Obama on Immigration Reform: 'At Least Give It A Shot' - East Idaho News
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Obama on Immigration Reform: ‘At Least Give It A Shot’

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112114 PresidentObamaImmigrationLV?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1416607069729The White House(WASHINGTON) — Pitching his immigration plan directly to the American people, President Obama told a rowdy crowd on Friday that what he’s offering is a “common sense” first step as he continued to urge Congress to “pass a bill.”

“This debate deserves more than politics,” he said. “This is about who we are. Who do we want to be?”

Taking an exasperated tone, the president claimed he tried everything to work with Congress and chastised Republicans in the House for refusing to vote on the immigration reform bill that passed the Senate.

“I cajoled and I called and I met. I told [House Speaker] John Boehner, ‘I’ll wash your car. I’ll walk your dog. Whatever you need me to do, just call the bill.’ That’s how democracy is supposed to work,” he said. “At least give it a shot.”

The president chose to return to a familiar site to kick off his campaign to sell his unilateral plan to overhaul the nation’s immigration system and shield up to 5 million people from deportation.

“Tracking down, rounding up and deporting millions of people is not realistic,” he said.

Nearly two years ago, in this same gym at Del Sol High School, the president outlined his post-election promise to finally reform immigration in his second term.

On Friday, the same chants of “si se puede” (yes we can) rang out as Obama touted his move to bypass Congress and act on his own.

“I come back to Del Sol to tell you I’m not giving up. I will never give up,” he said to raucous applause.

Hispanics are a powerful voting bloc in this swing state, where undocumented immigrants make up a larger portion of the population than in any other state, according to the Pew Research Center.

While the mood inside the event here was largely positive, outside protesters chanted “worst president ever” and held signs reading “Deport Obama” and “No Amnesty.”

When the president was briefly interrupted by a protestor objecting that not enough undocumented immigrants are covered by his executive actions, Obama agreed that more needs to be done.

“Not everyone will qualify… This is the first step, not the only step,” he said. “That’s why we need Congress to pass a bill.”

The visit to Las Vegas also gives the president a chance to boost Democratic Leader Harry Reid in his home state in the wake of the bruising midterm loss for Democrats. Reid, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and several other lawmakers hitched a ride to Nevada aboard Air Force One.

Shortly after landing, the president signed the presidential memorandum privately aboard Air Force One. The largely symbolic signing was open to still cameras only.


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