This video is from the White House web site, and covers a Q&A on September 28, 2011. The president telegraphs today’s policy shift, while acknowledging that he cannot really do what he has done.
THE PRESIDENT: I just have to continue to say this notion that somehow I can just change the laws unilaterally is just not true. We are doing everything we can administratively. But the fact of the matter is there are laws on the books that I have to enforce. And I think there’s been a great disservice done to the cause of getting the DREAM Act passed and getting comprehensive immigration passed by perpetrating the notion that somehow, by myself, I can go and do these things. It’s just not true.
Now, what we can do is to prioritize enforcement, since there are limited enforcement resources, and say we’re not going to go chasing after this young man or anybody else who’s been acting responsibly and would otherwise qualify for legal status if the DREAM Act passed.
But we live in a democracy. You have to pass bills through the legislature, and then I can sign it. And if all the attention is focused away from the legislative process, then that is going to lead to a constant dead-end. We have to recognize how the system works, and then apply pressure to those places where votes can be gotten and, ultimately, we can get this thing solved. And nobody will be a stronger advocate for making that happen than me.
The phrase “prioritize enforcement” is the fig leaf behind which the new policy hides.
Update: And here is President Obama in 2011, explaining in another forum why he cannot change the laws all by his lonesome.
Speculation time: The president and his staff may have forgotten that these comments were out there. They have not been good at anticipating how comments by Obama and other Democrats will be used against them. So they announce today’s policy shift, thinking that he will get nothing but kudos from the media and will probably generate some usefully heated rhetoric from those of us who care about border security. Instead, he got these words of his own thrown back in his face within 15 to 20 minutes of the initial policy leak. By the time Neil Munro of the Daily Caller tried to ask him a question at today’s statement, the president had already decided not to take or answer any press questions, fearing someone would bring the comments above up and ask him for comment. So he got a bit testy.
Heh.
Mr. Preston,
You forget – everything Obama says has an expiration date. Liberals don’t know any history, especially their own. Rewriting history is not a bug for them, it’s a feature.
ahh, i see our kool kenyan has once again brought out his hitler pen. he must be desperate to allow his real intentions to show pre-election. i was sure he had sheathed it until after the election for fear of scaring independents as to his true intentions. remember, sugar won’t melt in his mouth until after nov. imho, rush is right again. truly he is running scared.
whatever error in the law that allows presidents the potential to write laws and act as tryants needs to be corrected post haste after the election. that is not a part of his function.
Given the diversity rules in place that are instantly going to coe in forve for these illegal entrants, I’m just glad the DOJ and EEOC haven’t ruled that WASPs need to get off the sidewalk when a “DREAMer” passes by.
Haven’t ruled yet, that is.
Apologies for misspellings—Given the diversity rules in place that are instantly going to come in force for these illegal entrants, I’m just glad the DOJ and EEOC haven’t ruled that WASPs need to get off the sidewalk when a “DREAMer” passes by.
Haven’t ruled yet, that is.
I think the this is unconstitutional for more than one reason. Not only is the authority that Obama has used illegitimate, but it is a “law” that targets a specific group. In America we don’t show preference to any group, and he has clearly left (if the purported numbers are correct) 19 million immigrants out in the dark for a desperate attempt to get votes!