SF Chronicle: Obama takes "big risk" on driver's licenses

[bidenista]

Obama takes big risk on driver's license issue

Carolyn Lochhead, Chronicle Washington Bureau
Monday, January 28, 2008

(01-28) 04:00 PST Washington -- Sen. Barack Obama easily won the African American vote in South Carolina, but to woo California Latinos, where he is running 3-to-1 behind rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, he is taking a giant risk: spotlighting his support for the red-hot issue of granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

It's a huge issue for Latinos, who want them. It's also a huge issue for the general electorate, which most vehemently does not. Obama's stand could come back to haunt him not only in a general election, but with other voters in California, where driver's licenses for illegal immigrants helped undo former Gov. Gray Davis.

Clinton stumbled into that minefield in a debate last fall and quickly backed off. First she suggested a New York proposal for driver's licenses for illegal immigrants might be reasonable. Then she denied endorsing the idea, and later came out against them. Asked directly about the issue now, her California campaign spokesman said Clinton "believes the solution is to pass comprehensive immigration reform."

More: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/28/MNH1UL57Q.DTL

[Maven]

1. The only time he does take "big risks" is when he's pandering

Oh well. At least this time, his pandering actually favors a vulnerable minority.

[Connie_Corleone]

3. You're wrong. He was in favor of this back in Illinois.

He said in one of the debates that he was in favor of this at the state level because it's a safety issue.

So, it's not pandering. It's been his position all along.

[pampango]

8. And you know that he is pandering instead of sticking to a position

he has had for a while because...?

Could it be that he actually believes in drivers licenses for illegal immigrants as effective public policy? Has he changed it position for the California primary?

[Bluerthanblue]

2. I'm GLAD he's doing this- it is fitting with who he

says he is.

It may not be popular, but it is important.

We are more human beings than we are citizens.

Immigration is an issue that isn't going to go away- and can't be put in the closet.

My opinion of him is only elevated by this stand.


peace~

[NashVegas]

4. In California, This Is Risky?

It's how it's going to play in the Red states that will be interesting.

TN Gov. Bredesen enacted legislation to grant licenses to illegal aliens a while ago but there was such an outcry it was repealed.

[jillan]

5. I thought Obama was against this.

Guess I was wrong.

This should be interesting.

[BlueJazz]

6. I like Obama but I completely disagree with giving Driver Licenses to anyone...

...who isn't a citizen.

[Hippo_Tron]

7. I defended Clinton on this back in the debate and I'll defend Obama now

This is just plain common sense to all those except for the knee-jerk anti-immigration crowd.