David Axelrod the senior advisor for President Obama’s reelection campaign criticized the Republican Party for highlighting the overall lack of immigration reform as a failure of one of President Obama’s promise in his 2008 campaign. The ongoing fight between the Democrats and Republicans shows how much the two are trying to win Hispanic votes leading up to the presidential election.
Axelrod said it was the GOP that would not let the immigration reform out of Congress and not Obama failing on one of his promises. The senior adviser said the president has tried to move immigration reform, as he has initiated actions a number of times. He even said he was present when the president asked a room full of both Democrats and Republicans who had been active in the past for immigration reform, if they would work with him in getting the reform done. Axelrod said none of the Republicans present would stand up and help the president get the bill passed.
Hispanic voters are not happy that Obama failed to push for immigration reform harder in the first two years of his administration, when the Democrats had large majorities in Congress. However, the Hispanic voters are even more upset with Republicans who, through their strength in Congress have thwarted numerous attempts by the Democrats to advance immigration reform.
Now, as the election approaches, the GOP know they lack the necessary Hispanic vote and are trying to obscure their role in the lack of immigration reform and place all the blame on the Obama administration. Obama really has not pressured Congress to move on immigration reform other than through a few speeches however, the GOP has not helped at all. In 2010, when a vote was taken to proceed with the Dream Act, only three Republicans joined the Democrats in supporting it.
