I would feel pretty stupid if I was the Hispanic Caucus right now. Part of the reason they voted for ObamaCare was because Obama was going to push immigration reform. Now it looks like he is going to fob it off until after the Midterms if he even does it.
Immigration reform was an issue Obama promised Latino groups that he would take up in his first year in office. But several hard realities — a tanked economy, a crowded agenda, election-year politics and lack of political will — led to so much foot-dragging in Congress that, ultimately, Obama decided to set the issue aside.
Another reality is that if he thought his numbers were low now wait until he pushes some kind of comprehensive immigration reform. The fault-lines in that mess go really deep and Obama might join Bush at the lowest job approval ratings of all times.
What is worse is that the recession is deadly when it comes to immigration reform. The idea of illegals filling jobs that Americans don't want doesn't wash when there is 10% unemployment. The idea that some person who is not a citizen and broke the law to get into the country is taking a job from a citizen who might have been out of work for a year or more is bad news for them.
There is a deep well of resentment out there and the Dems are right for passing it off until the economy actually improves on Main Street. Calling some young guy who cant find a job a racist for wanting a job that an illegal immigrant is currently filling at a black market wage will not be sufficient to drain that well.
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