Immigration reform has become President Obama’s and the Democrats’ current smokescreen for an ailing economy, one that showed a negative growth rate in the last quarter of 2012. Is the plight of millions of illegal aliens foremost on the President’s mind?
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed a reform act that granted citizenship to three million illegal aliens who entered the country prior to January 1, 1982. Missing in that bill was an effective mechanism for tracking those that entered our country legally with visas and did not leave, and for the securing of our borders against illegal entry. This resulted in the 11.1 million illegal alien problem we have today.
The gang of eight, four Democrats and four Republicans were first out of the box on Monday, with a broad proposal that included:
- A tough road to citizenship
- Securing of our borders
- Reform of our immigration system based on our economic needs
- Workplace verification
- A guest worker program
The President followed this up on Tuesday with a speech that sounded eerily similar to the gang of eight’s proposal, but shortening the time frame to gain citizenship and eliminating the trigger for securing the borders.
In order to gain Republican support, securing our borders is an essential part of the gang of eight proposal. President Obama may be posturing himself to kick the can down the road until 2014, when he can demonize those wicked, uncaring Republicans prior to the midterm elections.
Where does President Obama really stand on immigration reform? In 2007, a bill similar to the current gang of eight bill, was offered by President George W. Bush. A “poison pill” amendment was proposed by Democrat Byron Dorgan that would emasculate an essential part of the bill dealing with the guest worker program. Then Senator Obama voted for the amendment that doomed passage of the Bush reform act.
Immigrants beware. President Obama seems to be able to “eat his cake and have it too”.
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