Lindsey Graham Claims Obama Administration Will 'Crash And Burn' With Immigration Strategy

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) expressed outright pessimism about the future of immigration reform during a Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, saying that the Obama administration would "crash and burn" if it acted on plans to get legislation through Congress before the November elections.

"I would bet you everything I own that the 2007 [immigration] bill wouldn't pass this year," Graham told Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano Tuesday, according to The Hill.

"If immigration comes up this year, it will be absolutely devastating to this issue," Graham continued, adding that "[m]ost Americans think we will have lost our minds if we move forward without securing our border first."

Graham, who ground progress on a potential climate bill to a halt over the weekend after he learned of the White House's potential plans to fast-track immigration legislation, said that immigration reform might be addressed "by 2012 if we're smart and address the big elephant in the room -- the borders are not secure and there's a [drug] war going on," according to The Hill.

Napolitano, however, found the proposed completion date unacceptable.

"Congress needs to take up comprehensive immigration reform," the former Arizona governor said.

"I say this again, as someone who has walked that border, ridden it, flown it and driven it," she continued. "I believe it is as secure as it ever has been."

Comments

[Farzan]

09:15 AM on 04/30/2010

Another Waterloo? Interesting how the GOP knows just one part of the French history.

[bardgal]

01:50 PM on 04/29/2010

If only they'd go after people who HIRE illegals because they want cheap labor. But then, that would be themselves, since I'll bet most have hired nannies, maids, etc, who are "independent contractors" but they're all too lazy to file an I-9 form for them.

[SAJP]

09:30 PM on 04/28/2010

Another blast of hot wind coming from Graham, who obviously shares the fantasy with Israel -- that a huge isolation fence will solve all their problems. It's like trying to stop a buffalo stampede with paper tape, needless to say absurdist; the 'circle the wagons' tactic has never worked pale face.

Real reform legislation needs to be addressed now. We have millions of legitimate Hispanic citizens who are being profiled by authorities everywhere, not just in Az., and this is not American.

Sometimes I think the GOP would be happier in either Israel or China because it seems like they continually try to make the USA over in their image -- Israel, a right-wing, paranoid, society of largely European-whites who want to wall-off reality, and China, perhaps the most absolutely, most ruthlessly capitalist nation on earth where you pay no taxes and there are no social services, let alone health care. Republican paradises, both.
.

[waynesmyer]

09:12 AM on 04/29/2010

But! as any fool can tell! Mexican don't know how to use ladders! Right??

[LeFlaneur]

05:19 PM on 04/28/2010

Evidence that blackmail works.

[Mike Callahan]

05:06 PM on 04/28/2010

Knock Knock Knocking on the closet door. Knock Knock Knocking on the closet door.

[bardgal]

01:52 PM on 04/29/2010

I love that Dylan song.....

[captivsea]

04:50 PM on 04/28/2010

Secure the borders? Just levy a few big fines on the employers who hire illegals and be done with it. The problem will clear up real quick. The dirty secret is that business likes this illegal workforce so the republican politicians have to play a game keeping the money supply happy while tricking the voting base. This provides a great opportunity for democrats to pin them in a contradiction. So far no one has pointed out that the easiest solution is to enforce the law with the companies that do the hiring.

[ponderingmuch]

02:27 AM on 04/29/2010

Your first fan?

Absolutely.

If they really want to stop illegal immigration, just as the same folks supposedly want to stop illegal prostitution, they will arrest the johns.

But they never do.

[bardgal]

01:52 PM on 04/29/2010

DING DING DING DING! We have a WINNER!

[waldopepper]

04:37 PM on 04/28/2010

"Lindsey Graham Claims Obama Administration Will 'Crash And Burn' With Immigration Strategy"

... in his dreams.

[Johnniedog]

04:57 PM on 04/28/2010

It is Graham that is already Crashing and Burning...He is being eaten by the TeaBaggers and falling in the polls of his own State. That is why he is looking for Headlines right now.

[dwedge]

04:36 PM on 04/28/2010

Crash and Burn? That's a pretty good description of a Senator who spends months working on a climate change bill and then uses the first excuse he can find to ditch after someone accuses him of being gay.

[Gatormouth]

04:36 PM on 04/28/2010

Grahm. What A dUfus. "the Obama administration would "crash and burn" if it acted on plans to get legislation through Congress before the November elections". Picture a battle cruiser going to ahead full when approaching a leaky run down tramp steamer blocking the right of way. You got the crash right, but I don't think you have got it yet who's going to be burning.

[keepitreal50]

03:39 PM on 04/28/2010

Oops. I meant the GOP

[JavaManiac]

03:21 PM on 04/28/2010

Yeah and they also said - Healthcare would be Obama's Waterloo!

These negative GOP spinmeisters are just getting the next wave of fear going!

[Gatormouth]

04:39 PM on 04/28/2010

It was! Wellington and Blucher had a great day!

[VoodooDoll]

02:57 PM on 04/28/2010

His hormones seem to be fluctuating-----

[bilo rile me]

01:57 PM on 04/28/2010

This does say something about Sen. Graham's approach and commitment to any legislation where he may be an author, ie, the climate bill. How can a person just walk away from his job and convince anyone that he is committed to his work? What was he doing there? Just saying 'NO' to parts of it? So, rather than complete his work on the climate bill, he shuts it down, and uses it as leverage. Racism looks as powerful as greed. People on Wall St. use leverage a lot...

[Tim303]

01:49 PM on 04/28/2010

"This teevee is broken!" yelled the guy with the axe.

[SPacific]

01:09 PM on 04/28/2010

Louder Lindsay....Those ultra conservatives who questioned your sexual orientation last week still can't hear you.....They just might have to revisit the subject again if you fall out of line one more time....

[Tiny0628]

03:43 PM on 04/28/2010

too funny~so true.

[ChicagoSuz]

08:49 PM on 04/28/2010

Ironically, wasn't their reasoning that if he came out he wouldn't be subject to blackmail?