Obama Uses Mexican Holiday to Announce Amnesty Push

[bobbyw24]

By Eric Zimmermann - 05/05/10 06:16 PM ET

President Obama urged Congress on Wednesday to begin work on immigration reform this year.

In remarks at a Cinco de Mayo event at the White House, Obama said the controversial immigration law passed in Arizona showed why the federal government needs to take action.

The Arizona law, he said, would turn legal immigrants and citizens into "subjects of suspicion and abuse."

"You can't start singling out people beacuse of who they look like or how they talk or how they dress," he said.

Instead, Obama called on Congress to enact "common sense, comprehensive immigration reform" that would focus on securing the border and providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

"I want to begin work this year, and I want Democrats and Republicans to work with me," Obama said.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/96311-obama-calls-for-immigration-reform-criticizes-ariz-law

 

[stu2002]

How UN-American

 

[bobbyw24]

Democrats' shift right frustrates Hispanic activists

To get an idea of how far Democrats have moved to the right on the issue of immigration reform, consider this: The Obama administration’s enforcement efforts in 2009 led to the deportation of 387,790 illegal immigrants — a 5 percent jump over the Bush administration’s record in 2008.

And this: A liberal Democratic senator from New York is a co-sponsor of a measure that includes what civil libertarians fear could become the first national ID card.

And this: A PowerPoint presentation offering guidance for Democrats in the coming Senate debate concludes that the most persuasive argument to voters for supporting reform is actually a classic Republican pitch: because it will force illegal immigrants to “pay their fair share of taxes.”

The Democrats’ tough-love approach to immigration aims both to foster Republican support for a bill and to avoid claims that Democrats are soft on crime and security issues. But for some advocates of reform, the Democrats’ accommodating right turn has gone so far that it is becoming a liability in the long fight to pass comprehensive reform. After all, why should the enforcement-first crowd come to the table when they don’t have to?

“The political strategy the Obama administration is pursuing is a bankrupt one,” said Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the Center for Community Change. Tough enforcement was supposed to give the president and his party the “bona fides” to push through reform. Instead, “it has only whetted the appetite of conservatives for more and more enforcement,” said Bhargava.

Indeed, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on Wednesday introduced an amendment to a financial regulation reform bill to require completion of the 700-mile fence along the Mexican border within a year.

The GOP gains in each new iteration of the reform debate may help explain why President Barack Obama is having such a difficult time persuading Republicans to co-sponsor the legislative framework developed in bipartisan talks between Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

“I want to begin work this year,” Obama said Wednesday, speaking in the Rose Garden at a Cinco de Mayo reception. “And I want Democrats and Republicans to work with me.”

Thus far, no Republicans have taken him up on the offer despite the heavy emphasis Democrats have placed on improving border security and documenting immigrant workers — including Schumer’s call for creation of a tamper-proof Social Security card that would include such “biometric” identifiers as fingerprints. Workers would use the card to prove to employers their legal status, but critics say it is the first step toward a national identification card.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/36844.html

 

[stu2002]

Democrats' shift right frustrates Hispanic activists

WTF is a "Hispanic Activist." I thought they "just came here to work," not to bitch about their rights and entitlements.

 

[MelissaWV]

Fitting, since most Mexicans I know of cared more about Labor Day than Cinco de Mayo. The latter holiday was mostly celebrated by people needing an excuse to drink "Mexican" beer and eat tacos.

 

[bobbyw24]

Fitting, since most Mexicans I know of cared more about Labor Day than Cinco de Mayo. The latter holiday was mostly celebrated by people needing an excuse to drink "Mexican" beer and eat tacos.

Nah-they cared most about May Day

 

[constituent]

might not be terribly easy to wrap ur head around, but cinco de mayo is really an american holiday...

it celebrates the defeat of the French at the battle of Puebla by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin, a native Texan having been both born and raised in Goliad, TX.

to this day, if you visit presidio la bahia in Goliad, the Fannin memorial, etc., you will notice a little white building noted as his birthplace.











...you're welcome.

 

[MelissaWV]

Nah-they cared most about May Day

May Day and Labor Day were the same day

 

[bobbyw24]

May Day and Labor Day were the same day

See-we can agree on some things

 

[angelatc]

May Day and Labor Day were the same day

Labor Day is in the fall.

 

[MelissaWV]

Labor Day is in the fall.

...

May Day occurs on May 1st and refers to several public holidays. In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by unions and other groups. May Day is also a traditional holiday in many cultures.

May 1st in Mexico is celebrated as International Labor Day. While many countries celebrate May 1st in many ways including the old “Maypole” ceremony here in Mexico it is a day of rest for the workers as well as protest and rallies. Be aware that many government offices, banks, stores and offices will be closed May 1st (Primero de Mayo) in all of Mexico.

While researching Labor Day in Mexico I ran across some interesting facts that I didn’t know as to the origin of this holiday as for in the states they celebrate Labor Day on the first Monday of September. What I discovered most interesting is that May 1st, Labor Day origination was heavily influenced by two things. The first was the passing of a resolution at the Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada as well that basically set forth the 8 hour work day.

The second event was the Haymarket riot on May 4th 1886 in Chicago. This riot was between the working and business class and to this day, the cause is still disputed. While researching in Wkipidepia Internet encyclopedia they refer to this event as having been an important factor in creating International May Day. There was a peaceful rally of 3000 held in Chicago until late in the evening while during the process of the police trying to disburse the crowd someone threw a bomb killing several policeman immediately. At this point the police began shooting and many workers, innocents and police were injured.

Our plants are closed May 3rd and May 10th for Mexican holidays (Labor Day/May Day and Mothers' Day, respectively).

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

In remarks at a Cinco de Mayo event at the White House, Obama said the controversial immigration law passed in Arizona showed why the federal government needs to take action.

He's obviously referring to the part that says: If you can't produce an ORIGINAL birth certificate, your name cannot appear on our state ballot.

Obama DID spend millions to seal all his records, articles, etc. He is obviously NOT a natural born citizen, or he would have produced the real thing long ago.

-t

 

[dean.engelhardt]

Bad immigrations laws and enforcement have been ignored for so long, I don't see how we can fix this problem if amnesty is not in tolerated at all. I've heard estimates of 12 million illegals in the country. I don't think deportation of all of them is in the best interest of the country.

 

[TC95]

Obama DID spend millions to seal all his records, articles, etc. He is obviously NOT a natural born citizen, or he would have produced the real thing long ago.

Holy cow! You're such a conspiracy theorist! What a BIRTHER! Yer so DUM!


Me, too.

 

[Zippyjuan]

Cinco de Mayo is an American holiday. It is not celebrated in Mexico except maybe in tourist areas. September 16th is their Independence Day.