It's important to remember the above post title when reading this:
President Obama will delay taking executive action on immigration until after the midterm elections, bowing to pressure from fellow Democrats who feared that acting now could doom his party’s chances this fall, White House officials said on Saturday.
The decision is a reversal of Mr. Obama’s vow to issue broad directives to overhaul the immigration system soon after summer’s end, and sparked swift anger from immigration advocates. The president made the promise on June 30, standing in the Rose Garden, where he angrily denounced Republican obstruction and said he would use the power of his office to protect immigrant families from the threat of deportation.
So, two things: First, Republicans have successfully politicized immigration to the point where immigration activists are now ready to destroy President Obama, and second, Senate Democrats are going to find out that there's zero advantage to stabbing the President in the back here.
Cristina Jimenez, the managing director for United We Dream, an immigration advocacy group, accused Mr. Obama of “playing politics” with the lives of immigrant families and said “the president’s latest broken promise is another slap to the face of the Latino and immigrant community.”
If Jiminez was honest, she'd be going after John Boehner for refusing to hold a vote on the Senate immigration bill that already passed. But it's easier to attack President Obama, because kicking him in the face will certainly bring about the immigration reform she wants, right?
Of course, reform isn't the issue. Fundraising and attention are. And attacking President Obama from the left is a tried and true method for getting both. I don't blame her, she knows how this game works as much as Obama does.
And no, if Senate Democrats come up to President Obama and say "We will not support your executive action and we will side with the GOP to stop you" then his hands are tied.
On the other side, Republicans voted to immediately deport every single undocumented immigrant in the US. But you're going to go after Obama.
And the GOP wins again. Great job.
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