Martinez heats up immigration debate

Whether it be McCain or Martinez both would make great point men for the Republican side when it comes to immigration.It looks like Martinez maybe more inclined to represent the other side than McCain.

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            Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, the former Republican Party chairman who vividly remembers the “variety of names” conservatives called him because of his work on immigrant rights, is readying for another big brawl over the issue.<br />

Right now, months before President Barack Obama is expected to outline his own immigration plan and before Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) decides how to re-engage on the issue — presumably after Obama shows his hand — Martinez is heating up the debate that will stretch his own party’s tolerance for increased immigration and multiculturalism.

The Florida senator is in a hurry to lead on immigration: He has less than two years remaining in his self-limited single term in the Senate.

“We have got to come to an understanding” on immigration, Martinez implored recently at the National Council of La Raza’s gala, where he and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) were honored for their work on behalf of Hispanics. “Comprehensive immigration reform has got to be back on the top of the agenda,” Martinez said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Though Obama has promised to reform the immigration system, he has not decided when, leaving Martinez to conclude the delay shows a “lack of direction or interest.” But clearly, the Republican senator is putting pressure on the Democratic White House because there is little hope of changing the minds of his own party members standing under the incredible shrinking Republican Party tent......

........“I don’t want to be too optimistic, but at the same time, I think there are [Republican] folks who understand the importance of this issue as a human rights issue as well as a political issue. I am sure many minds have not been changed as well, but I think it’s possible.”

Pushing ahead, the Republican senator plans to keep bringing up the subject that few in Washington are ready to take on. “I want to be a little bit of an irritant until someone at the White House decides this needs to be on the agenda,” Martinez said.

At the recent NCLR dinner, the highest-ranking Hispanic Republican agonized over the plight of legal and illegal immigrants who are exploited in the workplace, are “treated as half human beings” and live in fear of enforcement actions that may rip apart their families.