Photo by Ron Petroncelli. Fabian Nuñez and Don PerataDemocrats debating immigration will tell us where they really stand. Do they want to look more like Republicans on this issue? California Assembly Speaker, Fabian Nuñez made a statement that could make people cringe. He told the LA Times "I'd rather have a Democrat in the White House than get the driver's licenses passed."
Who says having a Democrat in the White House would make things better. Remember the 1996 anti-immigration laws passed during Clinton's tenure? It was here that in-state tuition was banned for DREAMERS.
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A fine line for Democrats on border issues
Some think the party can toughen its image on illegal immigration without straying from traditional positions.
By Peter Wallsten, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 11, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Top Democratic elected officials and strategists are engaged in an internal debate over toughening the party's image on illegal immigration, with some worried that Democrats' relatively welcoming stance makes them vulnerable to GOP attacks in the 2008 election.
...The internal debate has grown emotional in recent days, boiling over on Friday during a tense encounter on the House floor between Rep. Joe Baca (D-Rialto), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.).
The caucus was upset because some House Democrats had backed a Republican measure protecting employers that impose certain English-only rules -- the latest in what Baca called a series of frustrations with the party leadership's approach to immigration.
"We're tired of people trying to scapegoat the immigrants or Hispanics as a platform," Baca said. "Republicans have done it, and Democrats have followed . . . because they're afraid they're going to lose their elections. But we got elected to represent all communities, not to vote based on whether we're going to get reelected."
...Compassion and justice for illegal immigrants ends when taxpayer interests begin," the group said.
Several Democrats said last week that Clinton's difficulty with the driver's license issue, which first arose at a candidates debate Oct. 30, illustrated the very struggle many in the party will face next year
..."As soon as I saw that come up at the debate, I thought, 'Oh, this is a bad issue for Democrats,' " said California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles).
Nuñez added that he thought Democrats should pick their shots and probably avoid advocating driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.
"I'd rather have a Democrat in the White House than get the driver's licenses passed," he said.
peter.wallsten@latimes.com
For complete article: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-immig11nov11,1,6588376.story
Photo: http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2006/08/30/us/600_greenhouse.jpg
2 comments:
I don't know if thats fair criticism. The 1996 law was initiated by the Republican Congress, and Clinton did get rid of the really really bad parts (like denying kids an primary and secondary education). That 1996 law was horrendous though.
As for the current situation, listen to the rhetoric in the Republican camp. Its quite scary and I fear what "CIR" will look like under a Republican President. Personally, I'd rather have a pro-immigration President who supports a path to legalization rather than absolute purism on this issue.
Here's a memo by the group Third Way:
http://www.third-way.com/data/product/file/114/Reclaiming_the_offensive_on_immigration.pdf
Thoughts?
C_D
A pro-immigrant President like Bill Richardson would be the best hope for 2008.
You have every reason to be concerned if a GOP candidate becomes President. Actually everybody should be concerned.
The Republicans are probably scaring the daylights out of themselves with their rhetoric of hate and fear. I wonder if Romney can sleep at night with all the things he says about undocumented immigrants. The only one that doesn't strike fear into my heart is McCain.
I am not so sure that any of the Democratic candidates besides Richardson will be reliable about maintaining their positions on immigration. It depends on how much the election heats up.
As for the Clintons - they are known as "Republican-lite."
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