It is hard to remember, on President Obama’s second inauguration, that less than a decade ago he was a relatively unknown Senate candidate. It was in 2004, at the Democratic convention, when Obama introduced himself to the nation with these dreamy, hopeful words: “There are no red states or blue states, just the United States.”
Ironically, the success of the domestic agenda in his second term — which, as of now, appears centered on immigration reform and gun control — depends on playing to both red states and the blue ones.
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It would be wrong for the Republicans to support amnesty for illegals out of pure political self interest. The drive for immigration "reform" has been a massive Democratic voter registration effort for years, and the GOP ought not follow the same path. Reform should only be pursued for helping the country attract the added work talent it needs. Any path to citizenship that is granted to illegals here now will act like a giant magnet, and attract millions of more illegals in the country. This does not solve any problem. NEW PARAGRAPH: There must be stiff consequences for those who over stay visas and those who enter illegally-like a promise that there will be NO path to citizenship for any who do not register as illegals after a certain date. Or a refusal to grant any government benefits-ie food stamps, medicaid, etc on the same population. If we make it hard to be here illegally, the problem will solve itself. But granting benefits to illegals creates more of them, and this is not a way to grow your voter rolls.
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Barack Obama is congenitally incapable of reaching out to the entire nation and seeking compromise. He despises white conservatives who "cling to their guns and Bibles.". Perhaps Marco Rubio is ready for a bipartisan dialogue but not Obama, Pelosi and Reid.
"how we treat our newest citizens" - wait a minute, citizens? If they were citizens, there would be no issue, would there? Juliette, just because you walk across the border, does not make an illegal alien a citizen. If she was referring to the "anchor babies", a proper securing of the borders would have prevented those children from being born on US soil. But the fact is, the Republicans liked the cheap, almost slave labor, the illegal aliens provided to many businesses, and the Dems liked them for the potential voting block they represent.
" The last part is already happening: Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo either are pushing, or have already passed, state legislation in tandem with the White House’s gun-control effort."
Definitely not "in tandem". Cuomo got his knickers in such a bunch thinking this will make him look good for a 2016 run at the White House, he pushed through a law without any public debate in one day "to prevent a run on gun shops" when in fact, the gun shops were already emptied out, moreover, he was in such a hurry, frothing at the mouth, he effectively banned the weapons the police force carries. But worse than all that, the NY legislature actually discussed confiscation at several levels. Not voluntary sales, confiscations. That is certainly not "in tandem" with what Obama is proposing.
Obviously, what is happening in the Northeast is not going to "sweep the nation", nor is there going to be any change to the Constitution. In fact, any limitation on magazine sizes for so called "assault rifles", "military style weapons" will no doubt be challenged in courts. Given the verdicts in McDonald and Heller, it is highly likely much of the legislation "pushed" through will not stand SC review. That is the result of poorly crafted legislation and politicians seeking to further their careers, ie, "never let a good tragedy go to waste".
Obama is actually creating even more divisivness in this country with these issues. His actions with the "Dream babies" was so transparent it was pathetic. His knee jerk reaction to the Sandy Hook tragedy and coming attempt to violate the 2A already has states in the west entering bills that state they will arrest Federal agents that attempt to enforce any such laws.
Obama, a leader? Hardly, a good campaigner, certainly. In the real world, slogans don't get it done.
So, what's your solution for avoiding massacres of schollchildren, or families (seen today).
@PValen: Obviously the solution is not political grandstanding via poorly crafted laws that only further divide the country. It would be nice if commenters actually read some of the SC decisions to understand how the constitution is interpreted, rather than claiming a bunch of hicks want to interpret it to their own ends. With that said, legislators and governors should start excercising their brain cells to come up with real solutions, afterall, isn't that what they are paid to do?
Interesting discussion. One person says "And we need to lauch a massive pogom to round up and deport the ILLEGAL ALIENS." and another comments (I think favorably) that certain states are passing laws to arrest "federal agents" if they enforce federal laws regarding guns that they don't like. Imagine these solutions and what they would look like in the United States.
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Nahant: I have never seen states consider such legislation, nor have I have seen county sheriffs flat out state (in writing) they would NOT enforce federal laws. The point is, it shows how this President is dividing the country, rather than working to come up with real solutions. He knows all about things like the Heller and McDonald decisions, yet he floats ideas like "magazine bans" which in turn cause a run on gun shops, flooding the country with even more guns. He is downright reckless in his quest to have a democratically controlled government. He knows that his "magazine ban" is a very, very long shot and the repercussions it would produce, yet he floated it anyway. It's purpose? To divide, that is not leading.
"we should be judged as a nation both by how we treat our newest citizens and protect our youngest ones." ... who has a problem with citizens? The big push is to ignore the crimes of illegals, has nothing to do with new citizens.
Neither immigration nor gun control had a significant place in Obama’s first-term agenda>>>>>> I wonder why? Could it have been the collapse of major banks, foreclosure of homes, crash of the stock market, major economic disaster? Has anyone heard of multi-tasking?
Excellent points, all of them, and has he actually made significant progress on any of those? Fiscal cliff? Debt ceiling? Unemployment still dizzying? Printing money like invitations to a Prom? Ahhhh, time to move on to something new he THINKS he might be able to handle, like immigration (it is like campaigning afterall, something he does very well), or gun control (people are sickened, so play to their emotions). What a joke he is as a president.
Stock market is up, banks and industry rescued, home building increasing, foreclosures decreasing, employment increasing. What more do you want?
Fair and humane immigration reform is needed, for the 11 or 12 million people without visas in this country, whose vast majority are extremely hard-working, honest, family-oriented people. They grow our food and prepare it in our restaurants , clean our offices and houses, take care of our babies and old people, and for that are mistreated, cheated out of their wages many times, threatened and extorted with their lack of visas.
The Obama administration has made the situation still worse than the Bush administration did. Their escalated detention and deportation policies tear hundreds of thousands of families apart every year, and fill the for-profit prisons whose owners lobby Washington for more prisoners.
Obama is declaring the 400,000 people a year he deports to be criminals - while in reality the vast majority are decent people whose only wish is to take care of their families by hard work. How can he move from that position to a fair immigration reform?
In the campaign, Governor Romney embraced the white supremacist slogans demanded by some of his base, while President Obama talked more respectfully of immigrants. There was a difference of language between them, but not of action. For that difference of language, President Obama received the immigrant communities' votes. We will see whether any action ensues without a stronger push from the many millions of U.S. citizens who have an undocumented friend or family member.
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The myth is that the illegal immigrants only take the low paying jobs no one else wants. Take a trip to Silicon Valley, visit the hi tech job shops that operate computer controlled lasers, turret presses, etc. There you will find the illegal alien operators, working for $18-20/hour. You can also find the same in Texas. Go to Illinois, a few years ago, it was impossible to find a house framing crew that was NOT comprised of illegal aliens, not that it has changed, just building is slow. Low paying jobs indeed.
Many Home Depots across the country have a small army of illegal aliens who wait in front of the stores willing to do home improvement projects, no license to do business, no references. They ran small home improvement businesses out of the market. Illegals.
Roofers, carpenters, masons, machine operators, anything they can find, they will do. At a lower wage to get the work to support their families in Mexico. Do I blame them? No. Should they be here? NO.
how about jobs and the economy?
shhhhh! be veewwwy, veewwy qwuiet, the President is wabbit hunting now, looking for something that he can actually do.
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