Where are Democrats on illegal immigration?

McClatchy Newspapers ^ | November 15, 2007 | David Lightman

[NCDragon]

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidates are likely to sound similar Thursday night at their Las Vegas debate when they discuss illegal immigration — if they talk much about it at all.

They all pretty much call for tougher border enforcement and providing a path to citizenship, but they've been downplaying the issue for months, even though it's one of the hottest controversies in the land.

Democratic analysts say that's a smart strategy. Republicans counter that Democrats are afraid of the issue, which could split the party's liberal wing and Hispanics from its blue-collar supporters.

Independent analysts aren't sure who's right.

"People are torn. They know they need immigrants (to make the economy hum), but many also fear the browning of America," said Ken Fernandez, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

[Resolute Conservative]

They are for the votes nothing else matters.

[Mojohemi]

Eastern Europeans would love to be in America! Give me more POLISH! If the USA needs more labor it is a lie that the labor must come from Mexico!

[FreePaul]

Where are the Democrats? That would be good to know since most have taken all positions at the same time. Unlike the Republicans, many of whom are following their leader in the White House. George Bush has, by his words and actions, taken a strong stand on illegal immigration. He sides with Mexico, illegal immigration and amnesty. Do any Democrats oppose him on this? At least some Republicans do disagree.

[Eva]

This article was in the Seattle Times too, coupled with an article about Hillary Clinton stating that she was opposing the drivers’ licensing for illegals. The Hillary article was not positive, saying that she was forced into this position by all the bad press from the debate.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Where are Democrats on illegal immigration?

Same place they are on every other issue - whereever their polls tell them 51% of the public is. ;)

[Haddit]

If there is a Democrat that is against Illegal Immigrants, I'll vote for them instead of Rudy.

[Miss Didi]

RUSH: ... New Yorkers, New York liberal Democrats, are livid. They are outraged over the decision by Governor Spitzer to pull his driver's licenses for illegal immigrants plan. First up, Charlie Rangel at the Spitzer press conference.

RANGEL: There is no question that nobody's thinking about identifying, deporting, jailing these people. They are part of our economy; they are part of what America was supposed to be and will continue to be. But, somehow, for political reasons, we've been able to stigmatize to such a degree that those who challenge the system are being called unpatriotic. There's no question that we lack the leadership on the national level to change the tone.

RUSH: You know, Charlie, I tell you, "lack the leadership on the national level to change the tone"? It seems to me that we have a president who tried to change the tone with you people, and when he tried to change the tone with you people, all you did was stomp on him. He led this issue, Charlie. You Democrats stood on the sidelines letting the president take the bullets on this from the American people. You didn't want to get involved because you wanted the Republican Party divided over this. Now that it's boomeranged, as almost everything's done lately on the Democrat side, now, all of a sudden, you're absent leadership on this? What about Senator Clinton? What about Senator Schumer? What about you? What about President Bush? Where were you joining him on this, Charlie, if it's so important?

If these people are the backbone of America -- and, by the way, that's a stretch. Immigrants to America have never been illegal, the backbone of the country, the melting pot. These comments that these guys are making make it clear, do they not, that this is purely a political partisan issue to them. It is those guys who are making this political. They are making it partisan. Those of us who oppose all of this are simply standing for the rule of law, and American tradition; American exceptionalism. Charlie Rangel, Spitzer, Hillary Clinton, any number of Democrats, are doing just the opposite. They're willing to wreck the country's foundations, traditions, and institutions regardless, as long as it gives them more voters and a greater chance to win elections. Now, Gary Ackerman, a congressman from New York, also at the Spitzer press conference today, and he loses it a little.

ACKERMAN: This might not have been the exact right plan, but the governor is on to something, and that is that we have to really be attentive and try to solve this problem. Those people who just want to use the jingoistic terms that are popular, round 'em all up, put 'em on planes and send 'em home, I challenge them. Call the immigration commissioner of this country, tell 'em that you've just caught an illegal immigrant, and you have 'em hog-tied here right in front of the US capitol, come and collect 'em, and I guarantee you no one is going to show up because they don't know what to do with them, and that's the problem.

RUSH: Well, you guys are the ones in Congress, for crying out loud, Ackerman, Rangel, all these people are in Congress, and you're blaming who? It's like you guys are spectators? You're just standing around watching all this? You have no impact on it? You coulda done any number of things about this. By the way, who is it that these people are referring to when they keep talking about rounding 'em up and flying 'em home on airplanes? Nobody was ever talking about deportation. We were talking about border security first. Get that done and stop the flow. Then we'll deal with the problem of the 12 to 20, whatever millions are here. But if you don't do the border first, then nobody is going to take anybody seriously on this issue because we've been here and done that, 1986 Simpson-Mazzoli Act. I don't want to relive all this, but I'll tell you what, it's going to be an issue that will be predominant throughout the presidential campaign. And it's about time. This issue should have always been part of the presidential campaign, and now it is.

Liberals Livid Over Spitzer Loss

[KC Burke]

The Democrats don’t have to take a stand on the issue because the Republicans have supported all sides of the issue in a contentious and fractured manner.

Instead, the Democrats can generalize by throwing out a lot of nice sounding values like border security, path-to-citizenship, racial equality, national health, ethnic values, enforce the law, and, of course, save-the-children.

With those values out in front they can then critique the Republicans for “doing nothing”, “creating a border mess” and any aspect of any fractious plan they cobble together.

While we can damn them for a failure to provide an alternative, they can say, “An alternative to what?”

Enforcing the law in the wake of 9/11 would have been so simple a remedy.

[Steely Tom]

Same place they are on every other issue - whereever their polls tell them 51% of the public is.

That's not so much the problem. The problem is, they're on whichever side polls tell them 51% of the Guatamalan public is on.

[K-oneTexas]

I believe your right. My initial reaction was to this was, from a Democrat point of view ... “What illegal immigration?”

[jack_napier]

"They know they need immigrants (to make the economy hum), but many also fear the browning of America,"

When someone implies racism in the opposition like this, I can only assume that person is themselves a racist. No, Mr. Fernandez, people fear the breach of the rule of law, they fear gangs that have come from South America, they fear the pressures put on public systems like schools from the swell and influx, and they fear communication barriers in the form of language that creates the "Two Americas" that John Edwards DOESN'T talk about.

[ModelBreaker]

Same place they are on every other issue - whereever their polls tell them 51% of the public is. ;)

But that's why this is the best wedge issue ever. 77% of the public, including most of the Reagan democrats, believe we should seal the border. That's the one thing the dems cannot have. Their Hispanic base in the southwest has radicalized significantly over this issue. They want free passage across the border. How do they hold the Reagan values voters and the La Raza radicals in the same coalition? By being quiet as little mousies about the subject. There is no position that keeps La Raza and the Lefties happy and the Reagan values voters happy. And, this issue consistently ranks very high on polls regarding what issues changes peoples votes.

That's why the correct R tactic is to talk about it all the time and challenge the dems repeatedly to commit to building the entire fence and enforcing the laws as they are now. The more the issue comes up, the more mistakes the dems will make.

We have to nail this one and get folks to understand we have won in Iraq despite the dems best efforts to sabotage our war effort and 2008 is looking a lot different.

[genghis]

amnesty for all
no border security

hush hush
same as nearly everyone of their positions.

[xtinct]

"They (illegal immigrants) are part of our economy; they are part of what America was supposed to be and will continue to be"

They are illegals...therefore, they are criminals

Our elected officials and law enforcement personnel are supposed to UPHOLD the law no matter what their own personal beliefs are.

[rabscuttle385]

...they fear gangs that have come from South America...

The gangs that perpetuate acts such as the machete attacks in Northern Virginia a few years back...or the burning car left on Leesburg Pike in eastern Loudoun in the middle of the night.

But of course, none of these things happen in Great Falls or McLean or Langley.

[C210N]

Same place they are on every other issue - whereever their polls tell them 51% of the public is.

...whichever side polls tell them 51% of the Guatamalan public is on.

I suspect even more so: whichever side polls tell them 1% of the public that happens to be members of the loudest and wackiest fringe groups is on.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

The wrong side as they are on 90% of the issues.Not good.

[ladtx]

"People are torn. They know they need immigrants (to make the economy hum), ...

Assuming he means illegal immigrants, I'm full up to here with hearing this stated as if it is fact. No one has shown a shred of evidence this is true. In fact I'm about 99% sure it's false. Yet the left and many too lazy to think for themselves swallow it hook, line and sinker.

[ZULU]

They stand shoulder to shoulder with the current Administration, Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon on this subject - all of them.

Which is why they will loose if the Repubs are on the right side of this issue.