Obama says immigration overhaul still needed

AP on Yahoo ^ | 3/18/09 | Charles Babington - ap

[NormsRevenge]

COSTA MESA, Calif. – President Barack Obama said Wednesday he still supports "comprehensive immigration reform," even though he rarely mentions it anymore. Asked about the emotional and politically delicate topic at a town hall format in Southern California, the president said the nation must find a way to strengthen its borders while also giving about 12 million illegal immigrants a path to possible citizenship.

"If they stay in the shadows," he said, some employers will exploit them, hurting wages and work conditions for all American workers.

Obama said illegal residents who have been in the United States a long time and have put down roots should have a mechanism for achieving legal status. They would have to learn English, pay a significant fine and "go to the back of the line" of those applying for legal entry, he said.

Obama has not listed immigration reform among the ambitious programs he is pushing this year.

[Texas Eagle]

President Barack Obama said Wednesday he still supports "comprehensive immigration reform," even though he rarely mentions it anymore.

Wouldn't it be easier if you just produced your birth certificate?

[counterpunch]

When are we gonna deport this guy and his aunt?

[Parley Baer]

Hehehehehehe. Good point. Hey Barry lets start with you and show us your real birth certificate.

[Prole]

Here it comes!

Criminals, communists, terrorists and other dangerous individuals are just salivating at the ideas of this worthless POS Obama.

Brace yourselves, America. We are about to be overrun by some of the most ruthless and dangerous criminals in the world, and they will all register democrat on site.

[bobby.223]

I’m prepared.

[the anti-liberal]

"comprehensive immigration reform"

I was sick of this phrase when McCain used it, now I'm twice as sick of it.

[chris_bdba]

Is it time yet for pitchforks and torches?

[Hardastarboard]

"If they stay in the shadows,"

G-D D@MN IT!!! I am SO tired of hearing the "they stay in the shadows" routine. They hand me my french fries over the counter at McDonald's. They paint my neighbor's house. They mow lawns for the condos down the street. They're in the bank doing their business every time I walk in there. THEY'RE NOT IN THE SHADOWS. THEY'RE OUT IN THE @#$@#$@@!! DAYLIGHT, MR. PRESIDENT. Walking around, heads held high.

[scooby321]

Looking for new Voters?

[backtothestreets]

I’d like to see a comprehensive immigration reform bill too. My version would give all illegal aliens a pathway out of the country and reward those trying to enter the country legally.

[FlyingEagle]

reform not needed. except the reform to enforce the laws we already have.

[Calpernia]

Apparently they are also in the White House.

[Frantzie]

They hurt wages for American workers and I am TIRED of being taxed to death to give illegal ENDLESS freebies.

[Calpernia]

::sighs....remembering the primary candidate::

Duncan Hunter: I think we ask them to go home. This country has lost 619 thousand Americans on the battlefields around the world in the last 100 years making the world safe. The reason we are not sending people back to Nazi Germany because we took care of Nazi Germany and we liberated the Germans and the reason we are not sending people back to a Communist Poland is because we brought down the Berlin Wall. The reason we are not sending people back to a Marxist Dictatorship in El Salvador is because we liberated El Salvador. We have made the world much freer. And we have pumped billions of dollars into lots of countries to improve their economies. So I think the United States, more than any nation in the world, has a right to tell folks, you folks stay in your own country, make it work and when you want to come into America knock on the front door.

[musicman]

"G-D D@MN IT!!! I am SO tired of hearing the "they stay in the shadows" routine. They hand me my french fries over the counter at McDonald's. They paint my neighbor's house. They mow lawns for the condos down the street. They're in the bank doing their business every time I walk in there. THEY'RE NOT IN THE SHADOWS. THEY'RE OUT IN THE @#$@#$@@!! DAYLIGHT, MR. PRESIDENT. Walking around, heads held high."

[Calpernia]

Yeah, our primary candidate understood there. Pardon my nostalgia.

I was in Iowa yesterday, and I talked to a guy that at one time had 100s of people working for him in a concrete company. And he pointed out that guys like him, he went bankrupt incidently, that play by the rules, when they hire people, fill out all the appropriate paper work, do all of the employer contributions, and get all the insurances that are required and do everything accordingly, therefore pay a lot more for their labor. They get put out of business by the companies that hire lots of illegal folks and just pay them a flat fee in cash and don’t pay any of the overhead costs that American employers have to pay employees under the law. So I think there are lots of folks in the economic system that appreciate having lots of cheap labor and that is certainly a factor.

[Calpernia]

::laughs:: that cartoon needs a second panel with the government tracking down two bovine in another country right to their stalls in tracking madcow.

[ScottinVA]

“Duncan Hunter”

Too bad the country doesn’t seem good enough anymore to elect someone like him.

[Calpernia]

I would like to see the results of Duncan Hunter running against Obama with all the foreign and phantom votes scrubbed.