On June 18, 2010, Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl told the audience at a North Tempe Tea Party town hall meeting that during a private, one-on-one meeting with President Obama in the Oval Office, the President told him, regarding securing the southern border with Mexico, “The problem is, . . . if we secure the border, then you all won’t have any reason to support ‘comprehensive immigration reform.’” [Audible gasps were heard throughout the audience.] Sen. Kyl continued, “In other words, they’re holding it hostage. They don’t want to secure the border unless and until it is combined with ‘comprehensive immigration reform.’”
‘Comprehensive immigration reform’ is shorthand for amnesty for illegal aliens. Obama and his party are willing to brush aside a national security issue in order to get a block of votes since they assume that most of the illegals would vote Democrat.
As Allahpundit said,
Sure, he [Obama] could fulfill his constitutional responsibility and try to enforce federal law — but what good will that do him politically? If Congress wants to see some action at the border, they need to make it worth his while. And you thought the BP deal was a “shakedown.”
You might have trouble squaring that with Obama’s Saturday address, in which he accused the GOP of placing politics above the needs of the American people.
…
After a year and a half of Obama, nothing is drearier, or has become more familiar, than his cries of obstructionism whenever the opposition has the temerity to stand with the people and resist his consistently unpopular agenda. His pretense of a desire to work with the GOP has been so thoroughly discredited by his actions that you almost wonder why he still goes through the motions. Habit, I guess. But very few people are listening.Obama will undoubtedly deny, or spin, Kyl’s account.
Smitty’s more cynical:
Taken literally, that seems a gross departure from the concept of, you know, Commander in Chief, national defense, public service, etc. And I don’t doubt that he 49% meant it. The realpolitik will be that the legislation that goes up for vote will be chock full of poison pills for the GOP to swallow. Such is the nature of non-Federal tasking polluting the Federal government.
The 51% argument is going to be that BHO was ‘just joking’. It’s all hyperbole, you see. Bait for the nuance-free right wing jerks, knee-jerks, and off-jerks.
I predict a relatively legless kerfuffle here, that, at its apex, will turn into an apology from Senator Kyl, maybe. More likely, it will help Governor Brewer further solidify the SB 1070 support.
