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Subscribe to RSSObama expected to embrace Senate deal… The reason Obama is headed to Las Vegas: No state has better epitomized the power of the Latino vote… The Kabuki dance… On Rubio selling reform to the conservative base… On Schumer becoming the Democrats’ dealmaker… And Senate is set to confirm John Kerry as secretary of state.
*** Obama to embrace Senate deal: When President Obama delivers his immigration speech at 2:55 pm ET today in Las Vegas, he will hug the principles that the bipartisan group of senators outlined yesterday. “POTUS will applaud the bipartisan Senate agreement that is very consistent with his long-held view and lay out his vision for immigration reform,” top White House aide Dan Pfeiffer just tweeted. Obama also will call on the Senate to act on the legislation soon. While one publication is reporting that the White House has developed its own immigration-reform plan that’s more liberal than the bipartisan Senate outline, that information is outdated. Had the bipartisan senators NOT acted yesterday, you likely would have seen Obama offer his own plan. But the senators did act, and their plan is the plan. The last thing the White House wants to do is blow up this fragile coalition. As we reported yesterday, the White House floated the idea of doing a more liberal or progressive bill during a meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus last week, as a counter to what was being offered in the Senate, and the CHC shot the idea down. The CHC’s advice to the White House was let the Senate work its will – at least for now. That said, the White House insisted last night to reporters that if the Senate coalition falters and if bill shows signs of dying, the president will step in with his own legislation.
Related: Obama’s vs. Senators’ immigration reform plan: 6 points on what overlaps, what differs
Larry Downing / Reuters
President Barack Obama speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House, Jan. 24, 2013.
*** Vegas, baby: So why is the president giving his speech in Las Vegas? There is no state that better epitomizes the power of the Latino vote in American politics than Nevada. In 2010, Harry Reid won 69% of Latinos in his race against Sharron Angle, according to the exit polls, saving his Senate seat from a GOP that was convinced was theirs for the taking. And two years later, Obama won 71% of that vote -- matching what he received nationwide. The three states that have moved the most dramatically in presidential contests since 2004 have been Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico, and it’s due primarily to the Latino vote in all three states. (New Mexico is not even remotely a purple state anymore.) In Nevada, in particular, Latinos make up 27% of the state’s population and 19% of the voters in the 2012 election. Translation: The Latino influence in the state has even more room to grow.
*** Kabuki dance: While Obama will embrace the bipartisan Senate framework today, one Republican senator who’s part of the deal -- Sen. Lindsey Graham -- was criticizing Obama on FOX last night. “In 2008, he promised comprehensive immigration reform in the first year of his presidency, and it took all the oxygen out of the room,” Graham said. More: “In 2007, when we were trying to do immigration reform, he folded like a cheap suit because labor, the AFL-CIO, got mad at the bill to allow temporary workers... So I don't need a lecture from Barack Obama about bipartisanship; he was never very good at it in the Senate.” Moreover, top Marco Rubio staffers last night tweeted that Obama was “to oppose security and enforcement triggers,” even though the article that was cited never explicitly said that; it simply said Obama “does not favor linking legal status to border security.” So what’s going on here? This is all Kabuki theater to show that these Republicans aren’t in bed with the White House. The best way some Republicans privately believe they have to get more folks on board (or at least to convince some groups not to be overly aggressive AGAINST this plan) is to not look like they are “giving” the president a “win.” Politico also makes this point: “Whether he likes it or not, the president’s top legislative priority rests in the hands of McCain, his former 2008 rival, and Rubio, one of the GOP’s leading candidates to take back the White House in 2016.”
*** On Rubio selling reform to the conservative base: That said, this is an important test for Marco Rubio. He has spent the last several days selling comprehensive immigration to conservatives. And today, he speaks with Rush Limbaugh, who has criticized the bipartisan Senate framework. (“This immigration bill that everybody’s touting on TV is essentially the Bush immigration bill that was beat back in 2007,” Limbaugh said yesterday.) One of Ronald Reagan’s great talents was selling compromise to his party -- and declaring victory. Can Rubio pull this off, especially on an issue that base conservatives have opposed in the past two presidential elections? Rubio’s job with Limbaugh isn’t to convince him to sign on; we’re not sure that’s possible. What Rubio’s goal is today is to convince Limbaugh not to aggressively be AGAINST what he’s doing. If he can pull this off, it will be quite the feather in his hat as we get closer and closer to 2016 -- and perhaps show Rubio has some Reagan-like political skills.
*** On Schumer becoming the Democrats’ dealmaker: For those who closely follow American politics, Chuck Schumer is an easy target to mock. The running joke, for years, has been that the most dangerous place in DC is to be between Schumer and a TV camera. Perhaps lost in this caricature, however, is that Schumer has become the Democrats’ mover and shaker on key legislation -- dare we say the most effective dealmaker on the Democratic side of the aisle right now. On immigration, he’s reaching across the aisle to work with John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio. And on guns, the legislation that has the best chance of passage is Schumer’s (on universal background checks) where he just might MIGHT convince Republican Tom Coburn to come on aboard his bill. What made Ted Kennedy a lion of the Senate was that he had influence with his Democratic colleagues (if he was backing something, they had cover to get on board) but also the ability to reach across the aisle. And so it’s worth asking: Is Chuck Schumer the closest thing to that right now? And we haven’t even touched on how relentless (and effective) Schumer has been the Senate Democrats’ de facto political director. Is there anyone better at candidate recruiting and clearly primary fields right now than Schumer?
*** Senate set to confirm Kerry: In non-immigration news, U.S. Senate today is expected to vote on John Kerry’s nomination to be secretary of state, and he’s a sure bet to win an easy confirmation. As one of us reported yesterday, if Kerry is confirmed and if his letter of resignation is received tomorrow, Massachusetts will set the special general election for June 25 -- with the primaries to take place on April 30. Also, Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is expected to announce his pick of an interim senator to fill the seat until the special election.
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So now iliegals can stay here if they pay back taxes and learn english. what if they dont want to learn english ? are the classes thats gonna be provided for them gonna come out of our taxes AGAIN ?
Illegals already pay taxes, employers pay them and illegals don't take any deductions or commit many crimes relatively as they don't want to get caught and deported.
Wow.....just......Wow.
Hey "Common Sense-4u"Tell that to the illegal who held a gun (handgun btw) to my head and robbed me for my wallet just so he could be initiated into his gang. BTW illegals tend to marry a legal resident so that the legal resident gets all the welfare benefits because said "illegal"spouse doesn't exist. Seen it happen with my own friends and co-workers here in lovely sunny So Cal. Lots of underhanded ways to cheat our system.
Common Sense- 4 U
Take a look at Houston & tell me how Law abiding the Wet Backs are.
Common Sense- 4 U
Here's an example for you....
I worked at a large Grocery Chain and I knew of a group of Mexicans who lived in the community... They worked at a Bird raising Farm.... They were paid IN CASH for that work...
Come the first of each month they would come into the store and "Cash Out" their EBT (Welfare) Cards and then zip right over to the service desk to the Western Union Desk and send all the money they got from their cards Back to Mexico...
Mine and (not sure if you work or not) Your TAXES going to support people in a different country... Ya got to Love America... Home of the Free, The Brave and the LAZY CROOKS.
Obama could have stayed in DC and announced this and saved us $1.6 million in travel expenses
Yeah. But he wanted to go to the heart of the redneck country, that includes former slave states and states where cowboys killed Indians (hence Nevada). Those are the only states Romney won in the election last year. Only dumb rednecks can be persuaded to vote against their own Social Security and Medicare so that the extreme wealthy people can have bigger tax breaks.
John, you really are a moron. You should go back to the colleges and ask for your money back. You learned nothing or you just lied about your education, either way your an idiot.
Once again the Alligator mouth John Penn shows his ignorance by calling others rednecks, do you even know how the name rednecks came about. Hes going to Nevada because they have a large illegal base that work at the hotels.
So, joe, were you ever on the Dean's List in college?
Actually, Harry Reid will be politically vulnerable for supporting this bill and Obama wants to take the heat there, instead.
If the dumb rednecks figure the black guy is the problem, they might give the white guy a free pass.
John , I'm not impressed with your education. And I'm sure your parents are even less impressed. No matter what, your still an idiot without a job.
Joe,
Here! Here! The illegitimacy of John's statement begs the question: Who should we slap, his teachers or his parents?!
Patrick, all of them, John being first.
On the day my father was buried, a lightning bolt came through my living room. On the exact same day, at my mother's house, a palm tree was destroyed by a lightning bolt.
Anybody who has a problem with me has a problem from hell to high heaven.
When you talk about slapping my father's son around, you better go crawl under a rock.
Sounds like John got his little ass spanked a few times by Rednecks. I don't guess he ever got to drink any milk in school. He has being educated confused with being smart.
MarxistMayhem
But if he did that he would have lost all that Face Time and besides I hear they have nice Golf Coarse there.
BearDown you sound more to the liking of a UN-American as well as just Obama supporter, Well if you like Obama so be it. But this crap like a few others that these Mexicans that have come here illegal are victims of some kind is just outrageous.
You speak as if you are totally one sided, you speak as if this country was built by the Latinos, and that they should get this free ride while others that have come here under a legal way are pushed a side to accommodate a bunch of dead beats from some other country that can't even take care of its self.
I my self have no problem with others coming here, being my wife is from another country. But I do care that some freeloader comes in under illegal ways and is given a free pass. WTF is that crap.
All this tell others is come here illegal and you can stay free with all kinds of free benefits .
Screw all this bs, let them do it the right way as my wife and I did and so many others that have come to this country.
Only reason BearDown that I could see you or any one wanting this bill to pass is if you are one of the illegals or a UN-American jackass.
This is the most ridiculous thing I've read today. When did I say undocumented workers were "victims"? When did I say they built this country? When did I say the should get a "free ride"?
No immigrants are "pushed aside". Those here now are HERE. We don't stop allowing people to enter the country legally just because there's other people here already. It's not like there's a fire marshall saying we're at occupancy.
The hatred spewed by your kind is the problem with this country, not hard working people who want a better life and would be proud to call themselves Americans.
And since this bill specifically allows a path to citizenship for those who haven't committed a felony, work, pay all their taxes and jump through our beauracratic red tape, I don't think any the people who get citizenship fit your definition of "freeloaders".
Did you serve your country? Answer the question or shut the hell Up.
Yes I did serve.
And I am a small business owner and my family came here legally from Germany in 1842.
how many of you knew that afghans do not have to pay when applying for permanent residency. And they are the ones killing us and want us dead. Do you see our neighbors down south looking to kill us?You should step away and look at what our government is doing to us. Think about it!!
You are full of so much BS
Look it up you Idiot! Go to INS.GOV site and look up fee waivers. So shut the hell Up!! I bet you dont even work, and you call yourself the blue collar worker, Yeah!! How fat are you? Hve you ever even been to afghanistan, did you ever serve your country and stand up for it? I have, Proudly!! while you were here stuffing your face with cheese burgers.
Yes I served, and yes I have been to Afg, and many other places.
But one thing I am not is some young person that has no idea how the process works.
I having a wife from another country know this process and who gets what. Your findings are bogus at the least.
Dodger et al...You assume that all immigrants (I am assuming you don't like ANY immigrants, not just the illegals) are on welfare. Well, how can the illegals be on welfare when they don't have Social Security Numbers? Do you suggest that there is such widespread fraud that 11 million false social security numbers are in the system and all of these people are receiving benefits.
And a lot of the rest of you seem to believe that ALL liberals are on the dole. You don't get more liberal than me and I've never taken anything from the government, although I have been advised by many to take SSDI and housing due to an illness I've had my whole life. But I am a true liberal and want to help those who are truly in need. I'm not going to take food out of the mouths of truly poverty-stricken children. Don't generalize, it just makes you look stupid.
Fact, 33% of illegals are on some sort of means tested welfare, this is from government stats.
I'll tell you how they get the welfare. They marry a legal resident nock her up and take her to the office to get the benefits. The "boyfriend/ spouse" doesn't exist on paper so the woman gets all her benefits. My friend did this, her husband was illegal from Mexico she was here legally. Since he didn't exist we the tax payer are paying for their daughter because they don't have a legal man to chase around for reimbursement. She gets rent subsidies, healthcare, and food stamps because she allegedly has no father to go after. BTW he lives with them he works full time under the table for a landscaping company. They live so well, better than me. Maybe I should go find an illegal to go in on this scam with me.
ECF:
Here's an example for you....
I worked at a large Grocery Chain and I knew of a group of Mexicans who lived in the community... They worked at a Bird raising Farm.... They were paid IN CASH for that work...
Come the first of each month they would come into the store and "Cash Out" their EBT (Welfare) Cards and then zip right over to the service desk to the Western Union Desk and send all the money they got from their cards Back to Mexico...
Mine and (not sure if you work or not) Your TAXES going to support people in a different country... Ya got to Love America... Home of the Free, The Brave and the LAZY CROOKS
Immigration, enforce the laws on the books. Put a sign on our side of the boarder, that says, stick your f--king head across this line, and it will be shot. Easy. We could get volunteers from the NRA to man the check points. Second, make a short time limit to registering as an illegal, or you will be thrown out. Third, and very important, any body hiring an illegal needs to be arrested, and given suck a fine, witch will be used to enforce the boarder.
Those here, for a long time, same rules. register, or out you go.
American big business wants the illegal as low income / no benefit workers. If the big business lobbyist didn't want the illegals do you think the republicans world support it? No way.
? No Comprendo..?
Duz Dis Mean I still get My free Gun Permit..with my food stamps..?
Amnesty is not immigration reform it's amnesty. Or in other words rewarding law breakers.
the Courts in session & there's about to be a; miscarriage of justice for the People..........
A path to citizenship for the illegals and a path to poverty for the average taxpayer! Who else is going to pay all their bills? Pay for their eleven kids to go to public schools where ESL classes will have to double? Ride the buses? Free lunches? Or in some communities the free lunch program has extended to breakfast and dinner too. I'm going to laugh my ass off when all the 20somethings who voted for Obama will have to start paying for all this crap over the next four years...
Let the republicans know your gonna vote them out if they dont grab thier balls and represnt .MCcain with SCHUMER---wow get rid of the bum he has flipped.He is probably b-l-o-w-in Hillary and we know were shes puttin that cigai that cuban cigar in mccains poop hole
Davey Crockett...at The Last Battle of The Alamo..
"Col.Travis..Col Travis...!"
"What Davey..what..?"
"Travis...what are All these Landscapers Doin' here?"
"Thems not landscapers Davey..Them's Democrat voters"..
"Ohhh..?"
Wow it was great to see Bob Menedez up there supporting this. Especially knowing his love of underage Dominican prostitutes, he must be so excited that they can just come here now to have sex with him rather than him going to prey on them in their mother's own back yard.. It will save his sorry arss so much money in plane tickets. Yey for him!!! Way to go child molester! Wake up people! Doesn't matter anymore if you are a demo or re-pub you are all being snowed!
The FBI should check his computer for child porn from mexico....motive 1
This will not fix the problem. Most all of the Mexicans would prefer to stay in their own country. Sadly their country is at war, one of the most dangerous places on earth. These people are crossing the border for their own safety. Mexico has become a country run by drug cartels and we sit back and do nothing.
Democrats do not care about these people. They only want to Latino vote. Republicans are to scared to rock the boat because they worry about losing more of the Latino vote.
75% of these pepole coming here are the drug gangs what makes pepole think the virgins and saints are coming here----oh your stupid !!! da
Because like his economic plan, job creation plan, foreign policy plan and any other plan he has it is NONexistent. Oh wait...my bad...he does have a taxation plan. Oh well, four more years.
What a sad state of affairs when a front runner for the Republican presidential nomination such as Rubio has to appear before a right-wing media clown seeking absolution.
Why don't we round up these illegal people and throw them out of this country?
And while we are at it, round up the rednecks and send them to Africa to be slaves to the black leaders there. It would be reverse slavery, sending the people who were for slavery over to Africa to become slaves.
John, I don't believe you even graduated grade school. What a dumb sh#t. Democrats ran the south and embraced slavery.
Do they let you outside without Adult supervision?
John Penn, you realize you'd be rounded up and sent to Africa too. You foolish liberals think that because you voted for Obama the minorities love you and will treat you like one of their own. Fools and bigger fools is all liberals are.
John did your wife leave you for a red neck------ ya she got sick of your little peepee
walljasper1
No, John's wife's name is William .
RACIST COMMENTS? Really . . . It's so simple for the brain dead to flash a race card when convenient rather than to look at the context of the opinions of others . . . isn't it? I would bet that so many of these RACE CARD flashers haven't even finished high school. So many more of them don't have a clue and are just too lazy to research their facts before spouting off at the mouth.
I have read comments from the same posters time and time again and it is CLEAR their political agenda is to promote Gay Rights, Open Marriage, Free Lunch, and more taxes to support their pathetic life style. I would love the opportunity to debate this group of foul mouthed freeloaders in court . . . but they would not show up.
NO AMNESTY . . . IF YOUR IN THIS COUNTRY ILLEGAL . . . GET OUT! Oh my gosh I guess that makes me a racist? No. It makes me an American that cares about jobs for Americans! American traditions! America I knew and loved before our politicians SOLD it out.
NO ENGLISH?? I just got home from a resort out in Palm Springs . . . Just after I checked out I had to go back to my room as I forgot to pickup my phone charger . . . I asked a maid to please let me into my room and explained I left my phone charger plugged in near the coffee maker. She just stared at me blank . . . I repeated my self again and got the same blank stare . . . I am thinking now she doesn't understand anything I am saying . . . not one word.
Mexico have taken over the State of California and are bleeding this country dry. Once one gets into any-kind of management position . . . they will not hire EXCEPT their own . . . RACIST ???? if you not Mexican good luck. Yet they breed children like rodents . . . many of whom grow up into gangs, drop out of school, or are just plain retarded. These are the maggots we are RAISING TAX DOLLARS to support . . . when was the last time that you visited any GOVERNMENT AGENCY and discovered most of those jobs are filled with Mexicans as well. AS FOR OUR OWN "AMERICAN" KIDS . . . they can't buy a job!!
NO MORE TAXES ! I am not anti raising taxes on the wealthy but lets pay off the national debt and quit paying for freeloading illegal aliens.
If YOU can't prove you entered this country legally then get out . . . no amnesty.
Here, here....
Pup1 . . . I think the short yellow bus is coming . . . hurry tell you mammy to tighten your little crash helmet before you board. . . you know how you fall on your head!! Oh My !
Isn't it ironic. Obama wants to make criminals (ILLEGAL immigrants) into citizens and turn citizens (legal gun owners) into criminals. Isn't that just dandy...
JAY2150677 you state you were born in Brazil and am happy to be an American one thing you left out is did you come here legally or illegally, after all there is a big difference.
There was a time when people came to America but most came through Ellis Island when there were few if any immigration laws many were turned away because of health issues. We were a growing country then and needed the influx of new people.
Today we are no longer growing with a population where there are many people on welfare who should be working and the jobs they would be qualified for are taken by illegal aliens. It is time to say to the illegal aliens you can no longer come here illegally you must go through the legal channels. It is time to say to people on welfare if they are capable of working they must take jobs in order to reduce the dependence on the government.
my, my, if 14 million Koreans or whoever MOVED IN on US. that would be called a; INVASION !!..i get it, WE ALL have to be bilingual & be happy with taco's......
I love Taco especially female ones :o) No problem with immigrants either as most are extremely motivated and hard working.
So what do you have to offer fat ass?
Balance the budget--cap spending now.This econemy is dead --oh just borrow another 6 trillion over the next 4 years ---yea says the hippies
Yeah! More competition for jobs for all of us here legally!
johntho, well if your calling gun owners cowards i guess that makes you one seeing how you admit to owning guns, careful what you type dumbazz
Long ago..in School...and Home..
i Used to Think... that ..."ILLEGAL" meant......."ILLEGAL"...?