THE PUSH BY President Obama for comprehensive immigration reform got a boost on Tuesday when a large group descended on the Capitol to lobby Republicans on the issue.
Viewed in tactical terms, this could be seen as a stroke of genius by the president and his Democratic allies.
The GOP is riven with internal divisions on immigration. It’s well documented by the Pew Research Center, and has been widely reported.
We analyzed it this morning in
Coalition of conservatives, liberals pushes for action
Just as it splintered over the government shutdown, the Republican Party could suffer another humiliating defeat as its warring factions splinter on immigration proposals under consideration.
On Tuesday a huge group descended on the Capitol to advance the president’s agenda.
We learn the details in The New York Times online story
G.O.P. Urged to Act on Immigration by Coalition of Its Allies
Ashley Parker reports:
“On Tuesday, the group of more than 600 leaders from roughly 40 states descended on the Capitol for meetings with nearly 150 Republican lawmakers.”
The issue was brought front and center by the president in remarks Oct. 24 in the East Room at The White House.
“This is not just an idea whose time has come; this is an idea whose time has been around for years now,” Obama said. “And this is the moment when we should be able to finally get the job done.”
But in the process of moving forward, there is likely to be serious strain within the GOP. It could quite easily be a re-run of the acrimonious internecine warfare that erupted in the aftermath of the government shutdown.