Political Ruminations

Morning Quote: Barack Obama

During an interview with Rolling Stone early in October, President Obama on Mitt Romney’s extremism:

“Four weeks out from an election, you can't hide from positions that ultimately are out of sync with how the majority of Americans think. I guarantee if you talk to not just Democratic women, but a whole bunch of Republican and Independent women, they will tell you they're very capable of making their own health care decisions. If you have a chance to meet these Dream Act kids, some of whom were brought here when they were two or three or five, and are American in every sense, except for their papers – love this country, have pledged allegiance to this flag, want to contribute – then you would reject the idea that somehow they should be deported to some country where they've never been.

But those are Governor Romney's positions, and we gotta make sure that the American people understand those positions.”

Imagine that. Democratic, Republican and Independent women are capable of making their own health care choices. Too bad Republicans are such control freaks when it comes to …well, everything. But especially women. Vote for them at your own peril.

Morning Quote: Marco Rubio

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl) to ABC’s David Muir upon learning of President Obama’s immigration policy shift:

“The White House never called us about this no one reached out to us and told us this was on its way. And, I mean, if they were serious about a real solution to this problem and not politicizing it then why don’t you reach out to people?We’re trying to work out a real solution.”

As if. As if President Obama has any reason to confer with a person who is not only trying to defeat him, but is a member of the political party which has consistently blocked the Dream Act, consistently blocked immigration reform.

Morning Quote: Barack Obama

President Obama on the DREAM Act, at a White House Cinco de Mayo celebration on Thursday:

“It is long past the time that we unleash the promise of all our young people and make the DREAM Act a reality. ”

President Obama continued to talk about immigration reform for several minutes. Watch:

All of Mitt Romney’s Flip-Flops: Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

FLIP: Romney was to the left of McCain on amnesty for illegal immigrants, and he spoke out for granting citizenship to all illegal immigrants that were then residing in the U.S. in an interview with the Boston Globe in 2005:

“I think an amnesty program is what, which is all the illegal immigrants who are here now citizens, and a walk up and get your citizenship. What the president has proposed, and what Senator McCain and Cornyn have proposed, are quite different than that. They require people signing up for a well, registering and receiving, if you will, a number, a registration number, then working here for six years and paying taxes, not taking benefits.”

FLOP: On CNN’s ‘The Situation Room’ in 2007, Romney said that there should be “no special pathway to citizenship”.

“[I] think I’m best off to describe my own positions. And my positions, I think I’ve just described for you – secure the border, employment verification and no special pathway to citizenship. I feel that’s the course we ought to take.”

Here’s Mitt flopping again on the amnesty issue, in a 2007 interview on Radio Iowa News:

“Illegal immigration has got to end and any form of citizenship amnesty is troublesome.”

And again, as quoted by the Midland Reporter-Telegram in 2007:

“The idea of an amnesty-type provision is something I oppose and continue to oppose.”

And in the run-up to the Iowa caucuses in January 2012, Romney said he would veto the DREAM Act which would at least provide some hope for the children of undocumented immigrants, and he commented on several of the provisions of the DREAM Act:

“For those who come here illegally, the idea of giving them in-state tuition credits or other special benefits I find to be contrary to the idea of a nation of law.”

Check back for updates to “All of Mitt Romney’s Flip-Flops”!

Morning Quote: Jill Biden on the DREAM Act

From her op-ed on the Miami Herald, Jill Biden:

For two centuries immigrants have come from across the world to help build America. The young people awaiting action on the DREAM Act are no different. For our nation, the DREAM Act means success. It means enabling a new generation of immigrants who have grown up as Americans to improve themselves and help build our country through hard work, determination and patriotism. Those are American values they already possess.

Illegal Immigrants Serving Our Country

Did you know that approximately 35,000 of our service members are not American citizens? And that approximately 8,000 non-citizens enlist in our armed services every single year? Talk about patriotic.

Jill Biden, from her piece on the DREAM Act:

One of my favorite parts of my role as second lady is the time I spend meeting service members, military families, veterans and wounded warriors -- people who honor us with their service across this country and around the world. An astounding 35,000 of those service members today are not U.S. citizens, and about 8,000 permanent residents, who are not yet citizens, enlist every year. These service members are prepared to make the greatest sacrifice for our country and have earned the right to be called Americans.