Gibbs Accuses Senate GOP Of Playing Politics With 14th Amendment Campaign

The Obama administration on Tuesday accused Senate Republicans of playing politics with immigration policy by calling for hearings into the long-settled issue of birthright citizenship.

Hours after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) said he favored reexamining the idea of granting the children of undocumented immigrants United States citizenship, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs accused the Kentucky Republican of posturing for the November elections.

"I don't know if that was based on 2010 or 2012," Gibbs said of McConnell's remarks. "But my hunch is it is based purely on politics."

Gibbs, ironically, was responding to McConnell's critique that the Department of Justice's lawsuit against Arizona's immigration law was conducted with an eye to winning over the Hispanic vote.

"The president and the Justice Department were concerned about the law creating a patchwork of immigration policies," Gibbs stressed. "The case we made to the court in Arizona was just that and the court ruled indeed that Arizona and other states can't and shouldn't create a patchwork of immigration laws throughout the country. It wasn't an argument based on anything other than a legal argument and honestly a legal argument that the Justice Department proved to a judge."

The press secretary didn't elaborate on his charges that recent calls for a reexamination of the 14th amendment -- if not a full-out repeal -- are politically motivated. But his comments, nevertheless, firmly establish the president's position in the increasingly hot debate.

While the Obama White House ridicules the notion of holding hearings into birthright citizenship, Republicans are already flocking towards it. In addition to McConnell, Sens. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) have all called for re-thinking the 14th amendment (to one extent or another). And as a Democratic source points out, back in April 2008, Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) introduced a bill that would have required at least one parent to be a legal resident in order for their child to be granted U.S. citizenship.

Comments

[AmericanJoe2010]

03:50 AM on 08/13/2010

We are a nation of immigrants but we being a nation of laws have a right to choose who immigrants to our country and from where. The USA allows approximately one million people to legally immigrant to our country each year from many countries. They go through the proper channels, get the proper documents, and go through the required interviews. They respect and obey our laws. Sometimes it takes them years to get the approval. They are welcome to our country with open arms.

[ZeraLee]

06:24 PM on 08/05/2010

Republicans want to change what they do not understand.

[alumtrix]

04:26 PM on 08/04/2010

because Reid, Pelosi, and Frank need someone to point at and giggle at so that they feel better about themselves.

[Domenica Iacovone]

08:15 PM on 08/04/2010

Doth projecting?

[siamao]

04:33 AM on 08/05/2010

"Doth?" Old English? What does it mean?

[Acebass]

01:40 PM on 08/04/2010

This hits home for me. I have two beautiful grandchildren. Both of them were fathered by men from South America. they are their legal father. The men at the time may have had questionable citizenship. At this time I'm not sure what the history was but I know that both of my grandchildren are citizens of this country and if they screw with them they will have me to contend with, in their face.
Now I may be jumping the gun their citizenship may not be in jeopardy however now they have been tagged with a new name, "Anchor Baby's" imagine arriving at school and some throwback from another age starts something about them being "anchor baby's".
Both of my grandchildren are well adjusted. The oldest plays the drums and is the leader of the high school drum line at only a freshman. The youngest is in science and will be a great one some day, Now as a society have driven another wedge between people who will need each other some day. I refer to our next generation. Prejudices wont die unless we kill them!
I called Senator McConnell's office and let them know my displeasure and got the old Right wing two-step. This is just the beginning MR McConnell, this will be your Waterloo...

[taquinas]

12:36 AM on 08/05/2010

Thank you for speaking up.

[Lindsay Schutz]

01:10 PM on 08/04/2010

It's nice to hear what many of us (myself included) have already been thinking come "straight out of the horse's mouth"....

[Mfusion]

01:07 PM on 08/04/2010

I'd love to hear the pro life stance on this issue.

[reveal5]

12:57 PM on 08/04/2010

Of course it is political theatre. Election year propogandizing of the Immigration Reform debate. The GOP are master manipulators of the far out crowd. They keep the folks on the fringe faked out every day of their lives.This is grandstanding for the minority of ultra conservatives represented by the tea parties. This is a tea party issue. The GOP wants to squeeze out a few more dollars from the tp crew. The GOP are actors reading from tea party cue cards. This is political vaudeville designed to cover the real Republican agenda of bankrupting Social Security, Medicare, and the middle class in order to further enrich the super elites.

[treadway123]

12:41 PM on 08/04/2010

yep, let the money roll in on this fund raiseing bait! That is all it is folks! Lets go as far as to say any U.S citizen who has a baby outside the U.S, can not claim citizenship for that baby! That kind of means that Senator John Mccain an few other anchor babys would not be citizens. I call that Fair play wouldn't u? If a baby here from immigrants is not a U.S. citizen, than a baby born in other countries by U.S citizens who would be immigrants or temperary residence of that country has a baby outside the U.S than the baby does not get U.S. Citizenship without going through legal channels like any other immigrant or temperary resident of another country.

[Bloggerrogr]

01:54 PM on 08/04/2010

treadway123;
You watched TRMS last night, I would wager. Rachel made many of those same points.
Yes, the tighty-righties have no concern except for exploiting the gullible, intelligence deficient and fear-driven for their contributions-$$$$$.
What is hilarious is that these numbskulls will buy 5 fewer lottery tickets just to send the $$$ to the organizations which will ultimately deprive them of their own Social Security benefits...
It would be laughable if it were not so tragic...
“Yes We Will – Take The Pledge today” *FWIW*

[calltoaction]

12:37 PM on 08/04/2010

now that the gay bashing is petering out for the GOP, they have moved to greener pastures of hate.

[alumtrix]

04:17 PM on 08/04/2010

Ummm, Mr. CTA, ..............................that would be browner pastors. get it? hu-hu!

[Domenica Iacovone]

08:17 PM on 08/04/2010

Let's see gay joke or black joke, which one should I wager on that you meant....

Nah I'll just double down on both.

[kevinw]

12:23 PM on 08/04/2010

This is just a fundraising gimmick. Remember the Constitutional Amendment against abortion. They cried, prayed(preyed) and yelled about that one, until they got control of the House Senate, Presidency and the Supreme Court. From then on not a word. How many times was the amendment brought to either floor during the Bush years. Never!. That is what this is about. It is a rallying cry for the old white party to get them excited about getting rid of all of those Brown people. They can probably use this to rake in millions. They can use it until they are in a position of power again. It does make you wonder how stupid does the Christian right have to be to not realize that the GOP was just playing them for campaign contributions and never had any intention to actually push the amendment. Well the GOP is trying it again, I guess we will see.

[BMcCue7]

12:37 PM on 08/04/2010

I predict that the Republican voters will fall for it again.

They ALWAYS do. Have you read Thomas Frank's "What's The Matter With Kansas?" He does a good job of explaining this little tactic of theirs.

[alumtrix]

04:21 PM on 08/04/2010

One thing you have to admit is that at least the topic has substance. You can disagree with it all day long but it's a topic/issue that is worthy of at least a conversation.

But when you were sending in your $5.00 and $10.00 pledges to Obama's presidential campaign under the guise of "HOPE AND CHANGE" , you probably felt pretty damned good about yourself, didn't you?

[Domenica Iacovone]

08:09 PM on 08/04/2010

You're under the impression we went with the bumper sticker mentality of the right?

Sorry. We don't do our thinking from marketing ploys, just basic common sense and critical thinking.

[Dangerous Dan]

11:13 AM on 08/04/2010

So the Constitution is a living document
unless someone wants to pursue the legal means of changing it by
putting the question before the people, before the states, and
having a super majority vote, by state, to amend or repeal an amendment!

[kevinw]

12:25 PM on 08/04/2010

Yeah, just like they did all of that fundraising on the Constitutional amendment against abortion. They had the House, Senate, Presidency(Bush) and the Supreme Court. They raised a heck of a lot of money off that. Somehow never got around to starting the process. Nice scam.

[BMcCue7]

12:35 PM on 08/04/2010

I noticed that too.

For all those years that they had control over all three branches of government, they could have done all kinds of things that might've pleased the social conservatives.

They could have brought back prayer in the public schools. They could have made it legal to display the Ten Commandments in all public buildings. They could have passed laws against homosexuality, and yes, they could have passed an Amendment against abortion.

But they didn't do ANY of that. Instead, they made the rich richer and started a couple of wars.

This immigration issue is no different. Why in the world would Republicans actually want to solve the issue? The red meat is too useful as a political tool.

[BocaMom]

11:02 AM on 08/04/2010

The B.S. level has reached a new high. Gibbs who constantly plays politics about every policy and every excuse is throwing stones??? Too funny!

[Domenica Iacovone]

08:11 PM on 08/04/2010

As I said before, nobody can reach the heights of politics when Ridge used his Terror Alert Color Chart.

[Mag7]

10:51 AM on 08/04/2010

So if they repeal the 14th amendment will it be retroactive to 1492? Or is there an exception clause for white, conservative men?

[Dangerous Dan]

11:24 AM on 08/04/2010

Conquistidors, go home.
Mexico for the indigenous tribes.

[calltoaction]

12:05 PM on 08/04/2010

its a salem witch hunt all over again. the GOP witch hunt will end when the fingers start to point at them.

[Greywolf Borealis]

10:41 AM on 08/04/2010

ANYONE born on United States soil IS a CITIZEN of the United Staes by birthright. PERIOD! No discussion!

[Dangerous Dan]

11:16 AM on 08/04/2010

Thank you, And the right of citizens to bear arms shall not be abridged. Period, End of discussion.

[kevinw]

12:26 PM on 08/04/2010

Right of a militia.

[SMC281]

01:20 PM on 08/04/2010

Nobody wants your precious guns. Good grief.

[Dangerous Dan]

11:22 AM on 08/04/2010

Excuse me, the termis 'infringed.'

[Domenica Iacovone]

08:13 PM on 08/04/2010

The term would be jus soli as it's stated as the framers wanted it.

[Chucky Sly]

10:01 AM on 08/04/2010

Leave it up to the geniuses in the GOP and we'll put the whole country under a big dome with a sign on the door that says, "No Ins and Outs".
Their isolationism mindstate really sucks.