Blog For Arizona

Three Sonorans Might Actually Have a Point Here

By Tom Prezelski
Re-posted from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

So, anyway, last week, David “Three Sonorans” Morales posted this on his Facebook page:

At first, I saw this and wanted to respond by pointing out that David’s memory seems to be too short for him to recall the Democratic opposition to SB1070 and HB2281. But then, I realized that, though his comments about Democrats are unfair and not based in historical fact, he may have stumbled upon an ugly truth regarding the outrage over SB1062, the latest manifestation of ugly bigotry from the legislature.

'Crazy' Carl Seel wants to return to the dark days of Russell Pearce

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Back in the dark days when disgraced and recalled former Senate President Russell Pearce was at the zenith of his anti-immigrant reign of terror, he and his good buddy Kris Kobach from the Immigration Law Reform Institute and Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) were proposing bills to deny undocumented immigrants access to health care, public education, rental properties, public services. etc. Many of these anti-immigrant measures were first beta-tested by Kris Kobach in the City of Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

Russell Pearce, who is now the First Vice Chair of the Arizona Republican Party, still has his loyal acolytes willing to carry out his anti-immigrant hysteria in the Arizona legislature.

"Crazy" Carl Seel -- you remember him, one of the sponsors of the "Birther" bills in 2011 and 2012 Arizona's Penis-Free "Birther" Bill Is Back in Action -- has filed HB 2192 (.pdf), a bill that would declare it "an unlawful use of public resources if the person uses any public resource while present in this state in violation of any [law] that has determined that the person is not lawfully present in this state..."

Rep. Seel is the only sponsor of this bill, and his bill has not yet been assigned to a committee. Arizona's business community has made it abundently clear in recent years that it does not want to revisit the dark days of Russell Pearce's reign of terror. So will the business community punish Seel for his sin?

The quest for the "perfect message" and why it can stifle progressives

Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

There was a lot of hand-wringing among progressives/secular types before, during, and after “Science Guy” Bill Nye’s debate with Creation Museum founder Ken Ham on Tuesday night, which was held at the aforementioned “museum” in Kentucky. There is certainly a good argument for avoiding such debates entirely, as Richard Dawkins does. Eschewing them is probably a wise general rule for proponents of evolution since the debate format gives undeserved credibility to evidence-free assertions like Creationism. Also, debates are too often focused on performance over substance and “winners” and “losers”. For example, Mitt Romney “won” his first Presidential debate by boldly lying about his positions and catching President Obama off-guard. But, having watched it, I’m glad that Nye took the risk with this particular debate.

Let's be Clear: House Tea-Publicans killed immigration reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The AP headline in the The Arizona Republic and Arizona Daily Star this morning makes it clear: House conservatives rule out immigration this year:

Conservative Republicans on Wednesday ruled out any immigration legislation in the House this year, insisting that the GOP should wait until next year when the party might also control the Senate.

House GOP leaders unveiled their broad immigration principles last week that gave hope to advocates and the Obama administration that the first changes in the nation’s laws in three decades might happen in the coming months.

Immigration legislation is one of the top priorities for Obama’s second term.

But several of the conservatives were adamant that the House should do nothing on the issue this year, a midterm election year when the GOP is angling to gain six seats in the Senate and seize majority control. Democrats currently have a 55-45 advantage but are defending more seats, including ones in Republican-leaning states.

“I think it’s a mistake for us to have an internal battle in the Republican Party this year about immigration reform,” Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, told reporters at a gathering of conservatives. “I think when we take back the Senate in 2014 one of the first things we should do next year after we do certain economic issues, I think we should address the immigration issue.”

Labrador’s comments were noteworthy as he was one of eight House members working on bipartisan immigration legislation last year. He later abandoned the negotiations.

The Arizona Republic should check with Gov. Brewer on immigration reform: 'throw them out!'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic, formerly known as The Arizona Republican, the media arm of the Republican Party establishment in Arizona (namely Senator John McCain, see the pushback to the Arizona Republican Party's crazy base censure of McCain on Sunday, Arizona GOP censure riles McCain backers), published a schizophrenic editorial opinion on Sunday extolling the Tea-Publican House "principles" on immigration reform released last week. A step to the middle:

There was a national sigh of relief when the House Republicans released their principles for immigration reform last week. Their plan creates space for genuine debate that could lead to finally reforming fatally flawed immigration policies. The biggest divide is over what to do about 11 million undocumented people. The House principles are a welcome step toward the middle.

In calling for [permanent] legal residency and citizenship [only] for young people who were brought into the country illegally as children, House Republicans have recognized what the nation has long understood: You don’t punish children for the actions of their parents.

In calling for legalization for the larger undocumented population, House Republicans have moved away from the more extremist factions of their caucus who denounce anything short of deportation as “amnesty.”

They now have to find accommodation with Democrats who denounce anything short of a path to citizenship as a sellout.

The key word here is “incremental.”

Stop pissing away taxpayer money on lawsuits: Repeal the remnants of SB 1070

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona's lawless legislature does not hesitate to piss away taxpayer money on lawsuits defending their unconstitutional and unlawful extremist agenda in court. It does this all the time, and frequently loses in court. The real losers in the end are Arizona's taxpayers who have to pay the attorneys fees and court costs for these ideological extremists.

Our lawless legislature -- the Tea-Publican leadership -- currently has three lawsuits in court challenging the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC), the citizens initiative that created it, and the 2012 redistricting maps. This is a purely partisan endeavor that the Arizona GOP should be paying for out of its own deep pockets, not the taxpayers of Arizona.

The most recent example of our lawless legislature pissing away taxpayer money on lawsuits defending their unconstitutional and unlawful extremist agenda in court is the continuing litigation over the remnants of SB 1070, most of which was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, which came with a warning from the Court that it would strike down the remainder of the law when a proper case and controversy under the remaining provisions of SB 1070 reached the Court. The writing is on the wall.

This week, the legislature approved using taxpayer money to pay the court costs of Republican politicians -- some of whom are no longer in the legislature -- in response to discovery requests in the litigation over SB 1070. Lawmakers approve funds for SB 1070 defense:

Saying they were protecting the legislative process, the House and Senate voted along party lines Thursday to hire a lawyer to help them fight subpoenas over the state’s controversial 2010 immigration law.

The legislation sets aside up to $100,000 to contest a request by the American Civil Liberties Union for the personal emails and other correspondence between some current and former lawmakers and those who might have helped them craft or line up votes for SB 1070.

The House GOP's sham immigration 'prrinciples'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Last November I posted Remember in November: Weeper of the House John Boehner kills immigration reform:

Despite the GOP 2012 post-election "autopsy" declaring the policy goal that the GOP has to enact immigration reform, today the Weeper of the House effectively declared that "immigration reform ain't happenin' on my watch, no way, no how -- ever." There's a solution to this problem: elect a Democratic Congress in 2014.

This week the Tea-Publicans in the House announced a set of "principles" for immigration reform in the House. The "principles" are available online here (pdf) -- a one-pager.

It's important to note that these "principles" are not a plan for legislative action. There is no bill, nor any promise of a bill. The "principles" were negotiated entirely within the GOP Caucus between the establishment GOP wing that wants immigration reform, and the nativists and racists of the anti-immigrant wing.

Arizona and the repercussions of SB 1070

By Karl Reiner

Passed in 2010, SB 1070 was Arizona's attempt to have local police become more involved in enforcing immigration laws. Although it added a burden on the police, the law generated a great deal of publicity regarding the state of affairs along Arizona's border. It gave fearful people something to think about, taking their minds off of the devastating effects of the Great Recession. Regrettably for Arizona, most of the publicity was highly unfavorable. As the political leadership in Phoenix flaunted its idiosyncratic bizarreness, Arizona became known as a hothouse of intolerance and/or a place where elected officials were too inept to understand the difference between federal and state policing responsibilities.

Arizona's actions antagonized the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora at the same time it brought heaps of unflattering publicity upon itself. All this was occurring at a time when federal border enforcement was on the upswing, the number of illegal borders crossers was dropping and trade with Mexico was increasing. It appeared that Arizona's goal was to freeze trade, encourage tourists to stay away and push up the unemployment rate. The effort to implement SB 1070 soon ran into legal problems as large parts of the law were swiftly negated by the courts. The legal bills mounted as flinty state officials continued to push implementation. In retrospect, the spending on SB 1070 legal fees might have been put to better use supporting the investigation of child protection cases.

So does this mean that Jan Brewer is running for governor?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Accidental Governor, Jan Brewer, was on her way to becoming a footnote in history in 2010 until she embraced SB 1070 and churned up anti-immigrant hysteria to ride to victory.

As Brewer's PR guy Howie Fischer frequently reminds readers, Jan Brewer has not yet declared if she will be a candidate for governor this year (which would require a legal challenge to Arizona's term-limit provisions).

Jan Brewer is embracing SB 1070 again. So does this mean that Jan Brewer is running for governor? Howie Fischer reports, Brewer asks Supreme Court to allow expanded SB 1070 enforcement:

Gov. Jan Brewer is asking the nation’s high court to let Arizona enforce a 2010 law making it a crime to knowingly transport or harbor illegal immigrants.

Legal papers filed Monday on the governor’s behalf at the Supreme Court contend there is nothing improper about the state having its own laws aimed at controlling immigration. John Bouma, Brewer’s chief legal counsel, said the fact that there are federal laws criminalizing the same conduct does not pre-empt state action.

* * *

The law in question makes it illegal for someone to transport, conceal, harbor or shield anyone unlawfully present in this country or “encourage or induce the alien to come to or live in Arizona.”

It is part of SB 1070, a broader package of measures designed to give police more power to question and detain those they believe are in the country illegally. Several provisions already have been voided by courts, including three by the Supreme Court itself, as preempted by federal law.

Arizona needs a 'Moral Mondays' movement

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The most fascinating political development of 2013 to observe was the rise of the progressive "Moral Mondays" movement in North Carolina in response to the radicalized extremist Tea-Publican controlled state legislature.

"Moral Mondays" engages in civil disobedience protests, organized in part by local religious leaders including William Barber, head of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP. Members of the protest movement meet every Monday to protest an action by the North Carolina legislature and then enter the legislature building. Once they enter, a number are peacefully arrested each Monday.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution recently reported that a Moral Mondays organization was being established in Georgia. Your daily jolt: Moral Monday protests coming to state Capitol:

The Moral Monday protests that rocked North Carolina (and led to hundreds of arrests each Monday) last year may be coming to Georgia.

A group called Moral Monday Georgia (moralmondayga.org) has quietly begun gathering supporters and planning organizing meetings this month. They plan one of the first actions on the Jan. 13, the first Monday of the session, and the platform focuses on a call to expand Medicaid, restore funding to public schools and raising the minimum wage.

On Christmas Day, the AP reported that the "Moral Mondays" movement will spread to other Southern States (i.e., Red States). Moral Mondays to continue, spread to other states:

The Moral Monday movement to protest changes in North Carolina public policy that organizers believe are extreme and hurt the state won’t abate in 2014 and will spread to other states, its leader said.

Activists from a dozen states attended a meeting in Raleigh earlier this month to learn how to hold similar protests in their states.

Questions for Martha McSally: Still hiding in the bunker on immigration reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

A GOP candidate should understand that they are in trouble when even the GOP-friendly Arizona Capitol Times identifies you as the candidate who will not answer questions. One question dominates congressional race in southern Arizona:

So far, McSally’s campaign has mimicked her 2012 effort. The personable candidate isn’t quick to share her stance on issues beyond her own philosophical views.

* * *

McSally has remained reluctant to take solid stances on current issues, most notably dodging questions about how she would have voted on spending bills that led to the government shutdown and then a compromise bill that ended the congressional stalemate in October.

A recent Rothenberg Political Report praised McSally, who “oozes confidence about her prospects,” but also noted she “did her best to bob and weave” when asked how she’d vote on the compromise to reopen the government.

It’s not the only interview in which McSally has avoided providing a solid answer.  She told the Arizona Capitol Times it isn’t her job to Monday-morning quarterback what’s happening in Washington, D.C.

“I’m not in Congress, so I’m not running a shadow congressional staff that’s sitting there and getting all the briefings that they have the privilege of having there, and I usually don’t like to weigh in on legislation I haven’t read,” McSally said.

She said southern Arizona voters are worried about other matters.

“They’re interested in understanding my character, and my philosophy on things and how I would come to decisions that I’ll make in the future,” she said.

Political observers say the cautious campaign style may not work to McSally’s advantage, particularly in a GOP primary field where other candidates may run to the right of her.

Republican voters in Tucson want to know how McSally and others would cast votes in Congress, even if it’s a hypothetical vote.

“Otherwise, how are we going to know who to vote for?” said Carolyn Cox, chairwoman of the Pima County Republican Party. “We’ve been very disappointed in all of our candidates, especially the Democrats, for voting for a bill they’ve never even read.”

Arizona’s muddled border relations

By Karl Reiner

Despite the sour view held by some politicians in Phoenix, not everything on the Arizona-Sonora, Mexico border is dangerous. Arizona's ports of entry process about 22 million visitors a year. They travel and spend money in Arizona. Through September 2013, U.S. merchandise exports to Mexico totaled $167.4 billion. Arizona's exporters accounted for $5.2 billion. The expansion of Mariposa port of entry at Nogales, scheduled to be completed in late spring 2014, is stimulating development in the region. The work doubling the capacity of the port at Guaymas, Sonora will benefit Arizona's economy when completed in two years. Cooperation is increasing between local officials because they realize Arizona and Sonora have intersecting economic interests.

The shrewd Texans have a broader prospective. They study the effect of border wait time on trade. Along with security, the Texas legislature has an interest in international cargo and passenger traffic trends, problems and solutions. This attitude may partly explain why the volume of Texas exports to Mexico is 14 times larger than Arizona's. While approximately 400,000 undocumented migrants live in Arizona, about 1.7 million reside in Texas. The October 2013 unemployment rate stands at 8.2% in Arizona. Although Texas appears to be swamped by undocumented people, its unemployment rate is 6.2%. The correlation between the presence of illegal migrants and unemployment may be somewhat less than we have been led to believe.

Arizona Democratic Party Shows Its Progressive Side at State Committee Meeting

by Pamela Powers Hannley

Progressive voices were heard loud and clear at Saturday’s Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) State Committee Meeting in Maricopa, Arizona.

Unlike some past ADP meetingswhere progressives were ignored or where progressive resolutions were tabled and not heard by the full ADP membership, the Maricopa meeting was dominated by progressives.

During the morning caucus meetings, approximately 80 members of the progressive caucus (pictured here) met in the booming high school cafeteria to hear about legalization of marijuana, the plight of Dreamers, and a host of progressive resolutions.

In the progressive caucus, members unanimously endorsed resolutions: 1) in support of a Constitutional Amendment ending Citizens United and abolishing corporate personhood; 2) in support of passage of the Inclusive Prosperity Tax (AKA Robin Hood Tax); 3) against building the Keystone XL Pipeline; and 4) in support of allowing DREAMers to have Arizona drivers’ licenses and in-state college tuition. A resolution requiring clean elections candidates to give back extra funds passed, with some dissent. In addition, with only one dissenting vote, the Progressive Caucus voted to endorse Safer Arizona, the citizens’ initiative to legalize marijuana for personal use. [Votes from the entire State Committee after the jump.]

Remember in November: Weeper of the House John Boehner kills immigration reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The GOP has long practiced the political tactic of "decapitation" -- a strategy of taking out the other party's top leadership. Former Democratic House Speaker Tom Foley (D-WA) lost his seat in the Gingrich Revolution in the 1994 election. Former Democratic Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle lost his seat in 2004.

The Septegenarian Ninja Turtle, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is already in jeopardy of losing his seat in 2014. But no one is more deserving of losing his seat than Weeper of the House John Boehner, the "Worst. Speaker. Ever." of the "Worst. Congress. Ever." While there are rumors that the TanMan does not intend to return to Congress, Democrats should plan to go all-out with a strong candidate to make an example out of this pathetic loser of American politics.

Despite the GOP 2012 post-election "autopsy" declaring the policy goal that the GOP has to enact immigration reform, today the Weeper of the House effectively declared that "immigration reform ain't happenin' on my watch, no way, no how -- ever." There's a solution to this problem: elect a Democratic Congress in 2014. John Boehner just put immigration reform on life support:

John Boehner, at a presser just now, just said something that pushed immigration reform closer to death than anything he has said thus far:

House Speaker John Boehner says he will not allow any House-passed immigration legislation to be blended with the Senate’s sweeping reform bill, further quashing the chances of comprehensive immigration reform legislation being signed into law anytime soon.

“We have no intention of ever going to conference on the Senate bill,” Boehner told reporters Wednesday.

House GOP: Congress just doesn't have time to take up immigration reform this year

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The 112th Congress was the "less than do nothing" Congress, the least productive Congress in history. The 113th Congress is on pace to do even less than the "less than do nothing" Congress according to Pew Research earlier this year. And the 113th Congress announced it will be in session fewer days in 2014 (See, 2014 House Calendar).

Imagine my surprise (not) when House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy used a Friday news dump to announce that, "meh, Congress just doesn't have time to take up immigration reform this year." Here's an idea: less vacation days, more work, you lazy SOBs. ImmigrationVote Unlikely This Year, Lawmaker Says:

A top Republican lawmaker told protesters he met with in his home district in California this week that the House of Representatives would not have time this year to vote on any immigration measure.

Representative Kevin McCarthy, the majority whip, told demonstrators in his office in Bakersfield on Wednesday night that the 16 days remaining on the House calendar in 2013 were too short a window for the House to take up the complex issue. But he said he was committed to moving on immigration votes in the House next year. [When the House is working even fewer days.]

The comments were reported by Angelica Salas, the executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, who was one of the protesters who occupied Mr. McCarthy’s office for 10 hours on Wednesday. Mr. McCarthy came to the office to speak with the protesters after 11 o’clock that night. His office confirmed the conversation on Friday evening.

Mr. McCarthy’s comments cemented what lawmakers were already broadly assuming on Capitol Hill. But they came after a week when an array of groups who want to see a broad immigration overhaul intensified protests across the country hoping to push Republican leaders to hold a vote before the end of the year.

Mixed signals on immigration reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Washington Post reported this morning on a New immigration campaign to target House Republicans:

With a year to go until the midterm elections, immigration reform advocates hoping to jump-start debate on Capitol Hill are planning to target a handful of Republican lawmakers most likely to suffer political consequences next year if Congress fails to act on immigration reform.

A campaign set to be announced Thursday will marry the financial and political power of the AFL-CIO and SEIU labor unions with smaller grass-roots immigrant advocacy groups, including America’s Voice, PICO National Network, Mi Familia Vota and CASA in Action, to target nine House GOP lawmakers who support establishing a way for eligible immigrants to apply for U.S. citizenship.

The campaign will target Reps. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), Gary Miller (R-Calif.), Scott Tipton (R-Colo.), Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and Joe Heck (R-Nev.). They represent districts with sizable Latino voting populations where President Obama won or performed well last year. They also have publicly voiced support for revamping the nation’s immigration laws.

Organizers said the goal of the campaign is to pressure the lawmakers to match their public statements by lobbying colleagues and House Republican leaders to permit votes on a series of immigration bills introduced in recent months. If the nine lawmakers fail to convince their colleagues by the end of the year, the groups plan to devote more resources to defeating them in next year's elections and to expand their campaign.

Conservative Alliance of business leaders press Congress for immigratin reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The nativist and anti-immigrant forces of the Tea Party were hoping to slow-walk immigration reform to death in the House, but on Tuesday a group of more than 600 leaders from roughly 40 states descended on the Capitol, taking aim at House Republicans who they think could support broad legislation. Business-Conservative Alliance Presses for Immigration Action:

On Tuesday, the group of more than 600 leaders from roughly 40 states descended on the Capitol for meetings with nearly 150 Republican lawmakers. They are largely taking aim at House Republicans who they think could support a broad immigration overhaul, including some sort of legal status for the 11 million immigrants in the country illegally. The leaders are urging the lawmakers to take a more proactive role in pushing immigration legislation to a House vote.

“Our fly-in today is about moving votes on the Hill in support of reasonable immigration reform,” Randel K. Johnson, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president for immigration and labor issues, said in a conference call with reporters. “I’m confident we’re going to move the ball forward.”

The event’s sponsors include the Chamber of Commerce; FWD.us, a political action group founded by Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook; the National Immigration Forum; and the Partnership for a New American Economy, which is led by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, Rupert Murdoch and Bill Marriott Jr.

The effort kicked off in the morning with several panel discussions at the Chamber of Commerce, including one conversation in which the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit based in Washington, unveiled a new study that found a broad immigration overhaul would help the economy.

GOP support for Democratic immigration reform bill in the House

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The "Republican Savior" Marco Rubio now has so little influence that noboby much cares what he has to say anymore (outside of the conservative media entertainment complex information feedback loop). His recent attempt to kill immigration reform bills in the House is not bearing fruit -- not yet, anyway.

Two House Republicans are now on record supporting the immigration reform bill introduced by House Democrats, a version of the Senate bill that gets rid of one border security amendment disliked by House Dems and replaces it with another security measure that has House bipartisan support. Immigration reform is sort of undead:

Which is to say that immigration reform is just a bit more undead than it was yesterday.

GOP Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida today signed on to the Democratic bill, after GOP Rep. Jeff Denham did the same over the weekend. This measure is unlikely to get a vote in the House. But Dems  have not given up on the possibility that House Republicans will allow a vote on something immigration related this year.

Immigration reform held hostage by Tea-Publican egotists who want to be president

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Remember this bit of sacriligious pretentiousness from earlier this year?

Things have been on a downhill slide for Senator Marco "Big Gulp" Rubio ever since he lent his name to the Senate "Gang of Eight" immigration reform bill. He was AWOL during the recent Tea-Publican economic terrorist hostage taking of the federal debt ceiling and GOP government shutdown, which allowed Senator Joe McCarthy Ted "Calgary" Cruz to position himself as the latest darlin' of the foaming at the mouth radical Tea Party extremists whom once worshiped Rubio as their "savior."

"Big Gulp" has previously said that he no longer supports his own immigration reform bill, but now he says that he will also not support any conference committee markup of an immigration reform bill, because he needs to pander to the foaming at the mouth radical Tea Party extremists whom he needs for his narcissistic quest for the GOP presidential nomination in 2016. Rubio Throws In The Towel On Immigration:

The most prominent conservative supporter of sweeping immigration reform is calling on Congress to dial back the effort and instead focus on making incremental changes, delivering a significant blow to the prospects of reform.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) now opposes a bicameral conference committee to reach a final resolution to the Senate-passed bill, his spokesman said, arguing that the support is not there for a comprehensive overhaul and that Congress should act where there is consensus.

"The point is that at this time, the only approach that has a realistic chance of success is to focus on those aspects of reform on which there is consensus through a series of individual bills," Alex Conant, a top spokesman for Rubio, told TPM in an email. "Otherwise, this latest effort to make progress on immigration will meet the same fate as previous efforts: failure."

President Obama on immigration reform: 'Let’s see if we can get it done this year'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Today, President Obama joined leaders from business, labor, and faith communities in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

Remarks by the President on Immigration Reform (excerpts):

Today I’m here with leaders from business, from labor, from faith communities who are united around one goal -- finishing the job of fixing a broken immigration system.

This is not just an idea whose time has come; this is an idea whose time has been around for years now.  Leaders like all of you have worked together with Republicans and Democrats in this town in good faith for years to try to get this done.  And this is the moment when we should be able to finally get the job done.

* * *

We should pass immigration reform.  It’s good for our economy.  It’s good for our national security.  It’s good for our people.  And we should do it this year.

Everybody knows that our current immigration system is broken.  Across the political spectrum, people understand that.  We’ve known it for years.  It’s not smart to invite some of the brightest minds from around the world to study here and then not let them start businesses here -- we send them back to their home countries to start businesses and create jobs and invent new products someplace else. 

It’s not fair to businesses and middle-class families who play by the rules when we allow companies that are trying to undercut the rules work in the shadow economy, to hire folks at lower wages or no benefits, no overtime, so that somehow they get a competitive edge from breaking the rules.  That doesn’t make sense. 

It doesn’t make sense to have 11 million people who are in this country illegally without any incentive or any way for them to come out of the shadows, get right with the law, meet their responsibilities and permit their families then to move ahead.  It’s not smart.  It’s not fair.  It doesn’t make sense.  We have kicked this particular can down the road for too long. 

Comprehensive immigration reform the next battle in Congress

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

"President Obama, fresh off a trouncing of congressional Republicans over the government shutdown, plans to renew his push for immigration legislation in the House while also pressing ahead with climate change policies and efforts to fix problems plaguing his signature health-care program." Obama plans to renew immigration, climate change efforts.

Earlier this month, House Democrats introduced their own immigration reform bill sans the "border surge" of the Senate's "Gang of Eight" bill, with a positive reception from some Republican House members. House immigration bill — minus the surge - Politico:

The legislation released Wednesday is meant to build pressure on House Republican leaders who have so far shown little public urgency on the issue of immigration reform. And already, some GOP lawmakers — particularly those who hail from competitive districts or areas with large concentrations of Latino residents — are expressing some openness to the Democrats’ proposal.

Their plan is to take the comprehensive immigration reform legislation that passed the Senate with wide bipartisan margins in June, but without the so-called border surge amendment added in the final days of the floor debate. In its place, Democrats have inserted a bipartisan border-security bill whose chief sponsor is House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas).

[That bill, crafted by Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas), passed with unanimous bipartisan support in the House Homeland Security Committee in May. It gives the Department of Homeland Security two years to come up with a plan to apprehend at last 90 percent of individuals who cross the border illegally.]

“The biggest issue I had with the Senate bill was the border-security piece. I support the McCaul bill,” said California Rep. Jeff Denham, one of a handful of House Republicans who have voiced support for immigration reform. “It sounds very positive, but I will always wait to see what those details are.”

UPDATE: Oct 16 PDA Tucson Fall Membership Meeting Postponed until Nov 14

by Pamela Powers Hannley

October 15 Update:

Yesterday, I posted a notice about the Fall Membership Meeting of PDA Tucson. The headline speaker was to be Congressman Raul Grijalva.

The Congressman had to cancel, so the PDA meeting is being postponed until Thursday, Nov. 14. 

Here is a link to the event on Facebook. You can find updates there or on this blog. We had hoped that Grijalva canceled because he was called back to DC to vote on lifting the shutdown and the debt ceiling, but given this afternoon's headlines that vote appears to be a distant dream.

October 14 Blog Post:

With the government shutdown, historic gridlock in Congress, and multiple protests errupting, Washington DC has been a hotbed of political activity.

While some Arizona Democrats are cozying up to the Republicans, Congressman Raul Grijalva continues to be a leader of the progressive movement. Last week, he and other progressive Congressmen were arrested at a recent immigration reform protest in DC (above). He also spoke with Democracy Now about the shutdown and immigration reform.

This Wednesday, October 16, Grijalva will give a Washington update at the Fall Membership Meeting of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Tucson Chapter at the Ward 6 midtown office.  

Immigration Reform NOW: Protestors Blockade Entrance to Eloy Detention Center

by Pamela Powers Hannley

From the arrest of Congressman Raul Grijalva and other progressive representatives last week at an immigration reform rally to protesters chaining themselves to immigration detention center buses to the blockade of the Eloy Detention Center today, immigration reform advocates are turning up the pressure.

The Eloy blockade began this morning. For background information go here and for dramatic photos go here.

From the National Day Laborer Organizing Network…

Just now, protestors chained themselves in front of the Eloy Detention Center. Their action calls on the President to stop deportations and the criminalization of immigrants. Through civil disobedience they say they’re exposing the inhumane imprisonment at the center of current immigration policy and the needless warehousing of the undocumented who could benefit from reform.

Many of those inside Eloy have committed no major offense and instead are victims of Congress’ 34,000 minimum detention bed mandate and the profiling of Sheriffs like Arpaio and Border Patrol required to fulfill the arbitrary quota.

 

Grijalva, other legislators arrested at immigration rally

by David Safier

Raul Grijalva was one of nine of legislators who allowed themselves to be arrested at today's immigration rally (official name: “Camino Americano” [“American Road”]). Another was John Lewis, who said, “I’ve been arrested a few times, and I don’t mind getting arrested again for something that is right and fair and just."

Along with Grijalva and Lewis, according to Politico, Reps. Charlie Rangel of New York, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Joe Crowley of New York, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Al Green of Texas were also arrested.

Other Democrats participated in the rally, including Nancy Pelosi, Robert Menendez and Mike Honda. Four Republicans participated as well, including David Valadao of California, Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, and two others whose name I couldn't find in the article.

Thank you, Raul, for representing Southern Arizona so forcefully and so well.

National Day of Action: Arizona March for Dignity & Respect

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Let's Negotiate!

Republicans have been demanding negotiations over the government shutdown. A few minutes ago, President Obama gave in to their demand. In a private meeting with House leaders, he said:

Let's negotiate. I understand that you want to repeal Obamacare, or at least delay it for a year. Now let me tell you what I want:

National Day of Action: Arizona March for Dignity & Respect

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona's trade and border relationships

By Karl Reiner

In 2012, Arizona's merchandise exports to India totaled $80.7 million.  During the first half of 2013, they reached $64.8 million.  In August, Governor Brewer led a trade mission to India to promote exports, investments and develop relationships with an emerging trading partner.  Although not developing as rapidly as China, India is one of the world's expanding economies.  With a population of 1.2 billion, it has economic potential.

Exports also ship out of Arizona to countries closer to home.  For the first six months of 2013, the state sent $1.25 billion worth of goods to Canada.  During the same time period, Arizona's exports to Mexico (the state's largest export market) amounted to $3.46 billion. Tucson's exporters ship about $2.5 billion in exports to Mexico per year.

House GOP kills comprehensive immigration reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Completing the trifecta, or "hat trick" for hockey fans this week in the House, the GOP has killed comprehensive immigration reform. Steve Benen reports, 'It's just not gonna happen now':

Though it got less attention, there was also a bipartisan House "gang" that's been [crafting comprehensive immigration reform legislation]. In May, the House lawmakers announced they were just about done with a comprehensive bill. And then again in June, they said the House bill was very nearly complete. And then in July, the House members said their bill really, truly was poised to be unveiled.

But then, nothing. For all the periodic assurances about success, the House's "Gang of Seven" was always standing in the doorway, ready to enter, but unable to take the next step. Greg Sargent reports this morning that the bipartisan group is ready to call it quits.

In a blow to the hopes of passing immigration reform anytime soon, the bipartisan House "gang of seven" plan is probably dead, and almost certainly won't be introduced this fall as promised, a top Democrat on the "gang" acknowledges.

"It doesn't appear that we're going to move forward with the group of seven," Dem Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a key player on immigration as a member of the gang, said in an interview with me. "The process is stalled. I don't believe we're going to produce a bill anytime soon."

What seems to be the trouble? Gutierrez told Greg that the Republicans in the "gang" haven't received support from House GOP leaders, and just can't bring themselves to endorse the bipartisan proposal. "It's just not gonna happen now," the congressman added.

Trolls on Auto-Pilot

By Tom Prezelski

Re-blogged from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

Online comment sections are generally regarded as a miasma of ignorance, malice, and outright lies which makes one wonder why so many publications think it necessary to have them. They may have started as a noble experiment, but the forums quickly degenerated into a platform for socially inept malcontents whose rantings are too poorly sourced or too badly articulated to meet editorial standards. In some cases, publications like the Arizona Daily Star have made too-little-too-late moves to rein in the excesses, but editors generally seem reluctant to take responsibility for providing a respectable platform for hate speech and personal attacks.

The Tucson Weekly actually does a pretty respectable job of policing its online comment section (In the interests of full disclosure, it should be mentioned that I am a paid occasional contributor to the Weekly). In some cases the editorial staff takes the time to respond to the posts, particularly when the comments become personal. The exchanges between editor Dan Gibson and a local cosplayer who calls himself “Colt Cassidy,” for example, are sometimes interesting.

A recent article by Linda Ray generated an interesting post from the cryptically named “Ronsonit” which illustrates another problem with online comments:

Governor Brewer Proves My Point

By Tom Prezelski

Re-blogged from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

Yesterday, I wrote here about how the Martin Luther King Jr. of the public imagination has been reduced into a cuddly Care Bear to make him palatable to the picket fence crowd, enabling movement conservatives claim his legacy by forgetting nearly everything he stood for. In fairness, I was not the only one who did so, Salon’s Joan Walsh said more or less the same thing, in a beautiful case of great minds thinking alike.

It was only later that day that I read that Governor Jan Brewer had issued a call for Arizonans to ring bells in honor of the 50th anniversary of The March on Washington.

Old timers may remember that this is the same Jan Brewer who, as a State Senator, supported the  notorious Governor Evan Mecham and voted against the MLK holiday twice.

It's All Fun And Games Until One Of Your Deputies Gets His Eye Put Out

By Tom Prezelski

Re-Blogged from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

Folks who claim that our modern border militiamen are part of a proud Arizona tradition would do well to read what Captain John G. Bourke, an officer who accompanied General George R. Crook during the pursuit of Geronimo, had to say about their 19th century antecedents. Bourke characterized them as "rum-poisoned bummers" and "senseless cowards who sought to kill a few peaceable Indians and gain a little cheap notoriety." The captain went on to describe how their gun-happy amateurishness did nothing but make a bad situation on the frontier even worse.

The latest manifestation of the worst of the wild west spirit comes, of course, from Maricopa County, where a member of one such band of self-styled "militia minutemen" is in serious trouble for having pointed a rifle at a uniformed Sheriff's deputy in the desert near Gila Bend.

Sens. McCain and Flake to participate in 'A Conversation on Immigration'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake will participate in "A Converstation on Immigration" hosted by The Arizona Republic, News 12 and USA Today on Tuesday, August 27, at the Mesa Arts Center’s Piper Theater from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event live-streams at azcentral.com on Aug. 27 and will be taped for later broadcast on Channel 12. Special event: A conversation on immigration, border security:

On Tuesday, come to azcentral.com for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at immigration, border security and its impact on Arizona.

"A Converstation on Immigration" with Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake will include segments on jobs, border security, the shadow culture of immigration and its effect on the Arizona economy.

This special live event is sponsored by The Arizona Republic, 12 News, azcentral.com and USA Today.

Coverage begins at 9 a.m.; the town hall starts at 10 a.m.

To participate in or follow the discussion live on Twitter, use the hashtag #azbordertalk and visit live.azcentral.com.

Valdez: 'Let's roll House Speaker John Boehner'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic's Linda Valdez joins the discharge petition movement today. Roll Boehner for immigration reform:

It’s called the discharge petition.

Under House rules, you need a majority of the 435 members to bring a measure directly to the floor. With 200 Democrats currently in the chamber, only a few Republicans are needed.

* * *

President Obama says he’s “absolutely certain” the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform bill would pass the House if it came to the floor. Arizona Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick told The Arizona Republic editorial board this week, “It would pass.”

So let’s roll Republican House Speaker John Boehner.

If Kirkpatrick and president are wrong, and the Senate bill fails, we can start over in two years.

This might not be a complete disaster.

For one thing, the GOP will get the blame, and — as GOP Sen. Marco Rubio suggested — Obama can extend deferred deportation to the parents of the Dreamers. This will help Democrats in 2014 and anoint Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Rep. Matt Salmon on immigration reform - 'no citizenship for you!'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

At least one editor of The Arizona Republic appears to be OK with the Republican National Committee (RNC) position of "no citizenship for you!" in immigration reform. The Republic editorials have previously been supportive of the "Gang of Eight" comprehensive immigration reform bill sponsored by Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake.

Joanna Allhands, writes Does Salmon have the right immigration answer?

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the immigration reforms most likely to pass the U.S. House won’t involve a path to citizenship for adults. Too many in the GOP simply won’t go for it.

But can reform still be meaningful without that piece?

U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, one of the Republicans who remains against the path to citizenship, is pressing to grant undocumented adults a type of provisional status that they can renew every few years. It would allow them to get driver’s licenses and work here legally as long as they are employed and don’t break the law. But it would just be that: presence, not belonging.

When asked Wednesday during a meeting with The Republic‘s editorial board if such a status would create a second class of citizens, Salmon answered with a question: “Well, what are they now? … They’re not really anything.”

Offering legal presence, he said, at least moves the ball up the field.

Sens. McCain and Flake to participate in 'A Conversation on Immigration'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake will participate in "A Converstation on Immigration" hosted by The Arizona Republic, News 12 and USA Today on Tuesday, August 27, at the Mesa Arts Center’s Piper Theater from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event live-streams at azcentral.com on Aug. 27 and will be taped for later broadcast on Channel 12. Special event: A conversation on immigration, border security:

On Tuesday, come to azcentral.com for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at immigration, border security and its impact on Arizona.

"A Converstation on Immigration" with Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake will include segments on jobs, border security, the shadow culture of immigration and its effect on the Arizona economy.

This special live event is sponsored by The Arizona Republic, 12 News, azcentral.com and USA Today.

Coverage begins at 9 a.m.; the town hall starts at 10 a.m.

To participate in or follow the discussion live on Twitter, use the hashtag #azbordertalk and visit live.azcentral.com.

Arizona GOP leads anti-immigrant stance of the RNC

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The media fixated on the Republican National Committee Summer meeting in Boston last week passing a resolution barring CNN and NBC from hosting GOP presidential primary debates in 2016 because, of course, it was about the media.

What received little or no attention was another resolution passed by the RNC Summer meeting, a resolution on immigration reform authored by Arizona GOP national committeeman Bruce Ash. Zeke Miller at Time's Swampland blog noticed. Exclusive: RNC Ups Immigration Reform Pressure On Congressional GOP — But Rejects Path To Citizenship:

The Republican National Committee passed a resolution Friday calling on Congress to pass an immigration reform bill by the end of the year—but it stopped well short of the bipartisan compromise passed by the Senate earlier this year, omitting a “path to citizenship” for any class of illegal immigrant.

The resolution calls on Congress to create a special legal status for illegal immigrants brought to America as minors—or “DREAMers,” as immigration activists call them, for the eponymous bill to provide them legal status—which would include a renewable five-year work permit. They would have to provide proof of employment or enrollment to retain the status.

For illegal immigrants who came to the United States above the age of 18, under the plan advocated by the RNC they would be eligible for two-year renewable work permits, but no path to citizenship.

It also calls for the completion of a border fence and increased law enforcement patrols.

The measure puts the core of the Republican Party at odds with the Senate Gang of Eight legislation that passed with the support of a broad array of Republicans, and was spearheaded by lawmakers including Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. John McCain.

UPDATED: Monthly Progressive Roundtables Give PDA Members a ‘Seat at the Table’ (video)

by Pamela Powers Hannley

UPDATE: This article was picked up by the national publication In These Times and by the Daily Kos Progressive Blog Round-up. Check out the In These Times version for more details: Knights of the Progressive Roundtable.

Deals are made, and bills are negotiated not only in the halls of Congress but in offices and meeting rooms around DC. Since December 2012, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) has been conducting monthly, Educate Congress roundtable meetings with Congressional representatives and key staff.

With a give-and-take format, these meetings allow PDA representatives and allies to discuss proposed legislation and related progressive ideas and allow Congressional representatives and staffers to offer updates, insights, and strategies.

The Progressive Roundtables provide a forum to address a broad range of issues– from Wall Street gambling and hunger in America to voting rights, immigration, fracking, universal healthcare, the living wage, austerity, tax reform, mass incarceration, and more.

“One of the things I love about PDA is you stand up for ‘the little guy,’ and that’s what government’s all about,” Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern told the roundtable audience in July 2013. “Donald Trump doesn’t need us [Congress], but somebody who is unemployed or somebody who is working and making so little that they still qualify for SNAP [food stamps], they need us!” More roundtable details and videos after the jump.)

The man who would kill comprehensive immigration reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Steve Benen reports Key House Republican looks to kill immigration reform:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) rejected comprehensive reform in February, but left himself some wiggle room ever since.

That is, until yesterday.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) didn't breed much optimism on Monday about his plans for comprehensive immigration reform, telling a town hall crowd that the House would act, but not on a "special pathway to citizenship" that Democrats support. [...]

Goodlatte said he sympathized with young undocumented immigrants who wanted to gain legal status so they can work and attend college more easily. But he said he would not support moving forward before other border security and enforcement mechanisms were in place. He said he also opposes allowing a special pathway to citizenship for other undocumented immigrants -- such as Dreamers' parents -- that he feared may encourage more unauthorized immigration.

Militarization of the Mexican border made unauthorized immigration worse

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

I previously posted about the $30 billion dollar border security "surge" amendment by Tea-Publican Senators Bob Corker and John Hoeven in the U.S. Senate "Gang of Eight" comprehensive immigration bill. The price for GOP nativism and racism: $30+ billion wasted dollars.

Our own Senator John McCain said, "I mean this is not only sufficient, it is well over-sufficient. We'll be the most militarized border since the fall of the Berlin Wall. That's why I think this amendment was very important." Sen. McCain: US will have 'most militarized' border since Berlin Wall.

One has to question why McCain longs for a Berlin Wall in the United States, because we are all about "freedom!" Are we now the "evil empire" of the Soviet Union in McCain's fevered dreams?

Apparently our purported military "genius" -- according to the Sunday morning bobblehead shows -- is unfamiliar with the famous quotation from General George S. Patton: "Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man." The Berlin Wall is a primary example.

Last week, Ezra Klein posted about a study by Princeton University's Doug Massey, one of the nation’s preeminent immigration scholars. Everything you know about immigration is wrong:

Everything you know about immigration, particularly unauthorized immigration, is wrong.

[Massey] thinks we’ve wasted a whole lot of money on immigration policy and are about to waste a whole lot more.

The Discharge Petition Strategy for Immigration Reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Last week, the “New Democrat” coalition of centrist conservadem lawmakers sent a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner demanding that he bring an immigration bill to the House floor by the end of September. If he doesn’t, they said, they will introduce their own bill. Lawmakers Weigh Aggressive Tactic on Immigration:

That bill, or different variation on the sweeping immigration bill passed by the Senate, could become the basis for an in-your-face tactic known as a “discharge petition,” which aims to bring a piece of legislation to the floor over the wishes of the people who run the House.

“Once there is a House bill, if there is reluctance to bring it forward and allow members to vote on it, then absolutely we’ll consider a discharge petition,” said Rep. Jared Polis (D., Colo.), a co-chairman of the coalition’s immigration task force.

He said starting a petition could be an effective way to put more pressure on Republican leaders, even if Democrats can’t gather the necessary 218 signatures. The AFL-CIO is also considering support for this step, calling it a “a very viable tool to force a vote” if necessary.

But Democrats and immigration advocates are divided over whether to employ the move in hopes of pressuring House Republicans on immigration, or to continue pushing what they would like to be a bipartisan march to the finish line.

Questions for Martha McSally: What is your position on comprehensive immigration reform?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

In this new series, "Questions for Martha McSally," we pose questions to the McSally campaign about her positions on current hot topics -- I am not going to give her a free pass until after the GOP primary like our local media did in 2012.

Preface: The "Gang of Eight" in the U.S. Senate, which includes Arizona senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, crafted a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the U.S. Senate on a super-majority vote of 68-32, with 14 Republicans including Arizona's seantors voting in favor.

The "Gang of Eight" bill includes a "border surge" amendment from Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) that throws $30 billion in spending over a 10-year period at border security which would produce a financial windfall to some of America's largest aerospace, technology and security companies, and to border states. Sen. Corker conceded that his "border surge" is "almost overkill."

GOP rebranding fail on immigration: Rep. Steve King

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

House GOP leaders have embraced something called the "KIDS Act," which is basically a scaled down Republican version of the DREAM Act. It is a cynical attempt by Weeper of the House John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor to offer something to soften the political impact to the GOP if Boehner allows the radical Tea-Publicans in the House to kill comprehensive immigration reform.

Let's  be clear: the fate of comprehensive immigration reform rests squarely in Boehner's hands and whether he will allow a comprehensive immigration reform bill to go to the House floor for a vote.

Former GOP Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott tells the Philadelphia Inquirer today that he’d bring the Senate immigration bill up for a floor vote in the House, even though a majority of fellow Republicans oppose the idea. Lott says he'd allow a House immigration vote. “If you don’t have the majority of your conference that you’re leading, and you do that too much, you won’t be the leader very long,” Lott said. “As for myself, I would do it even if it meant losing my job,” he added.

The Beltway media villagers' latest man-crush: Ted 'Calgary' Cruz

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Earlier this year the Beltway media was infatuated with the village idiot Aqua Buddha, Sen. Rand Paul, over his incoherent filibuster on drones. A series of "missteps" since then, including his recent defense of his Neo-Confederate aid Jack Hunter aka the "Southern Avenger" who was forced to resign, Sen. Rand Paul defends aide with Confederate views - USA Today, has quieted speculation among the villagers over his 2016 prospects for the GOP nomination.

Next we were treated to to the Beltway media villagers declaring Sen. Marco "big gulp" Rubio the "Republican Savior." Marco Rubio, Republican Savior | TIME.com. Pravda on the Potomac, the Washington Post, wrote numerous articles and opinions praising the man-child from Florida for his role in the "Gang of Eight" in the Senate for crafting a comprehensive immigration reform bill, which he was supposed to be able to sell to his Tea Party cohorts in the House. The Senate bill was immediately declared dead on arrival in the House by said Tea Party cohorts. Oops! Sen. Rubio's 2016 presidential ambitions are now being eulogized as the "main political fatality" of the immigration reform fight. “The End of Marco Rubio.

Community Forum on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Announcment from Las Adelitas, Mi Familia Vota & SEIU. For more information please contact Anakarina Rodriguez at [email protected].

Arizona GOP all-in on 'states' rights' voter suppression

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Well isn't this special. Governor Jan Brewer, who supported the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County v. Holder, nevertheless is still smarting from that same court striking down Arizona's Prop. 200 proof of citizenship requirement to register to vote in Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona.

While it is a certainty that Governor Brewer does not support amendments to the Voting Rights Act which would reinvigorate its preclearance provisions, she does support an amendment to federal law to require proof of citizenship to register to vote for all Americans, not just Arizonans. Arizona's GOP voter suppression knows no limits. Brewer backs Salmon’s voter-ID bill:

Gov. Jan Brewer wants Congress to allow states to require citizenship documents from all prospective voters before they can cast a ballot.

Brewer sent a letter Wednesday to U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., expressing support for a bill the Mesa congressman introduced in response to a recent Supreme Court decision on the issue. The court ruled Arizona could demand proof of citizenship from would-be voters only when they register using state registration forms, not federal ones.

“The responsibility of state and local governments to protect the integrity of the voting process is essential to maintaining the democratic process and protecting the freedom and power of every citizens’ vote,” Brewer wrote. “I commend your efforts to improve federal law so that only United States citizens are voting. ... As a Governor, I particularly appreciate the respect for states’ rights inherent in this legislation.”

Jorge Ramos: 'Immigration reform is in the hands of John Boehner'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Jorge Ramos, the widely influential anchor for Univision who has been described as the “Walter Cronkite of Hispanic media,” told Greg Sargent in an interview that “Like it or not, the Hispanic media perceives that approving or rejecting immigration reform is in the hands of John Boehner. When you listen to local radio stations and even national media, most of us are concentrated on John Boehner. We don’t even have a problem pronouncing his name.” For the Hispanic media, it's all about John Boehner:

Ramos left little doubt that Boehner and fellow House Republicans will get absolutely crucified by the Hispanic media if Republicans fail to support comprehensive reform.

The views of Ramos and others in the Hispanic media are mostly overlooked inside the Beltway.

* * *

[R]ight now, Ramos says, the bulk of the coverage in Hispanic media strongly suggests it will be hard for Republicans to avoid most or all the blame if it fails.

“In the end, you just have to follow Hispanic media,” Ramos says. “The question is, who is responsible for failure? So far, the answer is Republicans.”

President Obama Spanish-language television interviews: 'En Vivo desde la Casa Blanca'

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

For the first time ever, the White House invited four local Spanish-language television anchors to participate in the “Live from the White House” series, or in this case “En Vivo desde la Casa Blanca.” President Obama sat down for interviews with the four Spanish-language television stations on Tuesday. From the White House blog, Local Spanish Language Television Reporters Attend "Live from the White House" Series:

During this full day of behind-the-scenes and special access, each reporter had the opportunity to interview President Barack Obama. “Live from the White House” is an initiative which provides reporters outside of the Beltway a unique opportunity to cover the President and the Administration.

Spanish language television anchors from Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and New Jersey/New York City were given the opportunity to broadcast Tuesday from a special location on the South Lawn and attended briefings with some of the President’s top advisers on issues that are important to their Latino audiences like healthcare and immigration reform.

Community Forum on Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Announcment from Las Adelitas, Mi Familia Vota & SEIU. For more information please contact Anakarina Rodriguez at [email protected].

Heal It Up

By Tom Prezelski

Reposted from Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

Yesterdays news is that Former Governor Janet Napolitano will be resigning as Secretary of Homeland Security to accept a a position as President of the University of California System.

I had a friendly working relationship with Janet when I was in the legislature, so it would naturally follow that I have mixed feelings about her tenure in Homeland Security. On the one hand, she made some important steps to clean up an unmanageable mess of an organization. On the other, it does not seem like enough. In her defense, however, the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments that occurred every time she made a modest move toward reasonableness was a reminder of what she was up against. Even her order to the Border Patrol to exercise a modicum of common sense and discretion by focusing their efforts on nabbing traficantes rather than chasing desperate campesinos met with resistance from rank and file agents and demagogues in Congress, and there was scant little vocal public support for such restraint to balance out the vitriol.