Obama urges activists to pressure Congress on immigration reform

http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...on-immigration

Despite long odds against immigration reform, President Obama on Tuesday urged a wide range of activists and officials to keep pushing the issue.

The president told the group, which included Rev. Al Sharpton, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that for Congress to act, they will have to put pressure on Capitol Hill.

"All politicians have to listen to their base," Sharpton told reporters after the White House meeting.

Sharpton acknowledged that Obama was "very candid" about immigration reform's bleak hopes for passage.
But Bill Bratton, a former police chief of Los Angeles and New York City, said Obama asked the group of about 70 participants "to commit going forward to keep the debate about this issue alive."

Obama has come under fire repeatedly by Hispanic and pro-reform groups who have questioned his commitment on the issue.

As the president prepares to travel to Nevada on Wednesday, a state that highlights the growing importance of Hispanic voters, Obama sought to demonstrate that he still considers the issue a priority.
Eric Garcetti, president of the Los Angeles city council, said that Obama "made a very compelling case that he will not let this issue go."

Ahead of the meeting, the White House said in a release that Obama would talk to the group about "how we can work together to foster a constructive national conversation on this important issue as we work to build a bipartisan consensus in Congress."

BOTTOM LINE IS OBAMA KNOWS IMMIGRATION REFORM ISN'T HAPPENING AND HELD THIS MEETING TODAY BECAUSE HE IS HEADED TO NEVADA TOMMORROW TO RUB IT IN THE FACES OF A FEW LATINOS OUT WEST.

Ill give this man one thing he knows how to look the part , but when it comes to substance its completely missing.

he's the one who should be urging and pressuring the congress. he better if he wants any Latino votes in '12

What the...

Obama is urging us to pressure Congress... like we haven't been doing that already for at least ten fucking years.

Thanks for that, Obama. We'll get right on it.

Obama should just go ahead and pass the damn 10 point border security bill or whatever its called. This seems like the only way which will lead to broader immigration reform which will include earned legalization. Obama needs to inspire Republicans and pull them to his side. There is not much us ordinary citizens can do to pressure them. We have already exerted pressure and this is evident in last year's vote which failed by only 5 senators.

Dude immigration reform or no immigration reform...Obama is winning the 2012 election. I really don't see any GOP candidate giving him even a slight challenge with their anti-middle class and anti-immigrant rhetoric. This leads to the next question, will Obama pass immigration reform in his second term with even more bitterness among Republicans due to his victory?

Immigration reform would pass in this Congress. Wait until 2013/2014. Until now is a death issue .. Only because House is Republican. Senate is a different story

wow is that all he said. he's treating us like we're a bunch of retards. he's pretty much making fun of the latino community. telling us to build support...we've done that so many times in that past jerk!
are there any other democratic candidates for '12 besides this fool? he cant be the only one running for his party!

Take a look at the hate mail that has already accumulated on the story posted above from thehill.com. Whenever the word immigration is uttered in the media, a throng of antis emerge with pure vitriol. Anti-immigration groups are organized, focused and relentless. These people may be a small fraction of the population but they have disproportionally co-opted the dialogue on immigration. As a recent NYT article points out (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/us...ewanted=1&_r=1), anti-immigration groups hold near veto power on any positive legislative reform. Most politicians are scared of these noisy and aggressive haters. Legislators won't act unless there is a united front to counter the hostility. I look forward to the day when there is sea of support for positive immigration reform (on the internet and otherwise) that drowns out the deranged opposition.