Arizona immigration law controversy hits border governors’ conference
The simmering row over Arizona’s tough-as-nails immigration law has led to a shift in venue for the U.S.-Mexico border governors’ meeting, an annual event usually characterized by unity and good will.
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, a Republican, canceled the bash she was due to host after six border governors from Mexico pulled out in protest at the desert state’s crackdown on unauthorized immigrants she inked into law in late April.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a Democrat, stepped in this week to save the meeting which is now set to take place in Santa Fe in late September — although full attendance looks doubtful in the poisoned atmosphere that lingers.
“Governor Richardson is working with other governors to craft a tight, but productive agenda that focuses on the most pressing issues in the border region,” Gilbert Gallegos, Richardson’s deputy chief of staff, told Reuters on Friday.
“Obviously, all border governors are welcome and encouraged to attend, although the governors of Arizona and Texas have said they are not interested in joining a dialogue with their border colleagues,” he added.
Arizona’s controversial new law requires state and local police to investigate the immigration status of anyone that they reasonably suspect to be in the country illegally, in the course of a lawful contact such as a traffic stop.
A majority of Americans support it, according to recent polls, although President Barack Obama’s administration is trying to overturn it, arguing that it is unlawful and will sap police resources.
Byrd demanded respect for the institution of the Senate
Senator Robert Byrd was a stickler for Senate decorum. And the Democrat from West Virginia would not tolerate any disrespect of the institution to which he was elected an unprecedented 9 times.
I remember when Bill Richardson, who was energy secretary in 2000 and under fire over security lapses at U.S. nuclear weapons labs, decided to skip a Senate hearing where he was asked to be a witness, Byrd was livid.
The following week when Richardson did show up for a Senate hearing, the Democratic senator from West Virginia delivered a scathing public scolding to the former member of Congress from his own party. (Jaws dropped at the sight of the Democratic senator telling Richardson he’d never work in this town again if Byrd could help it).
Richardson had shown a “supreme contempt of the committees of this Congress,” Byrd said, making clear that it was quite unforgivable.
“You would never again receive the support of the Senate of the United States for any office to which you might be appointed,” Byrd said. “You’ve squandered your treasure.”
And there is little doubt that if Richardson came before the Senate for confirmation again, which he didn’t, that he would have had to contend with Byrd’s ire.
During the more recent healthcare debate, Byrd would be wheeled into the Senate chamber for key votes. On Christmas Eve, he said “This is for my friend Ted Kennedy” as he cast a vote to approve President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare overhaul.
First draft: commerce conundrum
How many people does President Barack Obama have to nominate before he finally gets a Commerce Secretary? He himself doesnt seem to know — he even suggested reaching back in time and tapping Abraham Lincoln for the job.
But for live candidates, so far it’s two and counting. One close ally (Bill Richardson), one Republican who seemed — initially — willing to work with the Democratic president (Judd Gregg). At least until yesterday when he changed his mind.
That left Obama, who was visiting the land of Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois, on Thursday, to muse that the 16th president might be sitting somewhere “maybe wondering if someone might call him up and ask him to be commerce secretary.”
Failing that, who’s next? And when will Obama finally complete his cabinet?
These questions will be swirling around as the president waits for the Congress to pass a $789 billion economic stimulus package. Obama wants lawmakers to pass the bill before the end of the Presidents’ Day holiday so he can quickly sign it into law. The votes should be around noon in the House and in the early evening in the Senate.
The bill — a compromise between House and Senate versions — is expected to pass in both chambers. The big question is how many Republicans will vote for it? In the first round, no Republicans in the House voted for it while only three moderate Republican Senators voted to pass the stimulus package.
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon — here’s a warning from Khartoum, where Muslim clerics have urged Sudanese youngsters to boycott the romantic holiday, saying it’s a Western institution that could lead couples astray.
hi tc, eric has his moderate hat on again,do think it is because he is seeing his decreasing liberal mantra,”let freedom ring”become more bankrupt as the socialists take a greater strangle hold of the democratic party?chaves is an example of what socialists think of free speech.bring on the” media control bill”eric ok?
The First Draft, Monday, Jan. 5
President-elect Barack Obama woke up today in the tony Hay-Adams Hotel, across Lafayette Park from the White House.
Soon after sunrise, a black SUV was spotted carrying Obama’s younger daughter Sasha to her first day at Sidwell Friends School elementary campus in suburban Bethesda, Maryland. Older daughter Malia will go to Sidwell Friends’ middle school campus in Washington DC. The Obamas arrived in Washington late Sunday, an extra-early move so the girls could start school at the beginning of the semester. Most presidents-elect arrive on January 15. That’s when the Obama family will move into Blair House, directly across the street from the White House. The new first family moves into the executive mansion on Inauguration Day, January 20.
Top news on morning TV shows was New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s withdrawal as Obama’s chosen commerce secretary in the face of a legal inquiry. Richardson, a former Democratic presidential candidate, has denied wrongdoing in connection with the investigation of a California-based financial company that had done business with the New Mexico state government.
U.S. TV news shows offered a bit of chatter about Obama’s plan for up to $310 billion in tax cuts for businesses and the middle class as part of an economic stimulus package.
Obama goes to Capitol Hill today for discussions with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or California and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. The new Congress will be sworn in on Tuesday, launching the political year.
For workaday Washingtonians, the advent of the Obamas is more than politics. It’s a traffic story. On the first working Monday of the new year, commuters are faced with street closings and restricted access around the Hay-Adams.
the road to the top in politics is a very sordid business,the people obama has associated with in his rise from obscurity are no different to the what we can expect.reality is, to complete you have to raise contributions and that means compromise,and for donations there is always expected pay back.if we think that blago is the exception don,t be naive.some say obama was given a free past?if he had not ran with a certain crowd he would not have received the party nomination,but now we can detect a more moderate line.hopefully he has covered his back, and the people he has trusted will not whistle blow,if there has been some shady deals.
Obama mourns loss of Richardson beard
When Barack Obama unveiled a newly shorn Bill Richardson as his Commerce Secretary pick on Wednesday, Obama praised the man but pointedly criticized his grooming decisions.
“We’re deeply disappointed with the loss of the beard,” the president-elect said.
“I think it was a mistake for him to get rid of it. I thought that whole Western, rugged look was really working for him.” Obama said of the New Mexico governor.
Richardson grew the beard when he dropped out of the presidential race in March, recalling another Democrat who ditched his razor when he fell short of the presidency — 2000 candidate Al Gore.
The facial fuzz also had the added benefit of hiding the corpulent governor’s double chin.
“For some reason, maybe because it was scratchy when he kissed his wife, he was forced to get rid of it,” Obama said.
Richardson was not given a chance to explain his decision.
I am living in Arizona and have lived in New Mexico, Our two great Southwestern states will miss their excellent governors who are going to be in the President’s cabinet and stepping down prematurely. They will serve the country well.
Anne
The First Draft: Wednesday, Dec. 3
President-elect Barack Obama will continue to fill out his Team of Rivals when he names New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary at a press conference scheduled for 11:40 a.m. EST For those of you keeping score at home, that means at least three members of his administration will be former Democratic presidential candidates – Richardson, Vice President-elect Joe Biden, and Secretary of State pick Hillary Clinton. We can’t wait to see what he has in mind for Dennis Kucinich. On the Hill, lawmakers will continue to weigh U.S. automakers’ restructuring proposals ahead of hearings later this week. The heads of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, chastened from their skeptical reception last month, are driving from Detroit this time — and they’re confident they’ll get here in good shape. “Our cars don’t have car trouble,” GM president Fritz Henderson said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Chrysler officials hold a rally at a dealership in suburban New Carollton, Maryland, to build support for the bailout at 11:30 a.m. Bigwigs from Honda and Toyota are in town, too. But they’re not here to beg for cash — they’re talking about electric cars and other sustainable technologies at the Convention Center. Just how bad is this recession? We’ll know more at 2 p.m., when the Fed Releases its “Beige Book,” an antecdotal survey of economic conditions nationwide. Wall Street doesn’t need more gloomy evidence. Stocks are expected to open lower after Research in Motion, the folks who make the Blackberry, slashed their outlook and mining giant Freeport-McMoRan suspended its divident payments and slashed copper output.
REUTERS/Richard Clement (Richardson and Obama at campaign rally)
REUTERS/Fred Prouser (GM logo at LA auto show)
Democrats may need time to heal, Richardson says
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Democrats will eventually unite once the hard-fought presidential nomination battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is resolved but that process may take time, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said on Monday.
“There’s going to be a need for healing,” Richardson, a former White House hopeful who is backing Obama.
Richardson, who had served as energy secretary and ambassador to the United Nations in former President Bill Clinton’s administration, remained on the fence for several weeks before deciding to support Obama, an Illinois senator, two months ago.
After announcing his decision, he talked of a tense phone call with Hillary Clinton when he broke the news to her. James Carville, a longtime adviser to Bill Clinton, called Richardson a “Judas.”
Obama, who now holds a lead in delegates over Clinton that probably is insurmountable, was on the campaign trail with Richardson on Monday. The governor introduced the Illinois senator at a Memorial Day veterans forum in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Richardson, who is of Latino descent, is expected to provide a boost to Obama’s efforts to court Hispanic voters.
Campaigning in Puerto Rico last weekend, Obama sprinkled some Spanish phrases into his speech. Richardson said the senator’s Spanish is “passable” but the effort is appreciated by these voters.
Bill Clinton gave Richardson a leg-up to help him get where he is today. Richardson is only trying to look out for himself, people will remember that about him. His state voted for Hillary Clinton and he throws away years of Clinton’s friendship and support and goes against his own state’s popular vote. Since Richardson had been running for President, I suppose he just couldn’t take that women was ahead of him in the polls. When he came out for Obama he gave some lame excuse like Obama whispered me the question when I wasn’t paying attention and he was the only one who helped me in the debate. Richardson got alot of good experience working with the Clintons, so if he can ever be trusted again, maybe he will have a future in politics.
Richardson endorsement: just for Hispanics?
SALEM, Ore. – Conventional wisdom suggests New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama ‘s bid for the Democratic nomination matters most among Hispanic voters where, as a Hispanic himself, Richardson could have most influence.
Following that logic, the endorsement would have made more impact before Texas primary on March 5 or, even better, before Super Tuesday’s primary in California. Sen. Hillary Clinton won the big Hispanic vote in both states handily. The point was made by Clinton’s campaign strategist Mark Penn.
“You know, I think New Mexico is a state that, actually, we won,” he said. “And if Senator Obama’s campaign wanted to follow what they tell everyone, they certainly would be telling Governor Richardson to be casting his pledged delegate to us.
“But I think that, you know, perhaps the time when he could have been most effective has long since passed and — long since passed.”
But Richardson, who had been in the Democratic presidential race until dropping out in January , told a news conference that point of view was “unfortunate” and reflective of an outmoded politics of ethnic identification that he said Obama opposes.
President Bill Clinton appointed Richardson energy secretary and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and the Clintons had courted his endorsement assiduously.
Richardson called Sen. Clinton on Friday to explain why he was supporting her opponent and it was a difficult phone call.
Good morning Americans, it astonishes me to read the comments here. You should all open your eyes and see that Obama is the right candidate to lead your country. He is the only candidate so far that the rest of the World (namely, Austria, Germany, Russia, and other parts of Europe, Asia, Canada not forgetting Africa) feel is best suited to become your president. Instead of accusing him of things you think he has done in the name of press publicity, listen to his views and make a comparison with the views of Clinton and McCain (who is a joke). It will be a shame if democrats in your country decide vote for McCain. If I was an American, I could have voted for Obama. We in Africa have seen what the Bush Administration has done to the whole world. I was even more pissed off that he decided to visit Africa for a vacation not his administrative work in his last months in office. You should all see how he was able to belittle your country and the rest of the world. Open your eyes and vote for the best candidate for your country.
SB1070 does not “… make it a crime to be in the country without proper documents.” SB1070 makes it a crime to be in *Arizona* without proper documents.