Vulnerable Democrats who have to face the American people, as well as Republicans in this Fall’s elections, are warning Obama to go slow when it comes to taking executive action on illegal immigration.
“This is an issue that I believe should be addressed legislatively and not through executive order,” said Sen. Kay Hagan. The North Carolina Democrat is just one of an increasing number of Democrats worried about defending their party and president’s views on immigration in November. She’s also seen as key in the GOP’s efforts to take control of the Senate.
Arkansas Democrat Mark Pryor is another vulnerable Democrat said the current stalemate in Washington “doesn’t give the president carte blanche authority to sidestep Congress when he doesn’t get his way.” Statements like Hagan’s and Pryor’s are a far cry from the unitedf Democrat line we were hearing less than a year ago.
And they aren’t alone. Immigration activists, a key to the Democrat’s electoral machine, are concerned, as well.
A coalition of advocacy groups, in a letter to congressional Democrats on Friday, said immigrant families should not have to wait until after the November elections for relief. The organizations said any attempts by Democrats to delay or dilute administrative changes “will be viewed as a betrayal of Latino and immigrant communities with serious and lasting consequences.”
The letter was released because of advocates’ concerns that leading Senate Democrats may be shifting their positions because of political considerations after previously urging Obama to act.
From there, it gets even worse for Democrats and any hope of preventing huge GOP gains in November, let alone holding onto control of the Senate. From Alaska and New Hampshire, down to North Carolina and Arkansas ans out to Iowa and Colorado … the ongoing immigration crisis has driven the issue to the top of voter’s concerns as we head toward November and Democrats now find themselves on the wrong side of the argument.