Inside Obama’s Hispanic strategy

Ianus · 05-15-2009, 09:06 PM

I think I now understand why the President is hesitant to push immigration reform now,& this article basically explained some of the reasons why.

Quote:

Yet even as the Obama charm offensive continues, the administration is faced with twin political challenges that ultimately may threaten any good will they’ve won from Hispanics – how he handles immigration reform and his first Supreme Court nomination. Hispanic leaders say their voters are watching.

“He will ultimately be judged by the Hispanic community on what he does for the weakest and most vulnerable,” said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, the veteran Chicago Democrat, referring to the issue on which he’s become a national leader, comprehensive immigration reform.

Gutierrez said he and fellow Hispanic officials appreciate the wooing and White House invites, but want action on the issue of providing illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. And he doesn’t mince words about what he sees as White House foot-dragging on the issue, which proved difficult to tackle even in better economic times.

“If Rahm thinks he can get away with not doing anything on immigration and still have the support of Latino voters, it won’t get done,” said Gutierrez, who has had a long and at times contentious relationship with his fellow Chicago pol.

But Emanuel aside, Gutierrez said he believes Obama is “reluctant” on the issue and that little progress has been made since the president had the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to the White House in March.

Obama pledged at his 100 Days press conference to work with Gutierrez and another member on immigration reform, but Gutierrez quipped: “That’s why you shouldn’t have term limits.”

“Because if you don’t have term limits, and you’ve been here for nine terms, you don’t get all lit up because the president mentioned your name at a press conference,” he said. “You look for what substantially has changed given his comment.”

Janet Murguia, president of La Raza, said she has been invited to the White House for a series of conferences and meetings this year but was still waiting for a clearer sign on Obama’s intentions on immigration.

“There’s going to be growing frustration if we don’t see some tangible and real signals that this is going to be carried out in earnest this fall,” Murguia said, suggesting that Obama needed to give a speech or somehow make clear this summer that he wanted Congress to act.

Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also lavished praise on the White House effort to be inclusive but was equally candid: “I think they genuinely want to do [immigration reform] but they genuinely want to do other things a lot more.”

Obama himself conceded to Piolin on the radio last week that “we’ve been delayed a little because of the economic crisis” in addressing immigration. He said it was his “hope is that we can get something moving this year.”

That is, of course, different than getting an actual bill signed into law this year.

A senior administration official recognized that Gutierrez is “pushing very hard” on the issue and acknowledged its significance to the Latino community.

“The immigration issue tends to suck up all the oxygen,” said the official. “But our other major priorities, especially the economy but also health care, are also Latino issues.”.........

........ When Piolin asked Obama if he had the votes in Congress on immigration reform, the president was candid.

“Probably not yet,” he said

But when it comes time to rally support for the bill, Obama said he would need the talk show host’s help.

“You can count on me,” Piolin assured.

CIR_DREAM2009 · 05-15-2009, 10:13 PM

lilbawler already linked to this article here. Try moving this comment there.

Ianus · 05-15-2009, 10:52 PM

Thanks for that,CIR.

CIR_DREAM2009 · 09:23 AM

^ No problem. I put my two cents worth in that other post.

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Inside Obama’s Hispanic strategy