Associated Press
Obama greets supporters after speaking on immigration policy in El Paso last year.
President Obama will announce today one of the biggest moves of his presidency on immigration policy, and in the process, will offer needed relief to hundreds of thousands of families.
The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives. The election-year initiative addresses a top priority of an influential Latino electorate that has been vocal in its opposition to administration deportation policies.
The policy change, described to The Associated Press by two senior administration officials, will affect as many as 800,000 immigrants who have lived in fear of deportation. It also bypasses Congress and partially achieves the goals of the so-called DREAM Act, a long-sought but never enacted plan to establish a path toward citizenship for young people who came to the United States illegally but who have attended college or served in the military.
For all the talk about Obama's reluctance to take bold moves on key progressive policies, this is a major breakthrough. The president is going to face fierce condemnations from the right, but to his credit, it appears Obama is going to do it anyway.
Every year, tens of thousands of young, undocumented immigrants graduate from American high schools, but quickly find themselves stuck. They can't qualify for college aid, and they can't work legally. America is the only home they've ever known -- in most cases, they were, at a very young age, brought into the country illegally by their parents -- but at 18, they have few options. Many face deportation.
The solution was the DREAM Act (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act), which has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, and which provides a path to citizenship for these young immigrants -- graduate from high school, get conditional permanent residency status, go to college or serve in the military, pay some steep fees, and become eligible for citizenship. The Pentagon loves the proposal, the CBO found it would lower the deficit, and advocates for the immigrant community saw it as an obvious, humane idea.
It didn't matter. As Republicans moved sharply to the right, some of the same GOP lawmakers who helped write the DREAM Act -- Orrin Hatch, John McCain, Dick Lugar, et al -- decided to oppose the same legislation they used to champion. It died in 2010 after a Republican filibuster.
How does this relate to Obama's new move? The president, no longer willing to wait for a dysfunctional and far-right Congress, will effectively implement the DREAM Act's goals on his own -- which is arguably the boldest thing he's done since the 2010 midterms.
From the Associated Press report:
Under the administration plan, illegal immigrants will be immune from deportation if they were brought to the United States before they turned 16 and are younger than 30, have been in the country for at least five continuous years, have no criminal history, graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED, or served in the military. They also can apply for a work permit that will be good for two years with no limits on how many times it can be renewed. The officials who described the plan spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss it in advance of the official announcement.
The policy will not lead toward citizenship but will remove the threat of deportation and grant the ability to work legally, leaving eligible immigrants able to remain in the United States for extended periods.
"Many of these young people have already contributed to our country in significant ways," Napolitano wrote in a memorandum describing the administration's action. "Prosecutorial discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here."
Anti-immigrant Republicans will no doubt be apoplectic, but they live in a perpetual state of outrage anyway, and Obama wasn't getting anywhere waiting for them to strike a broader compromise.
Leave a Comment:
This is great stuff!
My only question is, why didn't he do it sooner? It's been obvious from the beginning that DREAM wasn't getting through the current Congress.
The perfect time to do it, from a political POV, would have been at the height of the anti-immigrant GOP candidate craziness during the GOP primaries. Especially right after one of those times when Romney had gone even farther than before in trying to establish his anti-immigrant bona fides.
That juxtaposition would have stuck in people's minds. And what we want to make sure people understand is that there is a clear choice between the two candidates, and what the nature of that choice is.
In politics, timing is everything. I think now is right- plenty of time for the news to reach the Latino community, and do something about it! (Like register new voters)
Also, expect more of the same in months to come. Actions that don't require congress.
I was going to protest, but it occurs to me that when Romney wins, he can do pretty much anything he wants without Congressional interference. Thanks Obama!
You are so jealous of Obama that you can't even think straight.
@Shooter, why would you protest? Did you protest all of Bush's executive orders?
Yeah, I didn't think so.
@Shooter also -
Even if Romney wins, whatever he does won't be "anything he wants." He'd be at the beck and call of his corporate masters and campaign donors. He's a political whore, and you can bet his pimps will get their cut.
KJ, CR, IA,
Don't forget...Mittsywittsy also has masters in the hierarchy of the LDS church.
So, if Romney is a political whore, what would you call Obama? Fund raisers with Hollywood types don't classify as selling yourself? Face it, he's a panderer and self absorbed
And, last year he said he couldn't act, What changed, besides politics?
This edict by Obama is really irrelevant since it is an E.O. and not a real law, it can be summarily "flushed" in January, along with all of the other illegal excrement created by Obama.
Desperate democrat dope fiend move.
Because I'm a bit of a geek, and because I had no idea Obama could do this, I'm interested in knowing just what his legal authority for this was.
Probably an executive order.
He can choose not to deport as the Constitution grants him that privilege. As for granting visas this is an unconstitutional act .
If you want more of something, incentivize it. More political pandering (Gay marriage), without addressing the problem.
If only the RWNJs in congress would do something, Obama wouldn't have to.
Always nice to have one of you Republican droolers who could flunk the IQ test low enough to be a Republican come along and give us a show of the public celebration of ignorance you people are so happy with, and what a 4 IQ (being generous) looks like.
Wow, name calling from a Democrat, so (not) surprised. It seems like that is all you have left these days so, carry on.
TC is only telling the truth about you and others on the right, Eric.
Eric is simply following the Romney example of I am rubber, you are glue. NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH! politics. It's all the wingers have. Do @!$%# and say others are doing it (first or too, applies to both).
So, just another night mare for law enforcement. How old are you? When did you come here? So many other questions. What's he done besides pander?
What? Hilarious.
So tom: the "all ya'll colored people look illegal and ship 'em out" mentality simplifies things for law enforcement?
What I am saying is the pres issued a meaningless order. No path to citizenship, just get a job for how long? Pass a long term solution legislatetivly. He just panders, typical of him.
This is what Obama's executive order does:
This is what Obama CAN do, without the help of Congress, who is doing NOTHING and not passing the DREAM Act.
And you want to somehow blame Obama, say that he is pandering?
The GOP is doing enough pandering to their constituents with doing nothing about the DREAM Act and their anti-immigration position. Typical that folks like you see it that way
The baggers are absolutely furious that Obama has made an end run around them.
I support but the stuff will really hit the fan with this. There will be a need to emphasize, if any serious crimes (unrelated to immigration status) are committed then folks are subject to deportation after a trial. You Go Mr. President!
This is a bold move on President. Obama's part. I gotta give it to him, he's getting some backbone, and I'm liking it.... Full Support!
First and foremost, congratulations to the DREAMers who have been unrelenting in their advocacy on this issue, in the face of genuine personal risk. Just this week, in fact, DREAMers were camped out in OFA offices all across the country.
This isn't the final goal but this is progress...and it ought to be celebrated and those who fought for it, ought to be congratulations.
I hope that when Obama announces this, he takes the opportunity to call Republicans to the floor. I hope he calls out all the Senators who supported the DREAM Act until it Barack Obama supported it. I hope he calls out Marco Rubio who has criticized the administration for inaction while never actually putting his version of the DREAM Act on the table. I hope he points to what the administration has done on immigration and how the Republicans have been hostile to any move on immigration reform, despite Obama having done more than George W. Bush on the "border security" issue that the GOP spends so much time talking about (in lieu of an actual conversation about immigration).
Much of the response to this can be blunted by a forceful announcement...I hope the President nails it.
. The election-year initiative addresses a top priority of an influential Latino electorate
Just in time for the election. It great that he will help these law-abiding illegals (sorry but that does sound funny), but it is so obvious on the timing. This is a classic example of the art of elections.
Does it matter if politics timing was involved if it helps people and the USA in general?
No, not really. But it will obviously get him a lot more votes in that demographic and the cynic in me is telling me that is the main reason he did now. It still is a good thing generally but he had more than one reason to do it a few months before the election. I mean even the most ardent supporters of Obama have to see that.
But if it were a right winger doing what Obama did, you'd have no objections, huh, skip?
I never said I had objections Donna. I just pointed out the timing of his order. I have no problem with at all:
It still is a good thing
You assume a lot of things, huh, Donna?
Pointing out the timing of this order with out acknowledging exactly how the DREAM Act, a bipartisan bill that everyone with any memory lasting longer than a few minutes should understand that the current Republicans in Congress are blocking solely because of their fear of their own racist base, is being intellectually disingenuous, intentionally misleading or just ignorant.
And I don't ASSume nearly as many things as you do, Skip.
Again Donna you are making assumptions that I am a Republican (I am NOT) or that I am against the DREAM act (I am NOT). You are obviously angry with the Republicans in Congress - fine, go for it - but to assume that I am not also angry with that OR am with them in stalling the DREAM act is PURELY your assumption. ALL I was pointing out was the timing of this announcement with regards to the election. You can stomp your feet and call me a Republican and ASSume that I am against this, but the fact still stands. He made this announcement a few months before the election. That's ALL. Where you get the rest about me is totally out of thin air and very wrong ASSumptions my dear Donna. :)
And again: pointing out the timing of what Obama has done means absolutely nothing without including how a bipartisan bill has been held up and how long it has been held up is either intellectually disingenuous, intentionally misleading, or just plain ignorant.
And that fact still stands.
I don't care what you call yourself, but you are coming across as some sort of right wing tool on these boards.
So your ASSumptions about Obama's motives are really telling.
And I am not your "dear."
Donna,
Skippywippy has a substantial, inglorious history on this blog. Among other things, he is the king of false equivalence. He also displays the typical condescension of those on the right, much like R-Money calling people "my friend", when he obviously doesn't mean it.
OK Donna....the timing of this has nothing to do with the election. Believe what you want. I could not care less. You are obviouly a little more than angry with right wingers and Republicans - as am I (but I also criticize Democrats when they are wrong too). Vent away. :)
OK Skip...ignoring the context in which this decision was made makes you an honest poster, and not some ignorant poser.
Believe what you want, I could not care less.
Your posts shows you to be as dishonest and fake as Mitt Romney.
Go away.
Believing that this has nothing to do with the upcoming election is ignorant Donna. It is the right thing to do, but he did it now for other reasons beside that.
I will not go away just because you disagree. This is an adult conversation.
Donna, even Steve Benen - the guy who posted this article says it has to do with the election a bit:
The election-year initiative addresses a top priority of an influential Latino electorate
Disregarding why Obama had to act on his own is ignorant Skip. Your ASSumption that you know Obama's reasoning behind this decision is ignorant as well.
Seeing your other posts, the fact that many people see you for the right wing troll that you are, it only makes sense that you won't go away. You enjoy spouting ignorant nonsense too much.
You are funny Donna. And I do expect the name calling here. It happens all the time. It reminds of grade school. :)
A lot of people here just don't like hearing any opinion or thought that is not in lockstep with everyone else here. That would be a real interesting blog where EVERYONE has the exact same thought. I just point out some slightly different (or not so slight) take on the current events, but you are like many of the folks here that just like to cheer each other with the same thought process. Real fun there...
And you are not funny at all, Skip.
And sometimes name calling is truth telling and in your case, it definitely applies with you and your posts.
A lot of people here know you to be the liar and the fake that you are.
And you point out nothing except what the right wing news stories feed you.
No fun there.
Donna...,
He is a complete phoney who serves no legitimate purpose here. Earlier, I forgot to mention the way he peppers his dreck with smarmy smiley faces which obviously have nothing to do with humor.
Legitimate purpose? At a blog site that may have a handful of people on at any given time? Now THAT is funny. Sorry if I got you worked up Donna and Entropy. Seriously, I really don't try to. Just my opinion...or is that not allowed here? Only certain opinions allowed here. That sounds like something the Tea Party or the righties might do. I always though liberals and the left were much more open to differing opinions. To be fair most folks here are. Oh well, have a good evening...even though you called me names.
:) - Couldn't resist Entropy!
skip hoffman,
As you so astutely point out, Donna, as do most liberals, assumes a great deal. Which is why liberals routinely display their bigotry, when they accuse others of racism without knowing all the facts.
I do not oppose the actions of the DREAM Act, I oppose the manner that President Obama has abused the system and violated both the Constitution and his oath of office in this brazen display of a lack of integrity, by his unilateral actions.
It is my hope that the next President will rectify Obama's wrongdoing by throwing out these E.O.s and enacting real laws.
I find it comical that liberals have gone into rabid attack mode claiming that Senator Rubio is supporting Obama, when in fact he does not.
The reality is that Senator Rubio is writing legislation that would enact much of the DREAM Act, but the major difference is that Senator Rubio actually uses the established Constitutional system whereas President Obama sees the Constitution as a hindrance to his political agenda.
Senator Rubio is writing a law that will assist people wanting to come to the U.S., Obama is merely using these people as pawns to further his own political goals, therein lies the difference.
Those on the right typically have a totally self-serving idea of what a "point of view" or "differing opinion" is, as the trolls regularly demonstrate. And they routinely whiiiiine self-pityingly about their treatment here, although the staff routinely allows them to get away with rhetorical murder. It takes a serious case of Liberal Guilt to allow trolls to get away with calling Ms. Maddow "mad cow", as happened on other threads not long ago. Would self-respecting non-conservatives be treated solicitously on right-wing sites? We all know they wouldn't.
Three dimensional chess.
He has effectively backed Willard into a corner. They have to come out and say ...we are against illegal immigrants having rights , or incur the wrath of the Tealaban
against illegal immigrants having rights
I know what you are saying politically, but don't you think your statment looks funny or ironic? :)
I am sure the far right will be upset over this, but that is expected. I don't know if it will back him into a corner since I don't think his campaign is expecting a large Latino vote in their favor anyway.
Bite me. They are human beings and have rights , whether you want to admit it or not .
I guess humanity or compassion is not in your vocabulary.
Yes they are human beings and deserve rights, I was just pointing out the fact that you used the term illegal when talking about rights. I think the proper term these days is "undocumented".
Sorry if I struck a nerve. Meant no offense, just found that statement a little ironic.
BTW I do have compassion - I have done volunteer work with troubled youths for over a decade and was the Petty Officer in charge of the CFC (Combined Federal Campaign) which is a program for charitable contributions from our military. I got 100% participation every year.
Somebody needs an Ativan (1 mg).
You can complain all day about our porous southern border but it does no good , we have not had the political will to spend a trillion $ on enforcement or deportation for the last 50 years , at least obama came in and amped up enforcement , with the gop still screaming they do not want to pay for any thing
So obama and the dems are dealing with the situation where it is at today , whining and calling them ILLEGALS is just bigoted BS , this is the start of some coherent policies so we can address the problem as a whole , we have to start some where , , and how many gop will vote for the proper funding of actually closing the border? That will be a big fat zero
Basically he just took Rubio's half-a-dream act and implemented it, leaving the morons with nothing.
Well, at least you admit the idea he got was from the Right and he'll be praised by it from the left. Don't think too hard on this TC, you might break something.
And he'll be blasted from the right, whose idea it was in the first place (not the first time that's happened).
Thinking hard is better than not thinking at all, Eric.
No matter where the idea came from, using a "work around" is not the way to go. He should be blasted for that alone.
skip hoffman - Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:48 AM EDT
skip hoffman Fri Jun 15, 2012 11:02 AM EDT
Funny indeed, Skip.
Good job. Rollo!
Eric2804575: thanks for the multiple demonstrations today of what Homo Sap looks like: the hairless biped lacking frontal lobes and opposable thumbs. But that's just standard equipment for the American Al Qaeda ("the base").
And thanks for some more fun shooting fish in a barrel, idiot.
Rollo,
Yes it is funny when you use the term illegal and rights in the same sentence. That is WHY I put it in my post on purpose:
Just in time for the election. It great that he will help these law-abiding illegals (sorry but that does sound funny)
I was using the irony to point it out in both the post from Steve Benen - granting work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives. - and the blog/response from sick and effing tired. Sorry you didn't pick up on that :). I
Another dumb empty post from TC, no facts, or information, more name calling, thanks for the laugh TC, you don't disappoint. Please stay a liberal, you make it so much easier for us.
Given that sociologists have recently found that immigration (not just illegal immigration) is what sticks in the craw of the rank and file tea party, this is a BRILLIANT as well as a humane move on Obama's part. What can Romney do -- he's between a rock and hard place on this...
This is awesome news all around. The timing may appear to be just for the election; however, it is also in consideration of all the things that may not happen if he does not win re-election; or what happens if he wins but has to deal with an even more dysfunctional Congress if Boehner and McConnell are both in charge.
More working around Congress, please, President Obama!
I agree. I'm a bit tweaked about the timing. However, I am angry at all of those Senators and Congressional Representatives (Republican or Democrat, I don't care which one they are) who originally backed this bill (and some who even helped write the darn thing to begin with) and are now against it.
The people or persons the DREAM act affects is very specific. If you were five years old and brought into this country by your parents illegally, did you have a choice? You went to school, made friends, graduated, and then... you became stuck. Literally, between a rock and a hard place.
The DREAM act can help these kids, now young adults, advance their lives.
I want to know from these Senators and Congressional Representatives who were for and are now against the DREAM act, why? Why are you now against something you were once for? What changed your mind, besides saying that President Obama is now for it?
And if they say, we can't pay for it, I'll come right back and say, we can't pay for Oil "Subsidies" either. My reasoning for removing the Oil "Subsidies"? The companies that are receiving these "Subsidies" are currently having record profits (in their entire company history. They even have Press Releases on their websites for their shareholders).
By the way, Merriam-Webster's first definition of Subsidy is: A sum of money formerly granted by the British Parliament to the crown and raised by special taxation.
And here, this whole time, I thought the Tea Party and Republicans were against taxes or "special" taxation.
Basically it allows them to continue to productively function in society while they apply for citizenship. the right thing to do for the ones who are trying to achieve the American dream.
I agree I am happy about this result, but more "working around Congress" is not what we need if we are going to maintain anything that even slightly resembles a constitutional republic. The President (whoever he is) is already effectively The Emperor in foreign policy with our foreign wars (Obama's drone strikes and arrogation of authority to order assassinations is the most obvious example). Just remember that when Caesar came along and started "working around" the dysfunctional Roman Senate, his moves were very popular with the public. We all know how that turned out. The truth is that the Claudius's and the Marcus Aurelius's are a tiny minority of emperors, the Diocletian's are far more likely, and even the "good" Emperors weren't all that good. The Right is making it impossible to govern, but the solution is not to "work around" them, but rather to DESTROY them.
How did that work out for ya in WI? Yes, please keep up that rhetoric, it's a great plan for the left.
Well Eric, it worked pretty well in AZ. Your f'ed up logic can go either way. Just sayin.
Actually, the Wisconsin Senate now has a Democratic majority so that part of the recall actually worked out well.
I, too, dislike seeing the hyperbolic rhetoric/name calling in print - even if I might scream the similar words to posts I read here and elsewhere - but Newt Gingrich just justified the Republicans total commitment since the Inauguration to "destroy" this Presidency by calling it Republicans' patriotic duty (paraphrasing). Just imagine, Eric, if Republicans had tried to put people back to work by passing the Transportation bill and the Jobs Act - 3 million jobs - I think we'd give you Republicans credit and would look far more favorably on whatever ideas/vision you might have to govern the country, if you had done anything these past two years and more that resembled it.
...and no one is talking about AZ. Obama needs a "win" bad, took a big hit in WI, likely to take a hit with Obama Care being overturned, the economy is in the dumps, Clinton saying Mitt's record is "sterling", and the tax cuts should be extended. He is desperate for something to stop his downward spiral, this is what he chose.
...and no one is talking about Wisconsin either. Obama is doing just fine and no matter how your bigoted and backwards logic tries to spin it.
Go back to the fox news site where you belong.
How so?
Disapproval 49%
Approval 44%
Yeah, that's me spinning "just fine", like the private sector doing "just fine" right?
And the standard "go back to Fox", thanks for not disappointing me.
Eric, everything you posts shows your disregard and disrespect for people of color, from immigrants to the bullsh8t you post about Obama. Stevie Wonder himself can see that.
And again: you can spin all you'd like, but Obama's numbers are better than Romney. And ANYONE who is for Romney is an idiot: and I don't see you posting ANYTHING on Steve's posts calling out Romney for every lie that he has told. This says alot about your character, Eric, and none of it is good.
And your just fine right wing spin talking point has been called out for the bs that it is, and the fact that you bring up this bs debunked right wing talking point again shows you are full of crap.
And again: go back to fox news because that is where you are getting your bs talking points from.
Send me your address, Eric, I'll be happy to come remove your gun from your cold dead hands.
You certainly are doing yeoman's work today, proving the truth of the old saying "the only 'good Republicans' are pushing up daisies."
So, just playing the race card because that is all you have in your hand. Why did I expect anything less. You try and diffuse the argument by making it about race, I never brought it up, shows the desperation (and just how much your argument doesn't hold water). I guess if I played by your rules I would accuse you of being a racist and making fun of the disabled.
Is that a threat? Isn't that a violation of the code for this board? Do you guys get different rules? I'll report it to see if you get banned, won't hold my breath.
Eric, you have done nothing but play the race card; your posts are full of subtle and not so subtle racist rants, both against immigrants and Obama.
Accusing others of playing the race card when you, yourself are playing the race card just makes you look more like the bigot that you are, and your strategy is taken directly from the right wing's play book.
I am not the desperate one here: you are. You have absolutely nothing to stand on, other than lies, and debunked right wing talking points.
People on this thread, like Rollo, and on other threads, like sadoldveteran, have called you out on your lies and racism.
And only a bigot like you would see my Stevie Wonder statement as racist or making fun of the disabled. Again: taken from the pages of the right wing playbook, Eric. Which, yet again reflects terribly on your character.
Go back to fox to get some more talking points. The ones that you have posted are old and have been debunked here.
Show me.
Show me.
Oh, and if disagreeing with Obama is your litmus test for being racist, you got to do better than that.
Again: you have been shown, by many, many others, just exactly how bigoted you are.
Your "disagreements" with Obama are nothing but right wing debunked talking points and lies.
And I don't need to "do better than that" with regards to a right wing bigot like you.
So, you can make claims with no facts. OK, you are a racist, vile individual who mocks the disabled. You play the race card even though you have no fact to back it up because your argument is not able to hold water, it's a desperate ploy to make up for your lack of intelligence. You say many, many, show me one......you can't of course so you keep applying labels. Not surprised at all....actually sad.
Yeah Mr. Prez!!!! It’s about time someone demonstrated his comprehension of the difference between coming to this country and being brought to this country. Had this fundamental distinction between two common English verbs been incorporated into the immigration dialogue, we may have arrived at this point decades earlier. Young children who were brought to this country are no more responsible for the actions of their parents than children, who are American citizens, are of the their parents’ crimes.
So, when you engage in political discourse on this subject and you are speaking about what should be done to minors, please be certain to use the correct word that more precisely describes the situation. Unless, of course, you are Mitt Romney and you only speak the language of “AMERCIA”!!.
Frankly it's about time! With the reich-wing pointing the finger at "illegals" and Mittens crazy talk of self deportation and the administration deporting like crazy isn't it time for some "sanity" on "immigration"?! Even though this Congress won't pass anything that might "help the people of this nation" - it will be interesting to see how they manage to wriggle around on this issue if only because they insult people's intelligence and actually believe that they're getting away with it.....
Oh Gawd, here it comes again...: He lawless, reckless, shredding the constitution, socialist, kenyan but again, mostly black! At least now Mitt can become a citizen!
Finally. Why is it that Obama has a spine when dealing with Al Qaeda and is only now developing a spine when dealing with the fringe right?
Hopefully the Republicans will do the usual foam-at-the-mouth reaction. Oh please come out in force against this!
This was a silly thing:
"For all the talk about Obama's reluctance to take bold moves on key progressive policies, this is a major breakthrough. The president is going to face fierce condemnations from the right, but to his credit, it appears Obama is going to do it anyway."
Of course President Obama is going to face 'fierce condemnations'. He can't wake up in the mornings and use the bathroom without facing 'fierce condemnations from the right'.
True...just look at the bullpucky the trolls are flinging around on this thread.
And they're still doing it!
President Obama must be proactive on immigration in order to win the support of the Latino community. The Republican Party is writing its own political obituary by consistently antagonizing Hispanic voters and gleefully embracing a narrative that paints Hispanics and immigrants as dangerous "outsiders" destroying America. Even Romney, once seen as the most sane among the GOP candidates on immigration, has taken up the dog whistle politics of the Tea Party. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
This is what the jobs problem demands......he must use all the tools in his toolbox.
Let the GOP bluster........its called leadership & its long overdue.........ignore the repubs & do what you can/must to get people back into work.
How is this getting people back to work?
You should be asking your right wing buddies the exact same thing: what the heck are THEY doing to get people back to work? But I doubt that you will.
So, Donna it doesn't, is that what you are saying?
Actually Eric, what Obama did today impacts immigration AND the economy. and does impact the jobs situation. But in your idiotic and snarky comments you wouldn't be able to see that.
And again: ask your right wing buddies that same question: what the heck are THEY doing to get people back to work? But again, I doubt that you will.
So, we've just added 8 million teens to the unemployed roles!
I should have clarified for you Donna, How does it impact the economy in a positive way? I'm sure you ;will have nothing on this like the rest of your post, just the standard "it will, anyone can see", but ask for one once of proof from you, we get nothing.
While I understand what the President did with regards to the DREAM ACT, I hope folks get the words out that it's not what he wanted to do. This President has liked to change LAW, because LAW, is not subject to the WHIM of whomever is in the Oval Office. So, my Latino friends, spread the word that this could last as long as January 20, 2013.
Because, if Willard Romney is elected President, it will be UNDONE.
Stole VP Rubio's plan?
"which is arguably the boldest thing he's done since the 2010 midterms."
I have to argue with the term "arguably" because I don't think there is any argument at all. He hasn't ever done anything else that could be considered bold, so by default, this HAS to be the boldest move since the 2010 midterms or before, for that matter.
I just hope the final product lives up to the hype.
The "smack!" sound you're hearing, is Marco Rubio's jaw hitting the floor.
HARD.
Followed by a blubbering, sputtering sound.
Way to take charge, Mr. President. This moment will really be even more fabulous if Rachel is back tonight to break it all open for us. Hope she's healthy again!
WELL DONE, MISTER PRESIDENT! This is historic. A cause for celebration in the streets. A giant step in the right direction.
Now let us move on to UVisas for the battered women who raised these children. Keep American families together.
whether this is good thing- and certainly is for those impacted- selective enforcement of the laws of the US by President Obama is not a good thing- how can you say to group x you must obey the laws of the US (e.g. pay taxes, purchase insurance under the ACA or whatever) and to another group- say- those laws- well don't worry they don't apply to you- the end can never justify the means-
It's definitely a day for watching pathetic wingnut trolls here, isn't it?
not exactly- giving kids like this a chance is good thing- it is about process- apparently ok to just give persons that are in violation of the law a pass by fiat- President is supposed to uphold the laws of the US not grant passes-
What is the alternative? The Romney-supported idea of "Self-deportation?"
Obama once said he would rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president. Maybe the skeptics are right, and this is "timed" politically, or maybe he's trying to make good on that--and to do the right thing just in case he doesn't have the opportunity later.
I live in LA. Like it or not, there are a lot of kids here who spend their whole life, apart from early childhood, growing up here, learning to be American, in American schools, with Americans students. Other than their parents' coming here after instead of before their birth, they grow up to be American. If they contribute positively to their schools, their communities, and society, given the opportunity, their presence benefits the whole of our Nation.
Yesterday, at 38, I graduated from UCLA with an advanced degree in the sciences. It is one of the top and top-notch research universities in this country, and indeed, the world. It is a school of great minds, most of whom have "funny sounding names" and many of whom were originally brought here through undocumented means. I am also married to someone who was once one of those children, now 40 and a citizen, who joined the military out of pure patriotism and love for the ideals of America. (This is someone who could mist up at the sight of the Flag blowing in the breeze as America the Beautiful played.) This child was an "illegal" child of "illegal immigrants" who went on to do great things including aerial rescues of Americans--on American soil and overseas.
An executive order is not illegal... it has been used throughout the history of our country. It has limited power, though, and this is a very limited--indeed, stopgap--implementation of the DREAM Act, a bipartisan creation that makes sense but is permanently stalled in Congress. It is now temporarily in place until Congress does something about it, one way or another... not their greatest strength due to obstructionism, through partisan solidarity in the House, and is nefarious cousin, the filibuster, in the Senate.
Filibusters are supposed to be an extreme, rarely used tool of last resort, but they have become the first-choice option for practically anything the obstructionists in the Senate don't want, and for the first time ever, it is not abused to such an extreme that it has created the effect of *minority rule*. Executive orders are also not supposed to be a first-choice solution... and here it was not abused. What choice does the President have when the Congressional houses of the United States abuse their powers over and over to put their politics over the morally and fiscally responsible needs of our great Nation?
The DREAM Act has long been seen as the right thing to do by our elected officials on both sides, even if they weren't willing to *act* on it under our President's leadership. It may have implications for President Obama's reelection either way, but if it does make President Obama a one-term president, it will make him a much better one than a president who allows Congress to accomplish nothing at the expense of real people who contribute to our Nation.
This is nothing more than a call to action for Congress. The ball is now in their court.
Sorry for the typo of using not instead of now. I also neglected to thank all who took the time to read my lengthy post. It was lengthy. Whether you agreed or hated it to its very core, it came from a deeply held conviction and for you to have read and thought about it says a lot about your willingness to be involved in the kind of debate that makes our country great.
Even though this is a statesmanlike, presidential move to advance a progressive (perhaps even populist) goal, it is also brilliant election-year politicking. The more the far right foams at the mouth about this, the more Romney will have to back away from them to avoid alienating the latino vote (notably in Florida). And the more Romney backs away, the more his support on the far right will erode, dampening their already weak enthusiasm for him. Or if Romney embraces the far-right position, he can kiss Florida and Colorado goodbye.