GOP has a choice, listen to Obama or We The People
Via The DC
President Barack Obama Friday highlighted the pain and trauma that GOP legislators would suffer for backing an immigration bill that legalizes roughly 12 million Democratic-leaning illegal immigrants.
“There are folks on the other side of the aisle who genuinely want to see this done, but they’re worried and they’re scared about the political blowback,” Obama told Democrats gathered for their closed-door strategy session in Cambridge, Md.
In recent days, GOP leaders, including House Speaker John Boenher have suggested they won’t push for passage of an immigration bill this year. That walk-back was welcomed by GOP senators hoping to gain a majority in November, but was angrily denounced by progressives and Latino lobbies.
Obama suggested that Republicans leaders stop hiding their support for a proposal that would benefit illegal immigrants. “Everybody here is an elected official and we can all appreciate the maneuverings that take place, particularly in an election year. But when it comes to immigration reform, we have to remind ourselves that there are people behind the statistics, that there are lives that are being impacted,” he said.