June 17, 2012

President Obama speaking in March 2011

"With respect to the notion that I could just suspend deportations through executive order, that's just not the case... because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed... Congress passes the law, the executive branch's job is to enforce and implement those laws and then the judiciary has to interpret the laws. 

There are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system ...that for me to simply, through executive order, ignore those Congressional mandates would not conform with my appropriate role as president."

TOWNHALL
Playing Latinos for Pawns
by Carol Platt Liebau
June 16, 2012

Desperately flailing in his bid for re-election, the President hopes to sway votes in the Latino community (especially in states he needs like New Mexico and Colorado) by coming up with a half-baked extralegal plan that -- depending on how one looks at it -- is either nothing at all, or else constitutes a big impediment to reaching a permanent, legislative solution on how to address the illegal immigration crisis in this country.

How is the plan nothing at all? Well, how many young people under 30 who meet all the criteria set out by the President yesterday are actually being pursued and deported? I would wager not many.

And so now, the President is willing to give them work permits. That might mean a little more if unemployment among young people weren't at historically high levels -- approximately 16% among those 25 and under.

Now, he's simply creating more competition in an already suffering cohort of the labor market . . . after having failed to demonstrate the leadership to spearhead a serious, meaningful immigration reform bill despite having had two years of an overwhelming Democrat majority in which he could have done so (and during a term in which he has broken repeated promises to do so; apparently, the pledge to get on it first thing next term wasn't enough! ). Instead, he pursued massively unpopular ObamaCare.

On the other hand, how is the plan an impediment? As this LA Times story makes clear, the President's idea came in response to pleas from Democrat senators -- who realized that Republican Marco Rubio was putting together a real legislative solution that could address the crisis. Having him do so was a political nightmare for the Democrats, who are hoping to cement the Latino vote by handing out tokens like this one while accusing the Republicans of being anti-Latino.

Thus, rather than working with Rubio to hammer out legislation that would have addressed the problem in a serious, permanent way -- and truly benefited Latinos -- the President chose instead the path that would benefit himself and his allies politically. It also helps to poison the water for any real and lasting reform, to the detriment of those who need it most.

(Of course, this analysis sets aside the President's unconscionable arrogation of power that he himself has acknowledged is not his to take -- a shameful and desperate move inimical to the long-term health of our republic and its separation of powers.)

Read more: http://bit.ly/KSvvkP

THE DAILY CALLER

McConnell Warns of Attempts by Obama, Media Matters to Silence Critics 
by Vince Coglianese

June 17, 2012

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called out the White House Friday for maintaining a long-standing relationship with Media Matters for America, despite the liberal group’s attempts at “driving [conservative] voices clear out of the public square.”

“It’s hard to imagine a more broadly-accepted proposition than the fact that Americans are free, above all else, to speak their minds openly and freely without fear of punishment or reprisal from government authorities,” McConnell said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute. “Human nature being what it is, however, I think we would all have to admit that there will always be a temptation, particularly among those in power, to muffle one’s critics.”

During the speech, entitled “Growing Threats to Our First Amendment Rights,” McConnell emphasized what he views as a continuing effort by the Obama administration and its surrogates, like Media Matters, to “muffle” free speech by exposing “critics to harassment and intimidation, either by government authorities or third party allies, and that should concern every one of us.”

“The attacks on speech are legion,” said McConnell, placing special emphasis on efforts by Democrats to turn back political speech protections afforded by the Supreme Court’s decision in the infamous Citizens United case.

“President Obama has publicly accused the Kochs of being part of a, quote, ‘corporate takeover of our democracy,’ whatever that means,” McConnell reminded his audience, referring to conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch, “and not only did his campaign publish a list of eight private citizens it regards as ‘enemies’ — an actual old school enemies list — it recently doubled down on the effort when some began to call these thuggish tactics into question.”

Read more:  http://thedc.com/LxBf4Q

Sarah Palin at the RightOnline Conference in Las Vegas