House Hispanic leaders ask Obama to block Arizona bill

[Jeanfromfillmore]

House Hispanic leaders ask Obama to block Arizona bill

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/2...#ixzz0lh1QIRXS
WASHINGTON — Hispanic leaders in the House of Representatives called Tuesday for President Barack Obama Tuesday to act against Arizona's anti-illegal immigration legislation and to throw his weight behind a comprehensive immigration overhaul.
Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., demanded a halt to the bill that passed Arizona's Senate Monday. The state's House of Representatives passed it last week. If Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signs it into law, the bill would require immigrants to carry alien registration cards with them at all times and police to check people's immigration status whenever there's "reasonable suspicion" that they are in the country illegally.
Grijalva and Gutierrez said that if Brewer, a Republican, signs the bill into law, the Obama administration should step in to stop it.
"The president of the United States should simply say, 'On the issue of immigration, the Constitution is clear, my power is clear — I'm going to regulate immigration in the United States from a federal level,'" Gutierrez said.
Thomas Saenz, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund who appeared with the congressmen at a news conference, said that the Department of Homeland Security could end agreements that allow Arizona law enforcement to police immigration laws or the Justice Department could challenge the initiative as a violation of civil rights law.
An Obama administration official said the White House is reviewing the Arizona legislation.
Even without action from the White House, Saenz said the Arizona law would face challenges in federal court like those that ultimately brought down a similar initiative enacted in California in 1994. He said that the fund has already been contacted by potential clients in Arizona.
"Absolutely, there will be a legal challenge," Saenz said.
Gutierrez also blasted the president for failing to push for comprehensive immigration legislation. Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., rolled out a framework in March, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told immigration advocates at an April 10 rally in Las Vegas that he'd make immigration a priority.
Gutierrez said there's a narrow window to introduce a bill in the Senate between Memorial Day and July 4, when he projected that the Senate will turn its attention to hearings for Obama's nominee to replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
However, Gutierrez said Tuesday that he thinks the administration doesn't see an immigration overhaul as a priority.
In a written response, the White House pledged its commitment to moving an immigration bill forward this year and said it's been working closely with the Senate.
"Senator Schumer and Graham were both in the Oval Office last month talking with the president on how to move forward together, including strategies for securing additional Republican support," the statement said.
White House spokesman Nick Shapiro also said via e-mail that Obama called Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., from Air Force One Tuesday to discuss immigration legislation.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/2...#ixzz0lh1dZ7gt

[Ayatollahgondola]

"The president of the United States should simply say, 'On the issue of immigration, the Constitution is clear, my power is clear — I'm going to regulate immigration in the United States from a federal level,'" Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez should know that it is in the power of congress, not the president, but he seems to want to convey the thought that Obama is a dictator or similar

[ilbegone]

Originally Posted by Ayatollahgondola

Gutierrez should know that it is in the power of congress, not the president, but he seems to want to convey the thought that Obama is a dictator or similar

Gutierrez knows better. He's just trying to push a means to an end through public opinion by using Obama's name and hoping there will be general political pressure towards his desired result.

[Rim05]

I hear everyone saying how Obama wants/is taking over every thing, now they want him to block AZ laws that they do not like.
I think the only thing that will save us is THE BIG ONE.

[DerailAmnesty.com]

I hope Obama is actually stupid enough (and stupid our President is certainly not) to follow the Congressman's advice. Can you imagine the uproar if he actually took the steps Gutierrez describes above?

[Rim05]

I hope Obama is actually stupid enough (and stupid our President is certainly not) to follow the Congressman's advice. Can you imagine the uproar if he actually took the steps Gutierrez describes above?

[Obama is not as stupid as Gutierrez, not many people are. I wonder how anyone can vote for that excuse for a human.[/B]

[Twoller]

I think it is fair to accuse Obama of being stupid. He is not a slobbering idiot, but he is most certainly stupid. Which is not to say he is not maneuverable. He is a well handled sock puppet. Compare with Bush junior who was constantly being accused of being really stupid, but Bush showed far more intelligence and ability in the presidency and elsewhere as well. Obama is a tube and doesn't have to be intelligent.

This is why I was never as frightened of his presidency as many people claim to be. He is only as dangerous as people believe him to be personally dangerous instead of those more intelligent, knowledgeable and experienced are willing to make him.

[John M. from Mass.]

Lindsey Graham, Joe Liberman and The Late Fat One's buttboy, John Kerry have been working on Cap and Trade for awhile but now that idiot Harry Reid wants to have amnesty brought to the front burner within the next couple of weeks. Reid is in deep doo-doo in the polls in Nevada and he believes that giving amnesty to the illegals will not only give him the numbers to get re-elected but those of the other Demorats as well this November.

On the other hand, Graham is complaining that taking up Amnesty soon will kill any chance for Cap and Trade to pass. He says that jugging both bills at once in the Senate will be too much to handle citing the tight Congressional session and the upcoming battle over Obama's pick for retiring Supreme Court Justice Stevens this summer. Frankly I'd like to see a bullet get put between the eyes of both bills each.

[Rim05]

Compare with Bush junior who was constantly being accused of being really stupid, but Bush showed far more intelligence and ability in the presidency and elsewhere as well

Mmm, as you like to say, Can you expand on that? My opinion of Bush is, yes he is a really stupid, always has been always will be. I will give him credit for staying in the back ground since the election.