"In Your Dreams"

http://themoderatevoice.com/145342/b...n-your-dreams/

Marco Rubio, up and coming GOPER, Florida Senator and supposed Vice Presidential option for presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, has gotten a lot of press and political pundit buzz from his efforts to drum up support for a Republican version of the Dream Act. While some have argued this is nothing more than an election year ploy by the GOP for damage control on its dismal numbers among Latino voters, Rubio seems serious — and the prospects for it passing this year seem increasingly grim.

The latest twist comes from comments by House Speaker John Boehner –who is shaping up as a political figure that will help Democrats win over independent voters, Latinos and women voters. He in effect has said to Rubio “in your dreams” about any hopes of any kind of a version of the Dream Act this year.

House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) poured cold water Thursday on efforts by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to advance immigration reform by suggesting that such a plan would not be able to pass the GOP-led House this year.

Asked by a reporter whether he thought the House could pass an immigration measure this year that focused on more than just border security, Boehner said: “There’s always hope.”

The speaker said he has spoken to Rubio about his plan. “I found it of interest, but the problem with this issue is that we’re operating in a very hostile political environment. To deal with a very difficult issue like this, I think it would be difficult at best.”

Rubio is pushing what his office describes as an “alternative” to the Democratic-backed Dream Act that would create a path to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants. The senator’s bill would legalize certain young people who came to the United States while they were children by granting non-immigrant visas so they could remain in the U.S. for college or to serve in the military.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Rubio is actively courting immigrant advocates who usually side with the White House on the issue, but have grown frustrated with President Obama’s policies. Some of the activists say they are open to Rubio’s effort, even if it falls short of the original Dream Act.

This context is important since the Latino vote could help determine the winner in the Presidential election. In a piece on how the GOP is almost intentionally hurting itself with groups it will need to win, Salon notes:

It’s almost as if the GOP can’t help itself.

Start with Hispanic voters, whose electoral heft keeps growing as they comprise an ever-larger portion of the electorate. Hispanics now favor President Obama over Romney by more than two to one, according to a recent Pew poll.

The movement of Hispanics into the Democratic camp has been going on for decades. What are Republicans doing to woo them back? Replicating California Republican Governor Pete Wilson’s disastrous support almost twenty years ago for Proposition 187 – which would have screened out undocumented immigrants from public schools, health care, and other social services, and required law-enforcement officials to report any “suspected” illegals. (Wilson, you may remember, lost that year’s election, and California’s Republican Party has never recovered.)

The Arizona law now before the Supreme Court – sponsored by Republicans in the state and copied by Republican legislators and governors in several others – would authorize police to stop anyone looking Hispanic and demand proof of citizenship. It’s nativism disguised as law enforcement.

Romney is trying to distance himself from that law, but it’s not working. That may be because he dubbed it a “model law” during February’s Republican primary debate in Arizona, and because its author (former state senator Russell Pearce, who was ousted in a special election last November largely by angry Hispanic voters) says he’s working closely with Romney advisers.

Hispanics are also reacting to Romney’s attack just a few months ago on GOP rival Texas Governor Rick Perry for supporting in-state tuition at the University of Texas for children of undocumented immigrants. And to Romney’s advocacy of what he calls “self-deportation” – making life so difficult for undocumented immigrants and their families that they choose to leave.

As if all this weren’t enough, the GOP has been pushing voter ID laws all over America, whose obvious aim is to intimidate Hispanic voters so they won’t come to the polls. But they may have the opposite effect – emboldening the vast majority of ethnic Hispanics, who are American citizens, to vote in even greater numbers and lend even more support to Obama and other Democrats.

Many analysts believe Rubio has been auditioning for the Romney Veep spot this week. But some polls have suggested putting Rubio on the ticket wouldn’t help the GOP and CNN contributor Ruben Navarrette Jr. flatly says the Florida Senator can’t help the GOP for a variety of reasons. There is also a strong argument for putting Rubio on the ticket.

Rubio’s apparent brick wall on the Dream Act (the GOP’s most conservative and Tea Party members) underscores the continuing divide in the GOP between the Bush family wing and the party’s more conservative base. Rubio — who Jeb Bush has made it clear he would love to see run for Vice President — is on the same wavelength as the Bushes on immigration. Boehner, once again, is coming across as a seemingly gutless leader who comes across as someone who follows the leadership of his members and talk show hosts rather than trying to persuade and shape the GOP legislative response. He often seems to be more of a party base servant and messenger than House Majority Leader who can direct legislation — or change minds.

It could be argued that if a Rubio Dream Act doesn’t materialize most voters won’t notice. But it will add one more strand to the seemingly heaping plate of political spaghetti strands that Latino voters now see piled high — strands that seldom tilt in Latino’s favor. And on election day they might just say “meatballs” to the GOP.

Just read it.

Every time i read negative articles like this... my motivation and hope just crushes

Sigh, I know what you mean man, sigh, I know what you mean. But they have to be posted, you can't ignore the political reality in search of rose colored dreams. Things need to be assessed for what they currently are, not what we wish for them to be..

The writer can kiss my ass. Sure, it will be difficult for the bill to pass the house. But, Boehner did not say "in your dreams." To me, he came across as flexible on the issue: "If I come on board, i'll do what I can, but it will be difficult."

I still say that we should be hopeful. Anything can happen. And, sitting on your asses waiting for the Kodak moment of congresses will not do shit to improve our situation.

I am aware of the outcome that all of us are inclined to expect. There's no need to point it out. We are not idiots here. But, there is nothing wrong with being hopeful and pressuring for relief. Sitting on your asses will not help our cause. When some of you argue your pessimistic position, what is your intention of doing so? All of us fucking know what will most likely happen. Reality has not escaped us. Are you encouraging inaction? Again, if we are going to have that sluggish mentality, we might as well say fuck it and go back home. Our reality should be that, yes, we are faced with an obstacle but we need to be hopeful and fight. We need to be courageous and confront every fucking battle--even the ones that look like we cannot win.

Smooth I give you all the respect in the world and I accept your positions. I'm just saying sure we must pressure and fight, but at the moment I feel this bill is a distinct near impossibility unless the house repubs loosen up, that is all. All I am saying is I don't want hopes to soar too high only to be crushed, I just don't want to see people on this forum become like some people I know who have amazing job offers worldwide9 i know a man who was offered a job with a hi-tech firm in Mexicali that would pay $30,000 USD yearly but refused) but refuse to take it, lost in a cloud of unrealized dreams. I just don't want there to be overt excitement and expectations that this has a high chance of passing, because sure anything could happen, but often in politics it doesn't. Humans do have unlimited freedom but research proves we actually abide in a constrained pool of predictable actions, congress is no different.

I got mad respect for your hopefulness bro'
Imma give Rubio the benefit of a doubt. Maybe something will be done this year.

Just look at the source: Relax, don't sweat it guys. I'd be worried if this came from CNN, NY times, or a reliable source. This guys are just garbage looking to get some views on their articles. That's why the misleading title.

Yes I agree

Of course this bill will face an uphill battle. All of our lives has been an up hill battle.

We all suffered a big hit in 2010, and now that this bill can be presented anytime soon is like us in familiar waters and we don't want to get our feet wet so to speak. None of us here want to have our hopes crushed and our dreams shattered with the fate of this bill.

I understand all of you who may think that the bill has such a low chance of passing, it's almost like a defense mechanism to compensate for the contradiction that our logic has with our feelings in regards to the bill. I respect each and every one of your thoughts and perspective.

To completely say that this bill will not pass whatsoever is a bit extreme but mind you saying that this bill will surely pass is no different than the first statement.

This bill is yet to be presented, ye to be studied, and yet to be debated. I dare say no one here on this portal can truly grasp the realistic outcome of this bill. In a sense all we know right now is comparable to the tip of an iceberg. There is still plenty to be revealed, and maybe to the least of of knowledge, there maybe some discussing done behind closed doors between these senators that we are not aware of.

The best advice I have for anyone is to wait just a little more (1 month) prepare yourselves. Hope for the best, expect for the worst.

And I ultimately agree with smooth. Now is the time for us to unite more than ever. Now is the time for us to get ready, become organized, have a plan ready when this bill is introduced. Anything from filling up the voicemailbox of the senators who do not have a stance on the bill, to publicly advocating for this bill is our responsibility.

This is our lives on the line, our future, our dreams. Saying that it won't have a chance is not an option to back down and not give 110% of our efforts. We are all fighters here, if you are a dreamer, you are a unique individual that has been through struggles and obstacles beyond imaginable recognition and you still came out on top.

Come what may, we will all get through this no matter the outcome. But I can tell you right now, this bill won't go down without a fight!

So come on brother and sisters, what say you?

Well, One thing is for sure, Rubio's dream act has more chances than de Democratic one. People acknowledge that it is feasible. It might not pass this year, but having been crafted by the GOP, and the fact that their time to do something to court the immigrant community is running out, I would say that dream act is not something that will take that long to pass after this republican initiative.