President Obama is condemning Republicans for standing up for immigration laws, accusing them of being anti-American.
Youve got to recognize that Americas greatness does not come from building walls, he said at a gala for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Hes likely referring to Republican frontrunner Donald Trumps dramatic proposal to stop illegal immigration.
Obama said that while anti-immigrant sentiment was not new to politics in America, it was wrong, citing the Irish and Italians that once suffered stereotypes similar to Hispanics today. He also dismissed the suggestion that somehow immigrants in the past were all legal, and used a straw man argument to suggest that opponents of amnesty were racist.
When I hear folks talking as if somehow those kids are different from my kids, as if theyre less worthy in the eyes of God, that somehow their families are less worthy of our respect and consideration and care, as if somehow back in the day everybody had their papers in order when they came here, but now suddenly nobody has their papers in order I believe were better than that, he said.
He also cited former President George W. Bush, recognizing his push for immigration reform and lamenting the fact that Republicans blocked that reform as well.
Think how much better our economy would be if the rest of his party got the message, he said. Think about how much better off our country would be if Republican politicians hadnt spent years precisely trying to scare voters with tales of immigrants flooding across our borders and taking our jobs, and destroying America as we know it.
Poster Comment:
Is he switching to the GOP? He could be Jonah Goldberg's ideal Republican, a minority who supports open borders. The RINO's are looking for someone to bump off Trump, and Obama has a proven record when it comes to minority outreach. He can pull the Mexican vote, unlike McCain and Romney, and the cuckservatives maintain that the GOP's problem is that it does not pander enough. Cuckservatives could rally behind him!