A Dream of an Act for Obama


No one ever accused a Chicago politician of not knowing how to play the electorate.  They may not have started the political machine, but they did perfect it.  In announcing an executive order allowing the children of illegal aliens to remain in this country the President has worked a timely, “end around” play to Sen. Marco Rubio’s alteration of the Dream Act. 

          Sen. Rubio’s announcement to revise the Dream Act to make it palatable to a large number of Republican legislators, primarily by removing the path to citizenship, was gaining support.  Rubio was wisely refusing to release details of the emerging legislation which would have allowed the opposition to torpedo the boat before it got out of dry-dock.  [Personally, I agree with Otto Von Bismark, “Laws are like sausages.  It is better not to see them being made.”]   So, behind the scenes, Rubio was forging a law that would actually have the much touted but seldom seen, “bi-partisan” support.  When everybody has a stake in a law’s success it is amazing what you can get done.  

          It was when Rubio’s work on the Dream Act began to take living form that the President’s reelection team decided to take over control of the Enterprise.  The order that Obama signed looks remarkably like what Rubio was working on.  It is important for Obama to maintain Hispanic support to win a second term.  If Rubio crafted a good piece of legislation the Republicans, not Obama, would have a significant hook to hang their hat on.  Since this President does not have a clue how to get his own party under control and honestly has no interest in anyone’s reelection but his own, he simply acted by executive order. 

The children of illegal aliens, brought here before they turned 16, living here at least five years, with no criminal history, and graduating from a U. S. high school, holding a GED, or having served in the military, will be immune from deportation and eligible for two year, renewable, work permits.  That’s it.  Obama’s short sighted, but politically savvy, advisors are sure this will give him credit in the Latino community for a universally popular move.  

          Yes and no.  The Democratically controlled Congress of Obama’s first two years in office could have passed this act (along with a budget!) but there was no percentage in catering to a constituency they thought they had, “in the bag.”  Instead they put all their chips on health care, sure it would win the most votes in the fall.  Whoops!

Readers of this column know that I am in favor of passage of the Dream Act (see: “The Blind Side and Obama” July 17, 2011).  I do not believe that the sins of the father should be passed down to the sixth generation.  These kids came here because they were brought here.  They are working hard, obeying the law and trying for success.  But far beyond the merits of this law, I am in favor of Republicans winning lots of seats from the top of the ticket to the bottom.  That means recognizing the importance of every constituency—including Latinos—and giving the credit for this executive order to the person and party to whom it actually belongs: Sen. Marco Rubio and the Republicans. 

The Latino vote is one that is growing, viable and has many of the same values that Republicans call there own.  We could give them a party that they could be comfortable in, but the Democrats will try to pervert our motives and usurp our efforts.

Give credit where credit is due, and keep the faith. 

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