wages earned by illegals. Seems the Social Security Admin., maintains a "suspense" account that varies from 6-7 billion dollars annually. The SSN's are unverifiable apparently. If the SS Admin is receiving the $$$$, why would you not believe the IRS and State are not getting their share? Check it out. By the way, no political party is going to "take adverse action" against illegal immigration from Mexico. Seems we have a couple of "cozy" deals with them involving oil and trade. It ain't just them 'Pubs...them Dems are just as dirty.
Does anyone at all care about what Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has to say??? Maybe he should worry more about the reported 88,000 homeless people in his city?
Would that would be Like Rahm Emanuel lecturing us on ho to reduce gun violence?
Just more LIB TARD BIASED reporting from FIRST READ....desperate much? Don't worry TEAM BARRY and his COMEDY TOUR will be out en masse lying about another "failing" of his presidency....and that one is (I know its hard to keep track) comprehensive immigration reform.....remember that? Or, do you have "AMNESIA".....ha ha ha. But when Barry is out stumping this week....he'll dazzle you with "comedic" repertoire I'm sure....hey did you hear the one about BIG BIRD having "ROMNESIA?" Ain't that a hoot? I knew Barry had a lovely singing voice...just didn't know he was such a "stitch"......HA HA HA. You LIB TARDS kill me.........
Two Washington bills that guarantees bringing to a trickle the daily illegal alien invasion? 1. A nationwide E-Verify “THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT” that will forever stanch jobs being handed to illegal workers, as long as the penalties for employers are harsh and include prison time. 2. “THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ACT” that will immediately stop the annual progression of smuggling unborn children into America, as no longer will that baby or babies be granted immediate citizenship, as at least one family member must be a U.S. citizen. These are the ONLY assurances that will not only start a self deportation of foreign nationals unlawfully settled here, but will end illegal immigration as we know it. Neither the Democrats backed by the hard core Liberal influence or even Republicans have kept these laws from being voted upon in Congress. The TEA PARTY of moderate Conservatives will force these two extremely major laws into the spotlight and insist that these laws have a chance of passage.
These two mandatory bills have been concealed from public awareness, so that all Americans can convince their State and Federal lawmakers how important it is to pass them. Just the cost of educating children of illegal aliens is a phenomena amount of taxpayers’ money. Hundreds of billions of dollars that could benefit our own citizens and legal resident, instead of being forced to pay under uncompensated mandate forced by the courts. This is the original source of the DREAM ACT controversy, of pregnant Mother mainly arriving here from some foreign government and placing their financial burden on U.S. taxpayers. And so it continuous—the unceasing flow of mothers carrying hidden fetuses, that are clogging our hospitals so delivery becomes our responsibility.
Under another Obama 4 year administration is a promise to the 20 million plus illegal aliens a Path to Citizenship. So not only illegal aliens will be tempted to vote for the man, but many will and Democrats will intentionally stay oblivious. The cost according to the Heritage Foundation is well over TWO TRILLION DOLLARS to complete the process, which includes Social Security, Supplementary Social Security, retirement, pensions, health care, education and other different financial programs; much of it paid for by taxpayers. At a working age, American citizens begin paying for their retirement, having paid into these systems, but illegal migrants and immigrants in the majority have not? In fact they are even fraudulently using their children to collect 4.6 Billion dollars in child credits, which this government and probably the previous ones don’t think it’s worth prosecuting?
From now and until the general election in November two groups that includes THE NATIONAL TEA PARTY and TRUE TO THE VOTE, will be monitoring organizations that has some affiliation to the ACORN group, other canvassers that was registering illegal voters, who were eventually caught and prosecuted in eleven states for election violations. ACORN since then has assumingly vanished, but has returned under entirely different names. In Addition individuals who knowingly vote in two States which is a felony, along with absentee ballot irregularities will be held accountable. Believe it the Democrats have asked some United Nations group, made up of European Observers to monitor our elections. Personally the UN is the last entity I would entertain in refereeing our voting system. They are just as corrupt as the two principle political parties. When I heard that Obama has given the UN approval of taxing America, for the financial interests of foreign nations, which really was a clincher for ultra socialist agenda’s. His other idea in agreement with the grand United Nations was sharing our deep sea water rights to other countries. Obama is a definite danger to America, with his nationalization health care system and sharing our resources with other countries. My advice is joining the TEA PARTY (THE PEOPLE’S PARTY) and voting in Mitt Romney, as you can observe from TEA PARTY POLITICIANS pushing out Republican incumbents in some states and are gaining in influence.
You know what makes me laugh is the white women and men who go to tanning booths, the beach or pools so they can get tanned and look golden brown - and here you bitch and moan about the latinos. Don't like them, call them brown skin and you are always trying to look like them. You people have warped minds and you sure as hell don't sound intelligent.
Wow...awesome observation Yolie....YAWN....
Don't like them cause they Latinos, no other reason. If you lived among them in CA for years, you'd dislike them too.
Why, did he loose his green card?
The greaseball Spick can go back to picking tomatoes south of the Rio Grande, if he doesn't like our laws. If he's a Democrat, he's simply human pollution anyhow.
"spick" ?
Oh yeah hes 100% correct - Now they just stand in the way.
And at a time when our nations economy and people are suffering?
Really? I Voted for Reagan and this republican party today is No Reagan Party.
Look what this guy has done to LA use to be okay but now its a pool of sssshhhtttt. They call LA a haven for Illegals the cops don't even enforce immigration holds unless they commit a crime. The only reason this guy supports Obama is because Obama looks the other way when it comes to illegals. Hell he invites them here just to get there vote. one of my friends had three different illegals using his social security number and the social security office said there was nothing they could do because they did not break any laws. Even though credit card applications were sent to his address with there names on them. What a load of crap...
The thing is this you have no clue what you are talking about.
You are spouting misinformation which is blatantly false.
Obama has deported more illegals than bush ever thought of.
And many more of them are criminals.
At least come with some facts and not just rhetoric if you are going to claim something.
@ JD - Get another talking point. That one's been proved over and over to be crap. The boarder patrol has deported more now than under Bush. This is true. Obama has publicly said he wishes he could change that but is prevented by law from doing so. Once they get past the boarder patrol he has done everything he can to prevent them from being picked up.
If he is so tough on illegal immigration than why is his aunt and uncle still here? Especially his uncle who has a deportation order against him? Nothing else is needed to prove his couldn't care less about enforcing immigration laws.
JD
Obama is refusing to put troops on that border. Its an invitation to the drug smuggles, terrorists, criminals and human traffickers to invade our country.
Don't give me that crap about Obama deporting them when all he talks about is making them legal and giving them the right to vote instantly.
the so called latino vote is really only about the mexican vote. mexican bigots such as this mayor simply want more of their "own kind" at the expense of others. black americans and social liberals will see thier support for mexican immigration backfire big time. the whole country has and will continue to suffer from the millions upon millions of people from a lawless, poor, corrupt, and violent country. at least it is liberal states that they are destroying. call this post racist if youd like, but reality is reality. go ahead and tell me that anything i have said above is wrong.
The ONLY thing the GOP has that I would even look at is their immigration policy. Romney is DEAD ON with the elimination of the Dream Act. Some say a Dream Act, most of us say it is a NIGHTMARE Act. If you are here illegally, whether you are 2 months or 80 years old, GET OUT!!! How long is it going to take for you to realize you are not wanted here, you will NEVER be treated as an equal, and we will find a way to get you out! Papers please. No papers, OUT! How many are here legally to become citizens? Plenty and these illegals think they are special. Well you're not! Join the military for 3 years AND be honorably discharged, then we'll talk. Oh yeah, LEARN ENGLISH.
This failed scuzz-bucket mayor can kiss my A$$!
progress won give me a damn break mayor (i want parts if not all of california to be entirely spanish ) villaraigosa. your a sly one. illegal immigration has just about destroyed this country . it has california . everything from anchor babies to false voting . millions of these spanish invaders know how to work the system . what they do make by working ( usually under the table no taxes ) they send back to mexico . then they live off the welfare of the united states government. thats why a lot of our help programs ( meant for legal american citizens are having a rough time ) and are going broke and mayors like you are the one's causing it. you want a spanish america thats your main intent. why ? look at the fifthy city of los angeles it looks like a trash dump thug town . gang writing on every damn building . you and your spanish folks don't give one damn about this country .all you want is what you can get out of it for free. screw you mayor and the horse you rode in on.
LA mayor Villaraigosa is an empty suit. He well could be the most ignorant person ever to hold the office. Time and again, he has supported illegal immigrant activism. Hey, Tony, there is NOTHING wrong with our immigration policy. It works just fine. Problem is that idots like you believe that undocumented immigrants from south of the border should go to the front of the line and that they should be given benefits that not even some citizens receive. You're an idiot, Tony. Can't wait for you to get your useless ass out of the mayor's office.
Um lets look who was texas governor before he was president?? Um yeah BUSH.
So the republicans have had control of the border for a long long time.
Where were you guys?
So easy to stand up now and point fingers for the messes you have caused this country over the last 12 years.
We will not forget come Nov 6th you can bet on that.
Duh! who build the border fence? DUH! But it turned out, it isn't enough. Where are the troops on our border to protect it? The border patrol is so under manned it shameful. Obama refuses to put troops on the border. The shame is on him for the drugs and human trafficking that is taking place because there aren't enough officers on the Border.
Mayor Villaraigosa has always been contemptuous of US citizenship, and as per usual his arguments hold no water. To say that the US depends upon immigrants is consistent with his stance on US citizenship.
Mr Mayor, US citizens have for many years been actively discriminated against in the US workforce, over 20 million are either unemployed or under-employed, most of the rest are under severe compensation stress largely brought on by the deliberate flooding of the US labor market. This is happening by massive employment based legal immigration (currently running at 125,000* work visa holders each and every month) as well as millions of persons who have absolutely no business being in this country.
So Mr Mayor your dreams of utterly destroying US citizenship are gradually coming to fruition, but I and many others will oppose you every step of the way.
*numbersusa.com
Like you are going to step up and do most of the work they do....No you are not.
They are doing the work that used to be largely performed by US citizens, who have now been forced out of their livelihoods by the appalling wages offered or worse are unemployed.
People like you seem to think that the US labor market is immune from the forces of supply and demand.
How or why is this a story??? I think I have to give up on NBC"news"....
I'm a democrat and I think Villaraigosa is a terrible mayor. Los Angeles has fallen back into territorial gangs again under his watch. Prostitutes and drug dealers moving around my block, illegal immigrants lingering outside of any/every hardware store, homeless people on every trashed street. Meanwhile Antonio hangs out with celebrities and uses city money to buy himself tickets to high society functions. What a creep.
You think the rest of America is any better since the Bush years of destruction to our economy?
Really?
Homelessness is everywhere and people are hurting everywhere.
Yet we have this republican congress who blocks everything to help our nation simply because they do not want the recovery to happen when Obama is President.
JD
OH you want to talk Bush, Okay. Bush added $5.1 trillion to the national debt in 8 years following Bernanke's advice.
Obama added over $6 trillion to the national debt in less than 4 years following Bernanke's advice.
Who did more damage to this country? Duh! Let me see. Obama almost shut down our government twice in fourteen months. DUH! NO brainer. Its Bush's fault. DUH!
Perhaps the Democrats ought to come out for E-Verify. That would guarantee the Republicans being against it!
Gee... I wonder why the major might be in favor of more immigration??
Oh... I got it... When you spit on yourself trying to pronounce a name... It's usually a immigrate one...
excessivelyperky- LOL I was just thinking that, like mandate's etc. McCain used to be for immigration reform, before he ran in 2008, but he had to change his position to satisfy the base.
Many Republican ideas as soon as the President or Democrats say that's a good idea, flip-flop it's bad now!
O&JOE
An Immigrant...bashing Anti-Immigration Reform!! Stop me if this sounds familiar.
Mayor, YOU have to decide if you are an AMERICAN or a Mexican...why in the world would you want ILLEGALS in YOUR country? They sap your economy and put a huge drain on your taxpayers to fund ALL of their activity. Work with the politicians to craft a workable sensible immigration policy. Your Democrats feel like the people of this country are stupid and what you tell them is good for you, rather you like it or not.
Get this idiot out of office people of Los Angeles, or YOU will be funding their retirement while you keep working to support them!
Oh dear god the world is coming to an end we all better go dig caves and hoard food.....
Seriously this stuff has been going on since FOREVER.
You finally know we have Mexicans in the Country illegally...
Get over it.
I'm Hispanic with post-grad education and a job, I served my country, I'm a conservative voter, and I love L.A. --- and this Mayor just embarrassed me on all fronts. He should get back to my L.A. and clean it up. I imagine he will, just as soon as he's done partying with Harry Reid and Eva L, both who insist on calling us stupid.