President Obama: I Can’t Push Immigration Reform Without Some Republican Help

Good job Obama…take it right to the people who are preventing things from being done. Let’s see what their response is to this. When Bush wanted amnesty for all, it was his own party who killed it. I approve of your comments Mr. President on sending the Mexicans to the back of the line job wise, they should pay fines, become citizens and learn English like you said. The ball is now in the republicans court…let’s see how they manipulate their lack of courage to do the right thing.

Dear Mr. President.
The American people don’t want the illegals to stay.
They should have to go back and apply for legal immigration.

Lier.

talk talk talk talk talk talk talk Obama either you do it or but don’t BS the american people it will byte you back!!

The ‘back of the line’ is back in their country of orgin. Border security needs to be a seperate issue from any type of amnesty.

You’re third thing is the deal breaker sir. It is completely unfair and irresponsible and it will cultivate a greater ILLEGAL immigration problem than we have now. No wonder you can’t get people to back it. It will grow the problem instead of solve it. That is not “Comprehensive Immigration reform” also none of what the Pres pointed to addresses the rats nest of red tape that is the current immigration law. There needs to be major reforms there to make it easier for people to come here LEGALLY.
Also kudos to Jake for the clarification on the spin thanks so much.

“comprehensive immigration reform” to progressives is the same as saying AMNESTY

clear enough for me Mr.President.
compassionate conservativism died with Reagen

“comprehensive immigration reform” to progressives is the same as saying AMNESTY
Posted by: scott | May 19, 2010 2:55:12 PM
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Actually, that was the Republican George Bush’s position.

“”we have actually put more resources, more personnel on the borders, and illegal immigration is actually down on the borders, not up.”"
But the border is not secure. You would not accept nor be satisfied with such a statement from BP that they have devoted more resources and money at this oil leak than any company before them even though the leak remains.
This claim is meaningless. j011254 is right and you know it. If tomorrow he introduced a bill that would devote resources towards securing our border first it would have clear bi-partisan support.

Let’s start with bringing some troops home and securing our borders. If we can help secure borders in the MiddleEast, Serbia, S.Korea, East/West Germany, etc why can’t we secure our borders at home? Then heavily fine businesses who hire illegals. Then heavily fine illegals themselves (confiscate their property and assets) and send them home. Seize a portion of foreignly held US assets to pay for any illegal alien expenses from people from that country (trip home, prison, dui accidents, hospital stays, schooling, etc).

So, by reading Obama’s words from the speech today, and then reading the points of opposition to what he said later in the article, once again, we find out what we’ve already known… Obama lies.

jhw539- seriously? You want to argue about my use of an idiom?
He has been critical.

Anyone who has a brain and any analytical skills at all know that the Republican Party is going to stall and delay and play both sides of this issue to “distract their base” and use this issue as a way to “fire them up” (with lies of course) come close to election time this fall. They have absolutely NO INTEREST in solving this problem. The funny part will be if it “backfires” on them and they completely lose the Hispanic vote. I truly hope that happens. It is just like how they have always “pandered” to the religious hard core conservative right”…sometimes it backfires and you get the “opposite” of what you expected.

Obama is absolutely correct in his position. Let the Republicans work for it if they want to force this massive diversion to the forefront. They’re not going to lift a finger to help him craft anything…they never made any effort at immigration reform the entire time they had majorities in Washington. Let’s bid the Republicans to craft a bill and bring it to the floor for all to see. I’m willing to bet they’ll do nothing substantive at all and if they do it will be such a punitive and vindictive knee-jerk reaction it’ll eviscerate the last vestiges of Hispanic support for their party for decades.

Posted by: Shoe | May 19, 2010 3:33:48 PM
Shoe, this makes me so angry! Read it at mlive:
KALAMAZOO — The White House appears to be laying the groundwork for President Barack Obama to shake the hand of each senior at Kalamazoo Central High School’s commencement ceremony next month.
Seniors are being asked to provide their birthdates, Social Security numbers and citizen status to the Secret Service so background checks could be performed. Such a check is required for anyone who gets within an arm’s length of the president, students were told at their senior breakfast Friday.

Posted by: Unfair | May 19, 2010 3:56:00 PM
Yep. I read that, too. I also posted about that article on another blog by Tapper just a few minutes ago. Funny though, not one liberal has responded yet.

“Here’s the old Obama ‘double talk’ again. First, he goes after the employers who ‘actively recruit’ undocumented workers so they “don’t have to abide by overtime laws or minimum wage laws”. Then, he goes on to say that those who come to this country illegally must ‘pay a fine, pay back taxes’. How are they going to pay taxes when they worked for ‘below minimum wage’. Their earnings would be below the threshold and exempt them from tax anyway. So, does this make sense?”
Same when it comes to bonuses, Gitmo, excise taxes on page 19, spending, war, oil spills, etc…Nothing new.

Funny though, not one liberal has responded yet.
Posted by: Shoe | May 19, 2010 4:04:09 PM
I’m not sure what there is to respond to, or why anybody would be angry, but I’m not one to claim any sort of grasp on the nutty anger of the American rightwinger, beyond partisan sour grapes. I’m sure the students are very excited about the prospect of shaking the President’s hand.
From the article cited–
“Boehme, who is student government president and class salutorian, expects to be on stage with class valedictorian Cindy Lee, both of whom will give speeches.
“I’m more than excited. I’m honored” to speak at the same event as the president, Boehme said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”’

Posted by: progressive mama | May 19, 2010 4:41:39 PM
I think you missed my point completely. Of course the kids are going to be excited. They are meeting the American Idol president. The POINT is that they are being asked for birthdate, Social Security numbers AND CITIZEN STATUS. Why is that not profiling? What does being (or not being) a citizen have to do with meeting and shaking hands with Obama?

Why is that not profiling?
________
Because they are ALL being asked to provide the information on a non-discriminatory basis.

“Here’s the old Obama ‘double talk’ again”
It’s only double talk when presented as a convoluted interpretation. But it’s kind of funny how right-wingers get all indignant when Obama tells employers to stop unfair hiring practices yet sympathize with the illegals when he suggests they pay universally reviled taxes.

The president is as usual un patriotic and insulting to America. How dare he ask China and Mexico about civil rights. I can’t believe anyone would still think he is capable of running this great country. Go play some basketball obama.

” I’m willing to bet they’ll do nothing substantive at all and if they do it will be such a punitive and vindictive knee-jerk reaction it’ll eviscerate the last vestiges of Hispanic support for their party for decades. ” – Skippy
First off, you shouldn’t insult Hispanics, implying they’ll only vote for who panders to them. Hispanics are as smart as you Skip, well, probably smarter and they are capable of voting based on principals not handouts.
Second off, Thank the Good Lord for Republicans dragging their feet on any Amnesty Bill disguised as immigration reform. We have a chance to get to November without much more damage. In the meantime, secure the border Mr. President.

If this isn’t a classic case of manufactured outrage what is? Not just anybody is allowed to see the President, ANY President.
Posted by: Skip | May 19, 2010 4:58:32 PM
Ain’t that the truth…

US President Obama unequivocally sides with Mexican President Calderon against the people of Arizona, and an ever-growing number of people across the US.
Obama is now treasonously irrelevant to enforcement of immigration law. Get SB1070 before the Supreme Court. Let’s see idiot Holder argue against increased enforcement of federal immigration law via concurrency. And let’s watch as Holder makes the de facto idiot argument that enforcement of ALL laws can be abused along racial lines, therefore no law is constitutional.
Without a real threat of getting caught and punished and without a real certainty that no one would hire an illegal there never will be immigration reform.
With the real threat of getting caught and punished and the guaranteed certainty that no one would hire an illegal, self-deportation will occur.
That’s what has Obama running scared. The immigration plaything was taken away from him. So now he tries to shift attention to the republicans. Too late. Cat’s out of the bag.
The fitting irony is that Obama didn’t just get caught napping, he accidentally MADE this happen — when he got Napolitano out of Arizona’s way.
Obama is batting 0 for 2 when it comes to promoting the rule of law. Beyond here with enforcement of immigration law, look what’s happening now in Marjah. The locals are fleeing.
Between Arizona and Afghanistan, President Obama is inept (at best) when it comes to promoting rule of law.

“The immigration plaything was taken away from him. So now he tries to shift attention to the republicans. Too late. Cat’s out of the bag”
The immigration issue has been forced upon Obama by Republicans, who in actuality have no intention of doing anything about it at the federal level. It’s all a big diversion to tie down the Democrats from working on things like cap and trade till Nov comes.

If this isn’t a classic case of manufactured outrage what is? Not just anybody is allowed to see the President, ANY President.
Posted by: Skip | May 19, 2010 4:58:32 PM
Ain’t that the truth…
I guess you 2 are OK with unjustly questioning people.

I guess you 2 are OK with unjustly questioning people.
Posted by: Jose | May 19, 2010 5:54:12 PM
LOL.
I guess you’re okay with manufactured outrage, quirky (at best) logic and baring your weaknesses under a spotlight.
Look, if you don’t understand the arguments on both sides of the Arizona law, just say so. The analogy some of you are trying to make doesn’t work.

If you unload Pelosi and Dodd, you’ve got a deal.
Posted by: Francis | May 19, 2010 5:52:03 PM
Dodd’s retiring, fyi.

“I kinda like him because I’m attracted to independent-minded people and libertarians (I’m married to one)– but I’m not sure how practical he is (understatement, that)”
That’s exactly my criticism of most Libertarians: they have genuinely compelling ideas in theory but the way they try to apply them is almost always hopelessly impractical…also they almost always misguidedly fall into supporting Republicans erroneously thinking they are for individual liberty, which they are not.

“The POINT is that they are being asked for birthdate, Social Security numbers AND CITIZEN STATUS. Why is that not profiling?”
If this isn’t a classic case of manufactured outrage what is? Not just anybody is allowed to see the President, ANY President.
Posted by: Skip | May 19, 2010 4:58:32 PM
It’s not manufactured, believe me. I realize ‘not just anybody’ is allowed to see the president, but what about the rallies, speeches, town halls, etc. he attends? Are these same precautions taken then? If not, why not?
There are ranchers in Arizona whose lives are more threatened by illegal immigrants than Obama’s will ever be. Just ask the family of the man who was killed a few weeks ago by the hands of some of those ILLEGALS.
I wish NO ill will on the president. It would be horrible for an attempt to be made on his life. I’m just trying to point out that it is easy for him to stand behind a protected podium, in a protected setting, and spew rhetoric about the immigrant law in Arizona. He has no idea what they are facing there. And it is because of his administration’s (and many previous ones) foot dragging that Arizona had to make the choice they did.

“Here’s the old Obama ‘double talk’ again”
It’s only double talk when presented as a convoluted interpretation. But it’s kind of funny how right-wingers get all indignant when Obama tells employers to stop unfair hiring practices yet sympathize with the illegals when he suggests they pay universally reviled taxes.
Posted by: Skip | May 19, 2010 4:55:37 PM
Who’s sympathizing? What I’m saying is, if they are making less than minimum wage, they won’t pay taxes anyway. So his ‘tough’ talk on what the ILLEGALS should ‘have to do’ is pointless. Obama is the one going in circles. He’s trying to say that the employer is wrong in hiring undocumented workers and paying them less than minimum wage (and I agree with that), but then he says later, in essence, that the ILLEGAL should be penalized and made to pay back taxes. There AREN’T any back taxes. That would seem to me that the ILLEGAL is then off the hook. The employer is still in hot water, however. I don’t understand that at all.

How bizarre to watch the President of the United States join with a foreign leader, in the capital city of The United States, to bash one of these United States.
We are under foreign occupation. Mr. Obama always support foreign interests over those of the United States.

Here is the deal…
President Obama promised a immigration reform his first year in office. The first year came and went and nothing was done. The people who believed in him said, ok we understand he had lots of things to take care of. AND now he has promised once again in the beginning of this month that he wants to do it this year! If he wants people to stay by his side and support his wants, he needs to keep his promises and just make it happen like he did with the health bill. All I hear right now from him is bla bla bla. Republicans didn’t want or supported a lot of what the president has done so far. SO, Obama should just get a bill for immigration reform ready and let’s vote on it and do it NOW that democrats are in majority. The problem is only getting bigger. Republicans also need to stop acting like kids and face the facts of what needs to be done. And building a fence is some what ok but that can be done together with other things that is also needed right now. You know what???
we need money!!! And people who are willing to make things right will pay what it takes. Let’s fix the immigration system and gain money to help our economy!!!!!!!

President Obama promised a immigration reform his first year in office.
_______________________________________
Please cite the Obama quote, source and date of your claim.
Or did you just make this up?

“The Secret Service would beg to differ with you on that point. ”
Citation please? Not just your words, I want the actual quote from the Secret Service!

Why do all the right wing republican conservatives forget that George Bush had 8 years to pass an immigration reform bill with a Rebublican majority and didn’t. If O’Bama didn’t have to spend the first year keeping the US from falling into the biggest depression ever he could have handled it year 1—He will get it done–with or without republicans

Mr. Obama will not get immigration reform passed, with or without Republican support, until he first secures the borders. Not even the Democrats will support him unless he first secures the borders.
Every nation has the right and the OBLIGATION to secure its borders. Otherwise it is not a nation, just a region.
Mexico has far more restrictive immigration laws than the USA, and on its southern border they are enforced in a way far more draconian than called for by the Arizona law. In addition, Mexico’s laws are racist. A foreigner is forbidden from owning any property within 30 miles of any coast. This law is specifically aimed at the “gringos”.
Babies of foreigners born in Mexico are not automatically Mexican citizens. Even legal immigrants are forbidden from accessing Mexican social services. Much like Arizona, it is a criminal offense to be present in Mexico illegally.
The audacity of hypocrisy of both Mr. Obama and Mr. Calderone is just stunning.

Ah, the Daily Demagogue. Let’s explore the lies, shall we.
“Number one, that the federal government takes its responsibilities for securing our border seriously.”
Don’t need any new laws for this. Just a president that’s willing to enforce them. Waiting on you, Barry.
“The second thing we’ve got to do is we’ve got to make sure that businesses are following the rules”
Again. The laws are on the books. Still, waiting on you, Barry.
“The third thing we have to do is to make sure that those who have come to this country illegally are held accountable.”
As soon as you and those of your ilk finish demagoguing the folks that are trying to do just that then maybe we can make progress here.
So, three points and none of them require new laws, just leadership. How sad that we continue to not have any in Washington.

“Why do all the right wing republican conservatives forget that George Bush had 8 years to pass an immigration reform bill with a Rebublican majority and didn’t.”
Maybe its because the majority of right-wing Republicans disagreed with Bush’s views on illegal immigration. Or wanted the border secured first and didn’t get that. It’s ok to disagree with the party you affiliate with you know.

.also they almost always misguidedly fall into supporting Republicans erroneously thinking they are for individual liberty, which they are not.
Posted by: Skip | May 19, 2010 6:16:53 PM
Amen.

Related, I found McCain’s position on enforcing immigration laws on undocumented workers, but, of course, not on the businesses and business people who hire them, uh, er, “fascinating.”
TP: “Since Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) signed the state’s new anti-immigrant bill into law last month, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been a fervent supporter. The law gives state police broad power to identify, detain, and deport undocumented immigrants. McCain, who called the law a “good tool,” said last night on Fox News that he is “proud of the work” Brewer is doing on immigration, and justified the law “because the federal government would not enforce its responsibilities.”
But while McCain offers support for this new draconian law targeting day-laborers and other undocumented immigrants, he is not in favor of enforcing laws prohibiting employers from hiring undocumented workers. Instead, he would rather “secure the borders” before holding Arizona businesses accountable to the law…

When I was an employer, before I realized I was just an unpaid accountant and tax collector for the government, I used to fill out a form I-9 for every employee I hired.
I even filled one out for myself.
This form required me to verify the citizenship status of every employee.
This law has been in effect for many years. If employers are not following the law, they should be held to account.
However, if illegal aliens are purchasing identities and using them to work when they know they are violating the law, they should be held accountable.
The solution to the Illegal Alien problem is really simple — apply the law.

He has done better.
Posted by: tierra | May 19, 2010 9:55:30 PM
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Standing in the Nations Capitol and joining a foreign leader in bashing one of these United States is not “doing better”.
I he were indeed enforcing the law, the Arizona law would be moot.

Discretionary spending on border security is up 55 percent between 2007 and 2011.
Posted by: tierra | May 19, 2010 9:25:49 PM
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Like most in education, you confuse spending with effectiveness… where do you teach?

Discretionary spending on border security is up 55 percent between 2007 and 2011.
Posted by: tierra | May 19, 2010 9:25:49 PM
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Like most in education, you confuse spending with effectiveness… where do you teach?
Posted by: Quo Warranto? | May 19, 2010 10:55:52 PM
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When it come to border security, it takes increased funding – sorry you can’t do it on fairy dust.
You’re way beyond biased . . . into the realm of . . .

La tierra, who was president in 2007 and 2008?
Posted by: Foghorn Leghorn | May 19, 2010 11:10:07 PM
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Oh wait a second, wasn’t that when the Democrats took the majority in the Congress – like the right wingers always point out?

I am ashamed of how this country treat immigrants who built itPosted by: Amy | May 19, 2010 11:00:48 PM
This country is more welcoming to immigrants than any country in the world, in the history of the world. All ask is that they obey our laws… is that too much?

Oh wait a second, wasn’t that when the Democrats took the majority in the Congress – like the right wingers always point out?
Posted by: tierra | May 19, 2010 11:23:47 PM
So you admit they are to blame for the collapse of the economy in 2008 and the dramatic increase in deficit spending that will doom this nation?
Posted by: Quo Warranto? | May 19, 2010 11:54:00 PM
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Not at all – it was 12 years of the Republicans and their policies holding the majority in both chambers of the Congress – and the presidency for 8 that built the ‘solid’ foundation of the American economy that collapsed on Bush’s shift.
You’d have to be pretty dense to think otherwise.

It is obvious that McCain is trying to play “Patriotic Sentiments,” to lure Arizonian voters to his side.
When Hispanic votes mattered, Senator John McCain use to talk with emotion about the people who tried getting into the United States through the desert, sometimes at the cost of their lives; now that Hispanic votes are not so important, McCain wants National Guard troops to be deployed along Arizona’s border with Mexico. The borders are safer now than when McCain needed Latino votes for presidency; now that Latinos don’t matter, McCain want to empower police to lynch Latinos on “reasonable suspicion.” [Senator Graham, on the other hand, wants immigration reform postponed to 2012 at which time he will use it to run for president].
In case Senators McCain and Kyle don’t know: President Franklin Roosevelt once started an address of the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) by saying, “My dear fellow immigrants.” Roosevelt knew that the members of the D.A.R. were particularly proud of their American pedigrees, but he wanted to remind them that both he and they had descended from people who had immigrated to the United States. They came long after it had been inhabited by even earlier immigrants: the Native Americans. It can be safely said all Americans are descendants of people who came o this continent from some other place — some relatively recently, some may, many years ago — but we are all descendant of immigrants nonetheless.

As Obama’s poll numbers decline
Posted by: Susan | May 20, 2010 12:56:52 AM
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Susan right away you show your lack of a grasp of facts.
The President is at 49% today in Gallup and has been holding just above or just below 50% for MONTHS now.
There is no ‘as Obamas poll numbers decline’ . ..
His poll numbers have been holding steady since November.

Posted by: Sunnyr | May 20, 2010 1:03:51 AM
Sunnyr Obama has been in office for just over a year.
The Republicans had 12 years with a majority in both chambers of Congress and 6 of those with the presidency as well.
They accomplished what we are looking at right now – this is their legacy.
This President has promised to address reform in 2010 – what will we see?
Unfortunately I expect we’ll see what we’ve already seen from the Republicans – no ideas and a bunch of ‘no’.

Posted by: Quo Warranto? | May 20, 2010 1:06:38 AM
The Republicans had a long time to put their policies in place and build a strong American economy.
Twelve years with a majority in both chambers of Congress and 8 years of presidency.
What resulted? The economy collapsed like a house of cards. So much for their ‘solid’ economy.
Was that they best they could do given all that time? Apparently.
By the way, the 2007 budget was a Republican congress budget, building more strength towards the complete free-fall collapse. And the national debt increased $1.2 TRILLION dollars in that year.

By the way, the 2007 budget was a Republican congress budget, building more strength towards the complete free-fall collapse. And the national debt increased $1.2 TRILLION dollars in that year.
__________________________________
Yes, it is. Budgets run October to October. The Democrats took their seats in Congress in January 2007 – after the budget for 2007 was put in place by the Republican Congress.
2007 belongs to the Republicans and during that time the national debt increased $1.2 TRILLION dollars.
All of this leading up to the huge financial collapse after year after year after year of the Republicans building their ‘strong’ economy.
‘Strong’ indeed – it collapsed like a house of cards.

By the way, the 2007 budget was a Republican congress budget, building more strength towards the complete free-fall collapse. And the national debt increased $1.2 TRILLION dollars in that year.
But it was Democrat emergency spending bills that broke the bank.
_____________________________________
No it wasn’t. It was the Republican budget for 2007.
By the way, there is no requirement for the President to pass any of those budgets – that was Bush’s choice.

The White House (WH) and the entire Federal Judiciary system knew about the Arizona Immigration Bill from its’ inception, why then is the WH and Eric Holder pondering about the law as if it took them by surprise and feigning they have never read it?
For inexplicable reason, Obama has a need to appear as a nice gentleman: a need that Republicans and Democrats alike, are playing to the hilt. Obama needs to assert himself or get out of office and let someone else who can be president.
Main Street is tired of talk, it wants action. It cannot be gainsaid that the Arizona Immigration Law was concocted by Republicans to disrupt the agenda of the Democrats. Within 24 hours of the Arizona Immigration Bill becoming law, Eric Holder should have filed a motion to stay execution pending adjudication of the matter on the merits on grounds that it empowers racial profiling. Rather, all Main Street is getting from Holder and Obama is talk, talk, talk, and finger pointing.
Obama needs to become assertive; fold the Arizona Immigration Law, and Republicans will be willing to discuss a comprehensive immigration bill; and stop all these circumloquacious talk, they are very unbecoming of a president.

Immigration and and the WTO Trade agreement should be re-designed to make work in Mexico so Jobs can be a part of the Mexico economy that affords a Immigration policy to citizenship .
Bring Back the GATT Trade agreement that placed America and Mexico in Trade relations that complimented production needs with each others needs in Trade balance and work creation Initiatives , and the value placed on sustainable work far out weights a simple cheaper producing area in the world thats the result of one country manipulating its currency values that has been left unchallenged for 15 years by trade partners while china manipulated its Currency and SUCKED the JOBS away from the USA and Mexico .

The Republicans had a long time to put their policies in place and build a strong American economy.
Twelve years with a majority in both chambers of Congress and 8 years of presidency.
What resulted? The economy collapsed like a house of cards. So much for their ‘solid’ economy.
Was that they best they could do given all that time? Apparently.
By the way, the 2007 budget was a Republican congress budget, building more strength towards the complete free-fall collapse. And the national debt increased $1.2 TRILLION dollars in that year.
Posted by: tierra | May 20, 2010 1:17:06 AM
Excellent points, tierra. Despite all the loud noise from the conservative feedback loop, its interesting that most voters do realize that Republicans did a horrid job running the country.
It baffles that some are so inconsistent that they’d do it all again.
We’ll see what happens, but there’s no doubt that the GOP is a party with very few good ideas or solutions — and a very dismal, dismal record when it comes to economic, fiscal and domestic policy.

SB1070 is a dangerous bill that will inevitably lead to racial profiling and drives a wedge between communities. It basically says – if you happen to look foreign, you need to prove your citizenship. It goes against the civil rights and fundamental values that America was founded upon. What we need is to fix our broken immigration system through workable solutions that unite us together – and reform that respects due process and fairness allows us to celebrate the values that we hold dear – fairness, opportunity and due process. When we deny due process to some people, ultimately it will affect all of us.

If I get pulled over for speeding or running a stop sign the police officer takes my drivers license, runs it through the system to make sure there are no warrents for my arrest anywhere, gives me a ticket or warning and sends me on my way. Now if I get pulled over and cannot provide anything from a ID, to a license, or even a SSN I should get let go cause otherwise its racism or racial profiling. I read this bill and all it does is give the Arizona law enforcment officials the ability to enforce federal law. I remember hearing president Oboma talk about the little girl in the ice cream store. Well I got an ice cream store story for him that comes out of Aurora, CO. A 3 year old and two adults are killed in line at a baskin and robins when a drunk driver runs his car through the building. Not only was the driver an illegal immigrant, he had been caught 19 times before this but because the county is a sanctuary city nothing was done about it until he destroyed that family. There is an Ice Cream story MR. President. People who disagree with this law should just speak their mind straight and say that they believe that people in law enforcment are racists and will hate on hispanics because the Law as written says they cannot pull over people because they are not white.

The state of our State. I will admit I have not been involved with the governing of the State of Arizona to the degree I should have been in the past. Oh I do my duty and vote when it comes time. However, I have never really paid any real attention to the issues; I was content to let the other guy worry about them. I wonder how many others out there have had the same attitude. Well the time has come to worry about the issues, I only hope it is not too late and we are able to make changes.
It is time to wake up and stop letting the special interest groups and big corporations get richer & richer, while our livelihoods go to ruin. We need to send the message to all our representatives (state & federal) that we are not going to take it any more. The ones not do for re-election at this time need to get the message that they need to start thinking about the voters.
Our legislators, both state and federal are not representing us, the citizens of Arizona. They need to stop worrying about whether things are good for the Republican or Democratic parties and start thinking about the citizens of Arizona. Do you know the salaries of the legislators is set aside in a special account, which guarantees they will still get paid regardless how in debt the state is. That’s right all they have to do is show up and they get paid. When they feel like they need more money for showing up, they just approve a raise for themselves. They don’t even have to ask the voters. In fact this has been done so many times; they had to ask the voters to increase their salary range because they had maxed it out. So they get more money, what do we get, more inaction and passing the buck to the voters. This way they are able to spend more of their time campaigning to get re-elected.
They make a lot of promises and talk about all the things they stand for and what they will do for us. When all the time their only concern is to get re-elected and keep their high pay do nothing job. A good example is J.D. Hayworth, the people of Arizona were disgruntled over the job he was not doing and he did not get re-elected. Do you think he got the message? No, he is running again and thinks he can win by trashing John McCain. I think he thinks we are not very intelligent and if he plays his cards correctly he will be re-elected. The scary thing is he could be correct. Speaking of John McCain he needs to retire however, be replaced with someone other than J.D. Hayworth.
What about the other representatives ? Did they take notice? Look at what went on this year. The governor had to call them into special sessions five times. Then the sales tax issue they should have passed in the first session, they sent to the voters. The state is in major financial trouble and they didn’t want to pass a tax increase because it might make citizens angry with them. Along with people from others states might not want to come here based on the tax rate. Well how many people due you think will want to come here when they find out the schools don’t have enough money to function and the cities don’t have money in order to provide any services.
The way we do this is by not re-electing any one that is currently in office, bidding for re-election in November. However, we have to be sure and not replace them with others which have a proven ‘Bad’ record.
Therefore, I am encouraging everyone to get involved, stop letting the other guy be concerned about it. This can best be accomplished by writing, telephoning and e-mailing your district, state and federal representatives. Let them know the buck stops here and now. We are off to a good start by passing the sales tax increase, let’s keep it up.

Wrong, they did come to a majority in the Senate, I think they were 4 votes short of the 60 they needed. But they definitely had the majority, if they did the same they did with the healthcare reform this year, that bill would have probably passed. Now, the bill they’re talking about is much more conservative than the one in 2007. I don’t know why, they might as well just make it a straight amnesty, because republicans are not gonna get behind any kind of an immigration bill. So dems might as well just go and pass this on their own like they did with healthcare. Funny thing, immigration reform doesn’t give Obama any power over any industry. So he’s not interested. He’s only interested in stripping the country of any free market ideals. Go figures.

Reform is unnecessary and illogical. What we need is ENFORCEMENT. Lack of ENFORCEMENT since the Reagan amnesty is what led us here. We need to follow the federal laws, cite employers of illegals and deport those here illegally. PERIOD. Anyone who calls the AZ law (which is essentially a photocopy of the Federal law)”bigoted” is calling our country “bigoted”, and I take offense to that. We have a right, as a sovereign nation to defend our borders. To say otherwise is essentially supporting anarchism. If you so dislike our laws, why don’t you look at Iran or N Korea where you can be executed for sneaking into their countries. We are a fair nation, we only ask you knock on the front door, not sneak in through the window.