WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s speech urging passage of a bill to increase immigration quickly turned into a rally for the 2014 midterm elections, and also for Vice President Joe Biden’s potential 2016 bid.
“It’s up to Republicans in the House to decide whether reform becomes a reality or not,” he insisted, before a bank of cameras for Spanish-language TV stations that reach Latino voters.
“We’ve got the time to do it. … Keep putting the pressure on all of us to get this done,” he declared in the East Room speech.
He dismissed numerous media reports about growing GOP opposition to any immigration-related negotiations with Obama. ”The press will declare something dead, [that] ‘It’s not going to happen,’ but that can be overcome,” he said.
He quickly moved into campaign mode. “I want you to keep working, and I’m going to be right next to you to make sure we get immigration reform done,” Obama declared, while almost shouting in the same style he used during the final stages of the 2012 campaign.
In June 2012, Obama boosted his re-election campaign by unilaterally approving a mini-amnesty for younger immigrants. Today’s rally was broadcast to Latino audiences, eve as much of the media was focused a congressional hearing into the crippled rollout of Obamacare.
Throughout Obama’s rally, Biden stood beside him. The vice president’s participation may be a bid to win progressive votes during the 2016 Democratic nomination process.
To his mostly Latino audience, Obama called for passage of the Senate’s immigration bill, which would bring in one new working-age immigrant and one new guest worker for every two Americans who turn 18. Overall, the bill passed by the Senate in June would provide green cards to 33 million immigrants over the next 10 years.
Via: The Daily CallerContinue Reading.....
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