Prez says Democratic election victories forced republican re-thinking immigration reform

[bigtree]

____ President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he's aware that the newfound eagerness among some Republicans to pass immigration reform can be attributed to last year's election results.

"Immigration reform is something that I believe that we can get done over the next couple of months," Obama told Democratic donors in San Francisco. "It’s interesting how clarifying to the mind Democrats getting 70 percent of the Latino vote was in suggesting that maybe we needed to get -- finally fix a broken immigration system, and making sure that we’re both a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants."

read: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-democrats-getting-70-of-latino-vote-forced

[ProSense]

1. This is one of those issues

with huge social and economic implications that needs to be addressed now.

[bigtree]

2. like on SO many other issues

. . . NOTHING matters to republicans, beyond their political bottom line.

[pinboy3niner]

3. Some GOP pols are still digging in their heels

From what I've been seeing in the news, some are still trying to limit reform to allowing 'permanent residency' as opposed to citizenship.

Much like those who advocate for a guest worker program in which someone can work here, buy a home, raise their family here, and be forced to leave if jobs dry up--even if they've worked here and lived in their home here for 20 years.

[bigtree]

5. that's just it, they're so recklessly insincere about doing ANYTHING worthwhile

. . . on ANYTHING. No way they want immigration reform which would advantage our undocumented population. It'll have to be a forceful initiative and political push to get them to vote for comprehensive reform which includes any type of citizenship deal for immigrants. The ONLY effective lever we have with republican legislators is political pressure; threatening their jobs.

[pinboy3niner]

6. They know the domographics are working against them and they're trying to slow it down

The group will present a plan that includes ciizenship, and the usual GOP suspects will offer amendments to shut that down, offering "residency" instead.

They're too far behind the curve, and they won't prevail.

[gordianot]

4. Thinking and Republicans do not work in the same sentence. n/t