Political Hotsheet
By

Mark Knoller /

CBS News/ May 5, 2010, 6:40 PM

Obama: Work Should Start on Immigration Bill This Year

AP

President Obama said at an event in the Rose Garden Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Cinco de Mayo that he wants to begin work on comprehensive immigration reform legislation this year.

The president acknowledged that the U.S. immigration system is broken and said Americans are right to be frustrated, including those in Border States.

"But the answer isn't to undermine fundamental principles that define us as a nation," he said, taking an apparent shot at the controversial immigration bill signed into law in Arizona, which critics say will result in racial profiling. "We can't start singling out people because of who they look like or how they talk or how they dress."

Added the president: "We can't turn law-abiding American citizens or law abiding immigrants into subjects of suspicion and abuse."

Mr. Obama again said he's instructed his administration to closely monitor the Arizona law.

"That's why we have to close the door on this kind of misconceived action by meeting our obligations here in Washington," he said.

"Comprehensive reform is how we're gonna solve this problem," the president added. "Of course it's gonna be tough. That's the truth. Anybody who tells you it's gonna be easy or I can wave a magic wand and make it happen hasn't been paying attention to how this town works. We need bipartisan support. But it can be done. And it needs to be done."

Obama also took note of the NBA protest of the Arizona immigration law.

"I know that a lot of you would rather be watching tonight's game: The Spurs against Los Suns from Phoenix," he said.


Mark Knoller is a CBS News White House correspondent. You can read more of his posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow him on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/markknoller.

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
98 Comments Add a Comment
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legalamericancitizen says:
MOVING TO MEXICO

Dear President Obama:

I'm planning to move my family and extended family into Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me.

We're planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico , and we'll need your help to make a few arrangements.

We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws.

I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I'm on my way over?

Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

3. Please print all Mexican Government forms in English.

4. I want my grand-kids to be taught Spanish by English-speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.

5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my grand-kids to see the American flag on one of the flag poles at their school.

7. Please plan to feed my grand-kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.

9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico , but I don't plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won't make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my housetop, put U S. flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.

13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.

14. I want to receive free food stamps.

15. Naturally, I'll expect free rent subsidies.

16. I'll need income tax credits so that although I don't pay Mexican taxes, I'll receive money from the government.

17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican Government pays $4,500.00 to help me buy a new car.

18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me free into the Mexican Social Security program so that I'll get a monthly income in retirement.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who walk over to the U.S. from Mexico . I am sure that President Calderon won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

Thank you so much for your kind help.

You're the man!!!
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magnumdr says:
If the President just followed our immagration laws we have now, there would be no need for any meetings for a new law. I dont want to see our Country over run with illegals from all over the world to.
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youcancallmeroy says:
A LIST OF PENALTIES COMPRISED BY THE DEMOCRATIC AND SOCIALIST PARTIES FOR ILLEGAL INVADERS:

1 - A JOB,
2 - A DRIVERS LICENSE,
3 - SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
4 - WELFARE,
5 - FOOD STAMPS,
6 - CREDIT CARDS,
7 - SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
8 - FREE EDUCATION,
9 - FREE HEALTH CARE,
10 - A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
11 - BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE
12 - AND THE RIGHT TO CARRY THEIR COUNTRY?S FLAG WHILE TAKING THE AMERICAN FLAG DOWN WHILE PROTESTING THAT THEY DON?T GET ENOUGH RESPECT BECAUSE THEY INVADED AMERICA.
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2Blessed2PlayGames replies:
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THATS ABOUT RIGHT. THEY GET MORE RIGHTS THEN THE AMERICANS THAT ARE IN THE US. THIS IS HOW OUR GOVERMENT WORKS. THE TOWN I LIKE IN NOW GOOD EXAMPLE OF F-UP RIGHTS. ONE OF OUR LOCAL DMV WAS SHUT DOWN. HERES WHY: A HISPANIC WORKER FOR OUR GOVERMENT WAS GIVING HER PEOPLE DRIVER LICENSE WITH ANY VERIFACTION FOR ABOUT 6MONTHS UNTIL SHE WAS ARRESSTED. THE FUNNY THING ABOUT IT WAS SHE WAS EVEN LEGGALT TO WORK IN THE US. HOW ASS BACKWARDS COULD THAT BE (GREENSBOR, NC). THEY DIDNT PUT THIS IN THE PAPER ABOUT IT. HOW DID SHE GET HER JOB????? SHAME ON PEOPLE TRING TO GET OVER!!!
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ipost7 says:
All the hate-mongers here have no real solutions, only hatred to spew out.
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lovethiscountry says:
How about this news item:

Administrators at a California high school sent five students home on Wednesday after they refused to remove their American flag T-shirts and bandannas -- garments the school officials deemed "incendiary" on Cinco de Mayo.

The five teens were sitting at a table outside Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Wednesday morning when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez asked two of them to remove their American flag bandannas, one of their parents told FoxNews.com. The boys complied, but were asked to accompany Rodriguez to the principal's office.

The five students -- Daniel Galli, Austin Carvalho, Matt Dariano, Dominic Maciel and Clayton Howard -- were then told they must turn their T-shirts inside-out or be sent home, though it would not be considered a suspension. Rodriguez told the students he did not want any fights to break out between Mexican-American students celebrating their heritage and those wearing American flags.

This is pretty scary . . . . These students have a right to wear an American Flag on their t-shirts as this is America. It doesn't make any difference what other countries holiday is being celebrated.

We have to start standing up to keep our rights!
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MindyR1965 replies:
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You can read more here from the Morgan Hill Unified School District, I think the ACLU should be involved & legal action should be taken against MHUSD despite their apology:


MHUSD Official Press Release Regarding May 5th Activities
The Morgan Hill Unified School District does not prohibit nor do we discourage wearing patriotic clothing. The incident on May 5 at Live Oak High School is extremely unfortunate. While campus safety is our primary concern and administrators made decisions yesterday in an attempt to ensure campus safety, students should not, and will not, be disciplined for wearing patriotic clothing. This matter is under investigation and appropriate action will be taken.

http://www.mhu.k12.ca.us/About-MHUSD/Breaking-News/index.html
6591Hou replies:
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But the President says "We can't start singling out people because of who they look like or how they talk or how they dress."

But in the United States someone can tell you that you're not allowed to display the American flag because it could upset people celebrating Cinco De Mayo (a battle fought between the Mexicans and the French in Mexico)......
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lovethiscountry says:
Why does the President still refer to Arizona's law as profiling? Why does the President continue to slat the truth????

No one will be stopped and asked for their ID unless they are caught doing something illegal. At which time, anyone of us would be asked for same. Everytime I have been stopped for speeding I have to show my Drivers License, Car Registration and Insurance Card and I am a 4th generation American Citizen!

Even the main stream news media keeps referring to Arizona's Law (which is the same as our Federal Law) as profiling. Seems like somebody out there is trying to keep this "fire raging".
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tsigili says:
Congress isn't capable of dealing with the issue. All they know to do, is extend amnesty to all the illegals already here, which is doing nothing.

That will also open the flood gates to millions more illegals.

Follow the lead of AZ, and do something to STOP the flow! Otherwise, you might as well propose a new name for the US......Mexico Norte!
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2Blessed2PlayGames replies:
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SOOO TRUE!! THIER IS ABOUT 4.5 MILLION ILLGELS OVER HERE NOW. I FEEL LIKE IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A CITIZEN OF US. AT LIKE IT BY HONORING OUR FLAGS NOT YOURE MEXICAN FLAGS. YOURE IN THE US NOW. THAT BETTER LIVE YOU SO WANTED.
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improana says:
It's about time....but guess what, Mr. President? You'd better think twice about how you decide on this. If the government fails to protect its citizens and its land, it is the constitutional right of the people to do it themselves. We have had ENOUGH!!
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endurorob_5 says:
alice92960 May 6, 2010 10:08 AM EDT
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36981179/ns/local_news-san_francisco_bay_area_ca/
Reply to this comment by MindyR1965 May 6, 2010 10:16 AM EDT
Wow! Outrageous! Thanking for posting this Alice, I wonder why this news was not covered on CBS or other major news sources.

(for those that haven't clicked on the above link, the news story is "Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees"



by endurorob_5 May 6, 2010 11:12 AM EDT
Un F-ing believable. If this would have been students wearing mexican flags on the 4th of july and tha same thing would have happend the ACLU, Al Sharpton and all the other liberal nuts would be coming out of the woodwork. But this is basically flying under the radar and I am very surprised the story comes from MSNBC.
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FauxNews says:
Big Business needs cheap labor, so Obama will nurture a labor force that doesn't require minimum wage or benefits.
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