I'm glad I'm not the only pro-immigrant writer taking the Democrats and pro-immigration groups to task for condemning Marco Rubio's coming DREAM Act proposal without even having seen the language. Ruben Navarrette, Jr. writes a great piece for CNN that is pretty tough on Democrats for already rejecting what may be a very reasonable bill.
While we don't know the details yet, insiders believe it look very similar to past DREAM Act proposals but not include the opportunity to get a green card and eventual citizenship. Beneficiaries would get an indefinite legal status and the ability to work, however.
He argues that some Democrats may be opposing the bill for partisan reason - either a fear of helping Republicans curry favor with Latino voters or anger that DREAM Act beneficiaries won't get the right to become future Democratic voters. I think the former is more likely than the latter, but for some it probably factors in to their calculations. He also reminds Democrats that if you actually asked potential DREAM Act recipients what to do, most would urge Democrats to take the deal.
If you want to look at this politically, the President and Democrats should do what President Clinton did in 1996 when Republicans brought up a welfare reform bill. President Clinton embraced the proposal as did a number of Democrats and history now largely credits President Clinton for that law rather than it's original Republican backers. A big signing ceremony at the White House would certainly cement the bill as President Obama's. Democrats should not make the mistake of passing on a pro-immigration bill simply because it does not deliver everything they want.
Latinos should take this deal, speciallysinc e it does not prevent them from citizenship down the road. But they shopuld not forget how the Republican party has treated them because of this bill. I do not think they will, the trepublican pretty much are repeating the mistake of California and prop 187 and they will be paying this tab for a while....
Posted by: Another Voice | April 09, 2012 at 07:21 AM
IRS Commissioner - A tax paying track record - another way to qualify for pathway to citizenship for undocumented.
Fast Forward : 53:00
http://press.org/news-multimedia/videos/npc-luncheon-douglas-shulman-0
Posted by: gg | April 07, 2012 at 12:16 PM
The Democrats think that once the Dream Act or CIS passes and is signed into law, the Hispanics will abandon them and move back to the GOP. Similarly, the GOP thinks that if they increase any form of non-white immigration to the US, the racists and inbreds in the south will turn on them. The result is impasse!
Posted by: George Chell | April 07, 2012 at 11:22 AM
Ha Ha ... Funny and foolish ..
'La Promesa De Obama' Videos Removed From YouTube Searches
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pablo-manriquez/why-was-la-promesa-de-oba_b_1399154.html
Posted by: gg | April 06, 2012 at 06:10 PM
Its official democrats will politicize Immigration Reform to their benefit in the November 2012 elections. Any piece meal appears remote this year.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/conversations/immigration-reform-and-other-keywords-bought-by-2012-presidential-campaigns/2012/04/06/gIQAoifK0S_gallery.html#photo=1
Posted by: gg | April 06, 2012 at 06:06 PM