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Obama Pitches Immigration In Florida (With Reaction)
June 23, 2012
President Barack Obama brought his battle to win over Latino voters on immigration to Florida on Friday, but conservatives and the president’s GOP rival said the key issues for Florida’s diverse Hispanic communities would continue to be the economy.
In remarks to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, or NALEO, the president touted his decision to allow young, undocumented immigrants to remain in American without fear of deportation — but also kept up pressure on Congressional Republicans, saying the move was a temporary solution to a long term problem.
Obama told the group’s annual conference, being held at Disney World, that he was forced to move after Republicans rebuffed efforts to pass the DREAM Act, a measure that would achieve some of the same goals as Obama’s decision. He said some Republicans had supported the measure until Obama tried to make it a priority.
“The bill hadn’t changed,” he said. “The need hadn’t changed. The only thing that had changed was politics.”
Republicans disputed that characterization. Alfonso Aguilar, head of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said Obama instead used a lame-duck session in 2010 to foist his version of the bill on the GOP and give them no chance of amending it.
“That was a political ploy to ensure that Republicans would vote against it, so he could say what he’s saying right now,” Aguilar said. “That is insulting and condescending to Latinos.”
Obama also hinted at Arizona’s controversial law allowing police officers to check the immigration status of some people stopped by law enforcement — a measure Gov. Rick Scott pledged to bring to Florida in his 2010 campaign but has since largely abandoned. Those measures were sparked by the national gridlock on immigration, Obama said.
“It’s given rise to a patchwork of state laws that cause more problems than they solve and are often doing more harm than good,” he said. “This makes no sense. It’s not good for America.”
The larger Florida question looming at the meeting was whether the newfound focus on immigration would change the dynamics in the Sunshine State, where a large share of the Latino population is comprised of Cubans, who are essentially granted legal status if they can make their way to America, and Puerto Ricans, who are American citizens.
For his part, Scott dodged a question on whether his position on the Arizona law had changed, and he shrugged off suggestions that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who has clinched the GOP presidential nomination, was avoiding him during Florida swings.
“They’ve asked me to go to things, but it’s always at the last minute for me,” Scott said.
And U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a rising Republican star from Florida who has worked on a conservative alternative to the DREAM Act, urged partisans on both sides to stop using immigration for political reasons. At the same time, he got his own shot in at Obama during his remarks.
“I was tempted to come here and tell you, ‘Hey, he hasn’t been here in three years. What a coincidence, it’s an election year.’ I was tempted to tell you, ‘Why didn’t he make this issue a priority?’” Rubio said. “I guess I just did tell you.”
In any case, Romney’s campaign argued that the key issue for Latinos in Florida would be the same topic dominating the fall election for other voters: A slow economic recovery that has dogged Obama’s re-election effort.
“I think, again, that Hispanics are looking at what is the vision for America and for job growth,” said Ana Carbonell, a senior adviser to the Romney campaign in Florida.
Romney’s campaign and other conservatives noted that Latinos face a double-digit unemployment rate, higher than the national average and Florida’s current jobless rate.
By The News Service of Florida
Pictured top and inset: President Barack Obama speaks in Orlando Friday. Pictured bottom inset: A young boy along the rope line in Orlando salutes Obama after the President spoke at the NALEO Conference. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
24 Responses to “Obama Pitches Immigration In Florida (With Reaction)”
I have to admit you are right David, but Americans need something to bring them together, something in common. We once had the Pledge of Allegiance, The Lord’s Prayer and the English language. America was founded on Christian values.
They took my freedom and rights away so that they could give them to others.
To say the Nation is a better place would be incorrect. Look at where we are.
One fact is certain, economicly we are headed for disaster and all that comes with it.
REGARDING:
“What makes you think they are welcome here, just because Obama wants votes?”
Because people don’t really go where they aren’t wanted. YOU may not want the Mexicans or Chinese or whoever you dislike, but SOMEBODY wants their services. They like their work ethic or whatever they are willing to pay them to do.
They may not like certain aspects of their culture, but if they are just looking for workers and they are the only ones willing to do the work for what they are willing to pay, the illegals are welcome to the employers. I’m sure the employers SHOULD pay enough to entice Americans to work for them but most Americans don’t want to go from field to field, from crop to crop, from one hard, sweaty job to another.
An interesting thing is that if they were legal citizens, they also would not be as interested in the bottom end jobs, they would shoot higher. Thus we need an unending supply of aliens to survive as we are. This is not sustainable in the long run, but then NOTHING is sustainable in the long run; changes have to be made.
Further, breaking apart the Union and the States down to little enclaves is not the solution because the various little groups would quickly be at war with each other and invaders from other places could come over to pick the bones of the former great nation.
Nah, better to keep working with this imperfect system, trying to improve it rather than fooling ourselves into thinking nothing is always better than something with flaws.
David with flaws
The more I see the more it becomes clear, China’s real power is the fact that she is a nation of a race of people. There is more common national identity, more cohesion and unity among the Chinese.
We have all these different people wanting different things, there is no general concensus and the IRS is the main commonality of the American citizen.
It is time to dissolve this Union and divide it among the different interest. The groups will then find consensus and a national identity, be able to get things done.
Economic collaspe and civil war will be an eventuality, eventually
Wow, S.C. enforces immigration law, and HLS, defunds what they are trying to enforce. Yes he really does hate those trying to do the right thing. He has got to go.
Daivd it seems that the Chinese are smarter than we are.
What makes you think they are welcome here, just because Obama wants votes?
I wonder why bleeding heart, anti nationalist liberals have not mandated immigration in China as in western Europe, Australia and the USA.
But then,none of the liberals really want to talk about the issue’s. Because 3 years and 6 months later, its still all G.W.Bush’s fault.
Do not mind being considered stupid or bigoted, supporting the Tea Party cause, I am use to the lefts rants and raves.BUT,I can do math, I know how to balance my check book,(Obama’s 5.5 trillion and growing national debt record) If that is help , then he needs to stop helping us.NOW! Obama is anti-gun, pro-abortion, pro same sex marriage, anti- immigration control, and pro wealth redistribution , So how is he helping this country,? Well truth is , he is not. Oh forgot to mention the illegal gun walking in to Mexico known as FAST & FURIOUS, and a 25 % growth in government. Oh yeah, he is a real winner alright.His help is the same as being on fire and he throws 5 gallons of gas on you.
REGARDING:
“Senor Green this matter is far more serious than you may wish to face, as I am sure you are intelligent enough to comprende.”
No comprende. No habla espanol.
So you WERE serious when you proposed adding Mexico and Central America to USA? My bad.
“I wonder why people are not trying to get to China where the jobs are? They can slip in through the Soviet frontier, through the mine fields. Do they still say Soviet?”
Nope. Soviet is the word for committee and was tied to the concept of the worker’s paradise formed by communism or socialism with committees making life or death decisions. When the people finally realized the government couldn’t protect them and the poorest in America were better off than they were, they threw out the USSR (even if the former head of the KGB is still in charge).
And as to folks not going to China or Russia instead of America:
Part of the problem, of course, is that it is possible to walk into the USA and they would have to swim or fly part of the way to go to those other places.
Another problem is that they would be unwelcome and would stand out as being phenotypically different.
A third reason deals with the fact that awful as we are told we are, we’re a better place than pretty much anywhere else on earth.
It used to amuse me when the Haitians were escaping poverty in their sorry excuse of a nation that they had to go around the people’s paradise of Cuba to get here.
David where hopeful escape to
I didn’t vote for him but I think he’s doing a good job considering he brought this country back from the brink of disaster
Senor Green this matter is far more serious than you may wish to face, as I am sure you are intellegent enough to comprende.
When I find myself contemplating America being flooded with refugees, I think about the national debt and its interest. It is comforting to know that some problems will take care of themselves.
I wonder why people are not trying to get to China where the jobs are? They can slip in through the Soviet fronteir, through the mine fields. Do they still say Soviet?
REGARDING:
“Hope you’re not stupid enough to think Romney could do any better.”
It wouldn’t necessarily be stupid to think he could do better if folks had different goals. For example if President Obama’s goal were to your left as you stood in the football stadium and your goal were the one to your right, no matter how well or poorly President Obama did toward achieving HIS goal, it would not be stupid to favor some other quarterback if the other fellow’s goal were the one to your right.
Maybe we all share all of President Obama’s goal, but if some didn’t share them, they wouldn’t be stupid for supporting someone who DID share their goals. At least he wanted to head in the favored direction.
They might just not like people who called them stupid for daring to disagree.
David knowing it’s not a game,
but metaphors sometimes work
MEDITATING UPON:
“Why not just make Mexico and central America the 51st state and let them all be citizens?”
Because war is painful, causing much death and suffering. Sometimes I think we shouldn’t have stolen all those territories from them even though I’m living in one. (Sure, we bought Florida from Spain, but we never paid for it. Further, many native peoples maintain it wasn’t Spain’s to sell. So I guess we all got ripped off on that deal.)
Also, culturally, they are very different and would be hard to assimilate.
And the extra hundred million or so new citizens might not vote either Republican or Democratic as the Good Lord intended.
David treating the suggestion
as if it were serious
People are ridiculous, Mr. President Obama doesn’t hate Americans, the way most of you sound you hate America and maybe are a little bigoted, President Obama is doing a good job with what he has to work with. Hope your not stupid enough to think Romney could do any better.
Why not just make Mexico and central America the 51st state and let them all be citizens?
He has to go but the only one we have to vote for who will do any good
can’t win, so we’re in trouble this election.
Dear Mr. President,
We do not like you.
Sincerely,
America
This is about kids that were brought here when they were children, they were born and raised American in American schools speaking english. You could deport them back to a country they dont know and a language they don’t speak. Or, legalize them and help them contribute to society by paying taxes .
I think we would gain more as a country with more tax money from these immigrants vs paying to send them home.
you think he hates american’s try being an american soldier and their family he hates the military even more. he has yet to do one thing to fix a single problem that the U.S. has. not only that he has caused more problems that its going to take the U.S. until 2020 to get back to the way we we’re before obama took office. i honestly feel sorry for the next president that had to try to fix every thing he has screwed up
Ok so you come to our country Illegally and we will let you stay. Can I steal a car and keep it. I understand the United States are still a favorable place for refuge from other countries, but why not do the paper work. Come here legally, then get a job. Yes your here already but there still should be a punishment for breaking a law and coming here without permission. I don’t care if it’s sending them back until they’re legal or you charge them a fine for it. I actually say charge a fine and put it towards national debt. Two birds one stone.
I think he is doing a great job , but sadly he doesn’t go far enough to help legalize immigrants.
He still hasnt shut down gitmo like he promised
Holder needs to get the boot
Well if he will help Holder lie or cover up the (Fast & Furious scandal) What else is he covering up? Holder has been fighting ever state he can to stop the so called (purge) of voters records. But I am sure no one wants another scandal like ACORN did in the last election. So clear the voters records.
And every day that goes by, he proves that more and more.
This muslim dictator wanna be has to go before he completely destroys America!!! I suggest all prepare for the worst if he’s re-elected, as I think there’s going to be riots or even worse….. scary….
He loves everyone……except Americans