Last night, Jon Stewart had another great segment where he tore apart the Republican arguments against doing immigration reform in the House.
At last month's State of the Union, President Obama made one priority very clear.
BARACK OBAMA (1/28/2014): So let's get immigration reform done this year. ... Let's get it done. It's time.
Oh it's time, baby. America's biological clock is ticking, baby. It's time to have an anchor baby, baby. But of course, there was one major problem — um... Republicans. (audience laughter) Namely in the House of Representatives. You know this thing will be DOA with House Republicans around.
JOHN BOEHNER (1/30/2014): This problem's been around for at least the last 15 years ... so I think it's time to deal with it.
(shocked Jon)
Just got a butt-tickle! Ladies and gentlemen, pass the nachos! I think this is going to happen! This is amazing. After decades of trying to reform what everyone acknowledges is a broken immigration system, the leaders of both parties agree that now is the right time.
2/8/2014:
DANA PERINO: All the pundits et cetera are saying this is not the right time.
ERIC BOLLING: Comprehensive immigration reform could and should happen, it just shouldn't happen right now.
Whatcha talkin' about, Bolling? For God's sakes, why not?
BRIAN KILMEADE (12/6/2013): Reality is, the President and the Democratic Party will get credit for the immigration reform, and therefore further bolster their Hispanic vote.
Well who cares who gets credit? Fine! How about we call the bill The Republican Party Presents the "Only We Love Hispanics" Act, Año Dos Mil Catorce?
(audience laughter)
That... how about we do that, and then you're fine? Does that do it?
CHUCK TODD (2/7/2014): The last thing any of the Senate Republicans who are facing primary challenges this spring want, is to open up the immigration can of worms.
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON (2/9/2014): This is something that would obviously alienate their base.
BILL KRISTOL (1/27/2014): I think it's the one thing that could actually cost Republicans the Senate.
You bastards! Yes, immigration reform might alienate some of your base, but it also might em-basen some of the aliens. (audience laughter) Republicans could win some Hispanic support, but apparently, you'd rather they continue to cater to a group of voters who, while loyal, will also be dead before you can say the word "Chipotle". (audience laughter) Well damn your cynicism, pundits. Because this isn't about politics. Marco Rubio.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, R-FL (4/18/2013): We're dealing with this issue because this is who we are. We are the most compassionate nation on Earth. We are the people that have welcomed people from all over the world for over 200 years. ... Each of us, the direct descendants of immigrants, have created here the single greatest society that man has every known.
♫ Oh united we stand,
Divided we fall.... Just the Eastern Europeans!
And if I.... Now just the political asylum seekers!
In your face, doubters!
(audience laughter)
Rubio laid out why we're doing this. And guess what? Ol' majority House leader Johnny Boehner sees your political calculation, and scoffs! Scoffs!
NEWS REPORT (2/10/2014): Republicans will not try to pass immigration reform this year.
But he said it was time. The greatest nation, 200 years, just the Eastern Europeans. What happened?
JOHN BOEHNER (2/10/2014): There's widespread doubt about whether this administration can be trusted to enforce our laws. And it's going to be difficult to move any immigration legislation until that changes.
How did we go from "this is the time to deal with this" in two weeks to "the President doesn't enforce the laws of America"? What you're saying — the President can't be trusted to enforce the laws of the land — because that's his whole job! Out of all the Constitutional articles, that's like the second one! That's right, I have a Constitution. I just read it for the articles. (audience laughter and applause)
For the Republican caucus to suggest that they will not entertain immigration reform because they don't trust this President to enforce the laws of the land is perhaps the greatest projection in the history of psychology. I give you this Republican Congress's record of enforcing enacted law.
DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST (12/13/2013): Republicans have voted 48 times to repeal Obamacare.
DAVE WEIGEL (11/2/2013): Republicans are going to keep maneuvering for ways to make the implementation of Obamacare hard.
JONATHAN KARL (7/21/2013): Republicans have spent two years blocking the nomination of Richard Cordray to run that consumer protection bureau.
CHRIS HAYES (10/21/2013): They vote to gut a major part of Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform.
JOE SCARBOROUGH (4/30/2012): The Republicans that have pushed a record number of filibusters.
NEWS REPORT (11/21/2013): Republicans continually blocked President Obama's executive and judicial nominations.
JEFFREY TOOBIN (1/31/2013): Republicans block appointments as matters of general principles.
The GOP saying they don't trust the President's ability to implement the law is like Bob Costas saying, "No, I don't want to borrow your glasses. I don't know where they've been." (audience laughter)
And the worst part of this cynical governance is that now everyone has to step into the slop with them. Instead of having a real conversation, we have to have a disingenu-off.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-NY (2/9/2014): They want to do immigration reform, but they don't trust the President to enforce the law, particularly the enforcement parts. So there's a simple solution. Let's enact the law this year, but simply not let it actually start til 2017, after President Obama's term is over.
Now this is the kind of passive-aggressive democracy our Founders intended. (audience laughter)
"Well, you know, if you don't, you know, we get together in order to form a more perfect union, but if you don't think this union is perfect.... Ehhhhhhhh. If you'd like to form your own union...?"
What say you now, John Boehner?
CHUCK TODD (2/10/2014): Speaker Boehner's office rejected the idea. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said the proposal was "entirely impractical", and would eliminate any incentive, he claims, for President Obama to enforce the laws during the remainder of his second term.
(Jon stunned into silence)
That makes no sense!! Let me see if I have this straight. We have an urgent issue, immigration in this country, that strikes at the very heart of who we are as a people that we must solve, but we can't, because the only way to keep the President enforcing our current disastrous immigration law is to talk about, but not deliver, a better one. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. (audience laughter)
Chris Christie 2016! (audience cheering and applause) Now there's a guy who knows how to clog a border. (audience laughter and applause) We'll be right back.
Video below the fold.
After sending out
well wishes to Bob Costas, Jon also looked at the
French President's visit to the U.S.
Meanwhile, Stephen hocked a way to help the
U.S. speed skating team, and sent Buddy Cole to
interview them.
He then looked at some of the reaction to Missouri football player Michael Sam
coming out of the closet.
Jon talked with journalist
Elizabeth Kolbert about the possible pending extinction event of humans, and Stephen talked with Florida gubernatorial canidate
Charlie Crist (D).