There's no better way to show that Obama is by far the best candidate on Comprehensive Immigration Reform than to use his own words. Everything BLOKEQUOTED is in Obama's own words. The dates and location where the comments were made by Obama are included.
When Obama was asked at the February 21, 2008 CNN/Univision Debate what we should do about
Comprehensive Immigration Reform he stated:
"Number one, it is absolutely critical that we tone down the rhetoric when it comes to the immigration debate, because there has been an undertone that has been ugly. Oftentimes, it has been directed at the Hispanic community. We have seen hate crimes skyrocket in the wake of the immigration debate as it has been conducted in Washington, and that is unacceptable."
We all know the anti Undocumented debate has been filled with hate, intollerance and xenophobia, as well as anti-immigrant and anti Mexican rhetoric.
"We are a nation of laws and we are a nation of immigrants, and we can reconcile those two things. So we need comprehensive reform, and that means stronger border security. It means that we are cracking down on employers that are taking advantage of undocumented workers because they can't complain if they're not paid a minimum wage. They can't complain if they're not getting overtime. Worker safety laws are not being observed. We have to crack down on those employers, although we also have to make sure that we do it in a way that doesn't lead to people with Spanish surnames being discriminated against, so there's got to be a safeguard there."
"We have to require that undocumented workers, who are provided a pathway to citizenship, not only learn English, pay back taxes and pay a significant fine, but also that they're going to the back of the line, so that they are not getting citizenship before those who have applied legally, which raises two last points."
"Number one, it is important that we fix the legal immigration system, because right now we've got a backlog that means years for people to apply legally. And what's worse is, we keep on increasing the fees, so that if you've got a hard working immigrant family, they've got to hire a lawyer; they've got to pay thousands of dollars in fees. They just can't afford it. And it's discriminatory against people who have good character, we should want in this country, but don't have the money. So we've got to fix that.
John McCain wouldn't even support his own Kennedy/McCain Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill if it came to a vote now.
Q: If your original [immigration] proposal came to a vote on the Senate floor, would you vote for it?McCain: "It won't. It won't. That's why we went through the debate...
Q: But if it did?
McCain: "No, I would not, because we know what the situation is today. The people want the border secured first.
Watch McCain Doublespeak on YOUTUBE in his own words
When Obama was asked on Dec. 4. 2007 Democratic Debate on NPR whether or not US citizens should report known undocumented immigrants to law enforcement officials he said:
"We're not going to deputize a whole bunch of American citizens to start grabbing people or turning them in, in part because the ordinary American citizen may not know whether or not this person is illegal or not.
But, you know, the notion that we're going to criminalize priests, for example, or doctors who are providing services to individuals, and throw them in jail for doing what their calling asks them to do, which is to provide help and service to people in need, I think that is a mistake. I think that's out of America's character."
And what long term effect will those deportations have on the kids? Even the fear of having your mother, father, spouse, sibling, relatives, etc. deported must be overwhealming for millions of kids and for 10's of millions of our neighbors in the U.S. We can and must do better.
The Latino/Hispanic community knows the effects these policies have on the community, documented or not. I just hope they don't get duped into voting for McCain, or staying home. This election is the most important ever for the Latino/Hispanic community.
When Obama was asked whether or not he would allow undocumented immigrants to work in the US at the Dec. 4, 2007 Democratic Debate on NPR he said:
"No, no, no, no. I think that, if they're illegal, then they should not be able to work in this country. That is part of the principle of comprehensive reform."
"But I also want to give them a pathway so that they can earn citizenship, earn a legal status, start learning English, pay a significant fine, go to the back of the line, but they can then stay here and they can have the ability to enforce a minimum wage that they're paid, make sure the worker safety laws are available, make sure that they can join a union."
This pathway to citizenship is so important to make sure that our immigrant communities don't become second class citizens for generations to come.
When Obama was asked whether or not he would impose an "English-Only" policy, at the Dec. 4, 2007 Democratic Debate on NPR he stated:
"No. Because there are Spanish-speaking U.S. citizens who may not speak English well, and if they're seeking help, for example, on some vital health care question or a senior citizen who immigrated here a long time ago, and they're trying to get their Social Security check, I don't want them to not be able to get those services."
We are a country that supposedly values diversity; a county of immigrants. We mistreat and devalue our immigrants at our peril.
Omama took the strongest stand for the undocumented at the January 31, 2008 CNN dabate in California when he said he'll:
"Stand up for a humane and intelligent immigration policy in a way that, frankly, none of my other opponents did".
"We have to stand up for these issues when it's tough, and that's what I've done. I did it when I was in the state legislature, sponsoring the Illinois version of the DREAM Act, so that children who were brought here through no fault of their own are able to go to college, because we actually want well-educated kids in our country who are able to succeed and become part of this economy and part of the American dream."
Such a waste to ruin the future of these kids. And almost all of them will eventually become legal here. What will the human and societal cost of liniting their potential?
And on the issue of Drivers Licenses for the Undocumented at the January 31, 2008 CNN dabate in California:
"On the driver's license issue, I don't believe that we're going to have to deal with this if we have comprehensive immigration reform, because, as I said before, people don't come here to drive. They come here to work. And if we have signed up them -- if we have registered them, if they have paid a fine, if they are learning English, if they are going to the back of the line, if we fix our legal immigration system, then I believe we will not have this problem of undocumented workers in this country, because people will be able to actually go on a pathway to citizenship. That, I think, is the right approach for African-Americans; I think it's the right approach for Latinos; I think it's a right approach for white workers here in the United States."
So many of those 12 million are becoming criminalized now by driving. And every one of them who get convicted for driving without a license will be deported immediately if McCain gets his way.
When Obama was asked whether he would be meet with Cuban Leader Raul Castro at the Feb. 21, 2008 CNN/Univision Debate he stated:
"The starting point for our policy in Cuba should be the liberty of the Cuban people. And I think we recognize that that liberty has not existed throughout the Castro regime. And we now have an opportunity to potentially change the relationship between the United States and Cuba after over half a century."
"I would meet without preconditions, although Senator Clinton is right that there has to be preparation. It is very important for us to make sure that there was an agenda, and on that agenda was human rights, releasing of political prisoners, opening up the press. And that preparation might take some time. But I do think that it's important for the United States not just to talk to its friends, but also to talk to its enemies. In fact, that's where diplomacy makes the biggest difference."
Sounds like a sound policy. Balance freedom, human rights and democracy with integration and exposure to our freedom.
When Obama was asked about Border Fences at the February28, 2008 CNN/Univision Debate he stated:
"I think that the key is to consult with local communities, whether it's on the commercial interests or the environmental stakes of creating any kind of barrier. As Senator Clinton indicated, there may be areas where it makes sense to have some fencing. But for the most part, having border patrolled, surveillance, deploying effective technology, that's going to be the better approach.
"I think they recognize that the idea that you're going to deport 12 million people is ridiculous, that we're not going to be devoting all our law enforcement resources to sending people back."
"But what they do also want is some order to the process. And so we're not going to be able to do these things in isolation. We're not going to be able to deal with the 12 million people who are living in the shadows and give them a way of getting out of the shadows if we don't also deal with the problem of this constant influx of undocumented workers., And that's why I think comprehensive reform is so important."</ </p>
When Obama was asked at the February 21, 2008 CNN/Univision Debate about the DREAM ACT, the law that would allow those kids to become Documented if they arrived in the U.S before their 16th birthday, finished High School and have a clean record he said:
"Something that we can do immediately that I think is very important is to pass the Dream Act, which allows children who through no fault of their own are here but have essentially grown up as Americans, allow them the opportunity for higher education."
"I do not want two classes of citizens in this country. I want everybody to prosper. That's going to be a top priority."
Obama at the July 13, 2008 speech before the National Council of La Raza stated that:
"The system isn't working when 12 million people live in hiding, and hundreds of thousands cross our borders illegally each year; when companies hire undocumented immigrants instead of legal citizens to avoid paying overtime or to avoid a union; when communities are terrorized by ICE immigration raids – when nursing mothers are torn from their babies, when children come home from school to find their parents missing, when people are detained without access to legal counsel. When all that's happening, the system just isn't working."
And Obama on July 9, 2008 at a speech before the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) stated:
"I marched with you in the streets of Chicago to meet our immigration challenge. I fought with you in the Senate for comprehensive immigration reform. And I will make it a top priority in my first year as President -- not only because we have an obligation to secure our borders and get control of who comes in and out of our country. And not only because we have to crack down on employers who are abusing undocumented immigrants instead of hiring citizens. But because we have to finally bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows. Yes, they broke the law. And they should have to pay a fine, and learn English, and go to the back of the line. That's how we'll put them on a pathway to citizenship. That's how we'll finally fix our broken immigration system and avoid creating a servant class in our midst. It's time to reconcile our values and principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. That's what this election is all about."
And Obama on June 28, 2008 in aspeech before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) stated:
"If we are going to solve the challenges we face, you need a President who will pursue genuine solutions day in and day out. And that is my commitment to you. We need immigration reform that will secure our borders, and punish employers who exploit immigrant labor; reform that finally brings the 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows by requiring them to take steps to become legal citizens. We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. That is a priority I will pursue from my very first day."
Omama's Comprehensive Immigration Reform policies are best for our country and are long overdue.
McCain's policies try to pander to both the anti immigrants and the pro immigrant voters. He's even seriously considering Mitt Romney for his running mate, the most anti-immigration reform of all the major Republican candidates. But this time the immigrant voters and their families, friends, parishoners, neighbors, co-workers and and aquaintances will see through the doublespeak and know who's by far the better candidate.