Obama challenges Romney on DREAM Act
Updated at 3:13 p.m. ET
(CBS News) In a passionate speech to Latino leaders, President Obama on Friday defended his decision to stop deporting certain undocumented youth and blasted Republicans -- including leaders in Congress and Mitt Romney -- for standing in the way of immigration reform.
"In the face of a Congress that refuses to do anything on immigration... I will take action where I can," Mr. Obama said at the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) conference in Orlando.
"It's long past time we gave them a sense of hope," Mr. Obama said of the undocumented youth who can now qualify to stay in the country legally and acquire work permits.
"Your speaker from yesterday has a different vision," the president continued in reference to Romney, his presumptive general election rival.
The president noted that in his remarks to NALEO on Thursday, Romney said that when he makes a promise, he keeps it.
"He has promised to veto the DREAM Act, and we should take him at his word," Mr. Obama said. After a pause, he added, "I'm just saying."
Early in the Republican primary, Romney said he would veto the DREAM Act, which would codify into law reforms similar to those Mr. Obama enacted through the executive branch last week. In April, Romney said he would consider a scaled-back version of the bill that was floated by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.
The president noted Friday that the DREAM Act failed in Congress in 2010 largely due to a lack of Republican support, even though the measure had bipartisan support in the past. "We should've passed the DREAM Act a long time ago," he said. "The only thing that changed was politics."
In his address to NALEO yesterday, Romney said the president's latest move amounted to politics and called for long-term immigration reforms. He offered some proposals to bolster legal immigration, such as streamlining the temporary worker visa program. The GOP candidate attempted to walk a fine line between appealing to the Latino community and appealing to his Republican base, but it appeared he may have failed to please either side.
Romney did not say whether he would reverse Mr. Obama's decision to stop deporting undocumented youth but said he would eventually replace it with a long-term immigration plan.
The Obama campaign on Friday morning released a web video slamming Romney for refusing to say whether he'd reverse the policy in place. With the sound of a ticking clock playing in the background, the video documents the several times in the past week Romney dodged questions on the matter, including the multiple evasive answers he gave on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
The president today defended his record, noting the harsh economic conditions that existed when he took office. "A lot of Latino communities... already faced higher employment," he said. He added, "Of course the economy isn't where it needs to be... The question is how do we create more jobs... What vision are we going to stand up for, who are we going to fight for."
He noted that the Latinos were more likely to go without health insurance and touted the passage of his health care reform law. "That was the right thing to do," he repeated three times.
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Remember Reagan's use of executive privilege to keep then-Supreme Court nominee William Rehnquist's Justice Department memos secret, and George H.W. Bush's use of it to prevent Defense Secretary Dick Cheney from handing over documents about Pentagon cost overruns, and George W. Bush's use of it (six all told) to cover up his various scandals. Every president since Kennedy has invoked executive privilege in one form or another. George W. Bush first did it on his 334th day in office. It took Obama 1,240.
nearl451: "jgg.....never belonged to a union. Support peoples right to collectively bargain, but never had to personally."
"Nice attempt to change the topic, though."
nygurl1: "jgg - I think they are just loyal, truth-telling Americans. I can't say that for you!"
Hey "jgg000010" -- you and your ilk are just too predictable with your need to scapegoat unions in order to post hatred with off-topic posts, while making rash generalizations and false accusations!
It's very ironic that you republican misanthropes love mitt romney's vulture capitalism that offshored middle class jobs to 'Chindia' in order to maximize profits for a select few, and now wants to raise tariffs on those 'cheap imported trinkets' which will only increase costs on consumers in our consumer-based economy.
Go ahead "jgg000010" -- keep spewing your hatred and demagoguery!
How about exercising Executive Privilege to give the rest of the American people a little HOPE.!!
If you think for one minute that the rest of US citizens do not see that first; this is just a ploy to gain Latino votes, and ;second, that if this blows up in your face you can always claim it's Janet Napolitanos fault; you are sadly mistaken.
3 1/2 years of broken promises and lies cooked your goose a long tiime ago.!!
Remember Reagan's use of executive privilege to keep then-Supreme Court nominee William Rehnquist's Justice Department memos secret, and George H.W. Bush's use of it to prevent Defense Secretary Dick Cheney from handing over documents about Pentagon cost overruns, and George W. Bush's use of it (six all told) to cover up his various scandals. Every president since Kennedy has invoked executive privilege in one form or another. George W. Bush first did it on his 334th day in office. It took Obama 1,240.
Obama took action and supports the DREAM act.
Romney tells you he if for and against all tenets of an immigration plan depending on what month it is. His long term plan is to allow eough illegal imigrants access to work to mow his lawn, clean his house, cook his food, and wipe his rear end. Therein, the opportunity for advancements ends.
Nice attempt to change the topic, though.
"Why would any Latino vote for Obama?"
Simple when you look at the alternative -- wishy-washy mitt romney, that has absolutely no specifics or details on anything except the "self-deportation" of Latinos and more tax cuts for the wealthy!
Remember Mr. Romney's words: "SELF DEPORT".
Yes, Obama got the Latino vote by a 2:1 margin against mccain in 2008, and will obviously repeat that with the republican hatred and bigotry towards all minorities today.
LOL! Instead of posting any concrete SPECIFICS or DETAILS of his own "permanent" immigration reform policy, all that mannequin mitt can muster is more Obama attacks as usual.
Hey mitt -- only a lame candidate cannot offer details on his own plan!
You are a liar trying to stir people up and should be jailed for fomenting a riot!
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You challenge his "manhood"? ....In what way? ... Facts please! .... Not just vomiting words!
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leo - I'd like to see some proof of those allegations! If any of it were true I think your masters would have screamed it off the rooftops!... Not handed it to an idiot like you!