Obama Stands By Support For Spitzer Plan

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Il, is standing by his support for granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, even after Gov. Eliot Spitzer, D-NY, abandoned the proposal amidst rising political opposition.

"Obama said in the debate he supported it and he's standing by it," an aide to the Senator told the Huffington Post. "He supported a similar bill in the state senate as a law enforcement measure."

Obama's backing stands in stark contrast to the position taken by Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, whose campaign now cites the issue as a basic policy difference between the two Democratic frontrunners.

Earlier today, Clinton applauded Spitzer's decision to take the measure off the table. "As president, I will not support driver's licenses for undocumented people and will press for comprehensive immigration reform that deals with all of the issues around illegal immigration, including border security and fixing our broken system," she said in a statement.

Spitzer's withdrawal of the hotly-contested proposal, and Clinton's subsequent support of his decision, sparked a fierce back-and-forth between the two leading Democratic presidential candidates. This afternoon, Obama's spokesman Bill Burton pressed the perception that Clinton is reluctant to take tough stances on this and other issues.

"When it takes two weeks and six different positions to answer one question on immigration," he said, "it's easy to understand why the Clinton campaign would rather plant their questions than answer them."

In a statement released late Wednesday afternoon to the Huffington Post, Clinton spokesperson Phil Singer shot back:

"It's unfortunate that the other campaigns are employing hot rhetoric, but there are basic differences between the candidates: Sen. Clinton would not give driver's licenses to undocumented people, Senator Obama would, and nobody seems to know what Senator Edwards believes on the issue."

The issue of whether to grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants was thrust into the 2008 campaign two weeks ago during the Democratic presidential debate at Drexel University. Clinton said, at the time, that she supported Spitzer's desire to provide safety and security on New York's roads but not necessarily the proposal itself. Obama said, as he does now, that he supported the measure, while Edwards said he could not support it in the absence of more comprehensive immigration reform.

Spitzer announced this morning that he was dropping the plan because he believed it stood little or no chance of being passed into law.

"I've concluded that New York state cannot conduct this program on its own," the governor said. "It does not take a stethoscope to hear the pulse of New Yorkers on this topic."

Comments

[Phrank]

As we approach Thanksgiving it would do us well to remember that the Pilgrims who we honor were ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. Their charter allowed them to colonize in Virginia--a thousand miles from Plymouth Rock. Whether this was by accident or design is a subject of dispute. But ILLEGAL they were. While we are honoring other ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, we should also remember Daniel Boone who broke British law by going over the mountains into Kentucky. Neither the first nor the last time Americans moved their families where they can make a better life and live in peace despite laws that said they shoudn't. Those xenophobes in Oklahoma should remember what Sooners did sooner than LEGALLY allowed. No, this once again an appeal to the basest beliefs to prevent the people of this country from unifying and re-establishing a government not in control of the 1% of Americans who control 60% of its wealth. It will probably work. It almpst always has. Phrank

[letsgetsmart]

In some ways this makes sense. I live in California and we have a few residents that are invisible to the system. We probably have more uninsured drivers then anyone. Getting them into the system in some way is probably a good start. I would say that most of them would seriously consider becoming legal if they could do it in a safe buerocratic way. We are not going to get rid of them any sooner then we will drugs so why fight a war over either? We do need to do something and this plus cracking down on their employers are both worth talking about. We aren't going to do anything with the borders that is effective considering the thousands of miles we have on all four sides so we need a realistic approach.

[LibsRHilarious]

Watch the Magical Obama drop like a rock in the polls.

[EspressoAtNoon]

This position by Obama (endorsing licenses for illegals) really bothers me. I really wanted Obama or Edwards to win, but I'm starting to move away from Obama towards Edwards after this. Even though I don't agree with Edwards' comprehensive immigration stance, he at least has enough sense not to give driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

This issue would kill Obama in the General Election as he's on the wrong side of this issue. Most Americans are adamently on the right side of it.

I'll at least give Obama credit for taking a position on the issue and sticking with it which still is more admirable than Hillary's constant flip flopping...

[kishaaann]

At least Obama had a position. Clinton just took a poll and found hers. Surprise!!!! Now that Spitzers Plan failed shes against it. She has no moral compass.

[akhinaten]

for all those who are now saying, that Hillary's flip flop is wise decision, were where you a day ago.... if you agree with here know you must have disagreed with here then, are you not worrier that she might turn again and leave you behind

[HumeSkeptic]

Hillary and Obama can fight all they want over this largely insignificant issue. As far as I'm concerned, both have been extremely disappointing on major issues.

Here is my ranking of Democratic candidate based on issues I consider the most important (foreign policy, healthcare, environment, education, poverty):

1. Kucinich
2. Edwards
3. Biden, Dodd
5. Richardson
6. Obama
7. Gravel
8. Clinton

[seamusnh]

You go, Obama. He is correct. The 70% of Americans that oppose drivers licences for undocumented workers are idiots. Forget the polls and public opinion, Obama. Do what is right....

[ero]

Was trying so hard to like Hillary, but watching her bail on immigrants, like Spitzer, is disgusting.

I'm for Obama, once and for all.

Will not vote for a candidate who is scared of zenophobes

Let's go, Barack!!

[BushBites]

Somebody should tell Hillary that Presidents don't issue Drivers Licenses.

States do.

[Zhonni]

THE GAME OF REVERSE THE BLAME!

I am impressed by the Clinton camp's ability to reverse blame.

1) She would not release the record she is running on, a record that must be saved by law. She has no intention of releasing her records till after the elections.

Now they want Obama to release a record that he was not mandated to keep. The official records are kept by the state-it is open to the public.

2) She voted for the KYL-LIB resolution but her camp highlighted the fact that Obama was not present. Quite frankly, Hillary would have been better off being absent. YES v. ABSENT? ABSENT wins hands down.

3) She supported then was against and supported before being against again. This is what you call a double flip-flop, but oh no, we can't talk about her flip-flop, why don't we talk about the fact that Obama stands by what he said!

He actually has a arguement to make that he supports the idea for security security reasons and get a lot of these illegals on record. The same thing happened here in TN. I heard the drivers license offices were packed for a while, but whose talking about it now?

[repubesnivel]

All you people on the Obama train, here's a little light reading:

Obama says he has no Illinois records
By MIKE BAKER and CHRISTOPHER WILLS, Associated Press Writers
Wed Nov 14, 7:12 PM ET



RALEIGH, N.C. - Barack Obama, who's been scolding Hillary Rodham Clinton for not hastening the release of records from her time as first lady, says he can't step up and produce his own records from his days in the Illinois state Senate. He says he hasn't got any.

"I don't have — I don't maintain — a file of eight years of work in the state Senate because I didn't have the resources available to maintain those kinds of records," he said at a recent campaign stop in Iowa. He said he wasn't sure where any cache of records might have gone, adding, "It could have been thrown out. I haven't been in the state Senate now for quite some time."

Obama's statement that he has no papers from his time in the Illinois statehouse — he left in 2004 — stands in stark contrast to the massive Clinton file stored at the National Archives: an estimated 78 million pages of
messages, packed into 36,000 boxes. While any file from Obama's time in the state Senate would be far smaller, the idea that no papers exist at all is questioned by one historian.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071115/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_records;_ylt=ApTEdarm5RrlDYgbDOiO3Jis0NUE

[joselopez]

DEMS DON'T BE FOOLED. CLINTON IS LEAST ELECTABLE, HOW YOU CAN THINK SHE WOULD WIN A RED STATE IS BEYOND ME.

[WintonyMay]

This issue is so sophomoric and vacuous.
1) Doesn't the 'buck', for road safety and related concerns, stop at the governor, as the chief executive of his/her State?
2) Isn't it accepted as fact that there are more than one million (and counting) undocumented, alien, residents in the Country, many of whom already are unlicensed (and, likely, uninsured) drivers?
3) What recourse do you think you would have if you were the victim of a hit-and-run, unlicensed and uninsured, undocumented, alien in New York State?
4) Isn't it true that Washington has failed to adopt an effective, comprehensive, immigration policy and enforcement that would obviate a governor's efforts to protect his/her citizens from the unfortunate effects of such drivers on the public roads?
So, in that environment, why would anyone not favor the governor's doing some reasonable thing, such as issuing such restricted drivers' licences, as Governor Spitzer was proposing, to protect all of his citizens? It is as clear as daylight that it would be disingenuous and irresponsible for anyone not to support it, keeping in mind that it will be at least 15 months before the next Administration can even begin to address the issue.
WintonyMay.

[tkk]

Obama also is refusing to disclose his papers from his two terms in the IL Senate. He says he has no papers. I'm from IL and I'm a researcher. The Illinois State Library keeps records and papers on every person who has been a legislator in that state. So, I'm not sure what he's talking about that he doesn't have papers. Anyone could look in the records of the Illinois Assembly to see his views and votes during his term.

Not too hypocritical, after blasting Hillary for not being able to rush the Clinton papers through the review at the National Archives. i think Barack Obama is bad news.