Pat Dollard

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Obama: Arizona Immigration Bill Threatens to ‘Undermine Basic Notions of Fairness. Shall we review Obama’s long history of respecting “basic notions of fairness”? Our Prez has zero credibility.

Fox News:

President Obama used a naturalization ceremony in the Rose Garden to lash out at the Arizona Legislature for passing a bill requiring proof of legal status and empowering state and local police to stop people based on a suspicion of being illegal immigrants.

Obama called for comprehensive immigration reform and said Washington’s failure to act has bred a climate of fear and retribution in some border states. He singled out the Arizona bill – which would make it crime to be in the state without documentation – now before Republican Gov. Janice Brewer. The governor has until Saturday to decide whether to sign it, veto it or allow it to become law without her signature.

“Our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others,” Obama said. “That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threatened to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe.”

Obama said the administration will “closely monitor the situation and examine the civil rights and other implications of this legislation.”

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs later explained the Justice Department will monitor “potential civil rights violations” experienced by legal residents.

When asked to explain whose rights would be violated, Gibbs said:

“Somebody that gets stopped who is legal resident, is a citizen. It’s clear that in the law, if you’re suspected to be (illegal) the law allows you to be stopped. You may be a citizen. That’s what he’s asked the Justice Department to look into, again, if it becomes law.”

Asked about next steps, Gibbs said: “Once this becomes law, if it does, the president has asked them (Justice Department lawyers) to evaluate that…it doesn’t make sense to get ahead of that evaluation. I think it’s pretty safe to say from the president’s remarks he’s not supportive of the law.”

Gibbs said the law would allow police to question legal residents based on the suspicion they could be in the country illegally.

Opponents have said if the bill becomes law enforcement would lead to a variation of racial profiling where Latinos would be questioned repeatedly to establish their legal status.

Gibbs said Obama opposes the bill but has not personally contacted anyone in the Arizona Legislature or Gov. Brewer’s office to express his opinion. Brewer faces a GOP primary on Aug. 24 and is under pressure from some conservative groups to sign the bill.

In his Rose Garden remarks, Obama said if Washington fails on immigration reform “we will continue to see misguided efforts opening up around the country.”

On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said immigration reform should be moved ahead of new green energy legislation, a move that cheered Latino voters angered that the issue appeared ignored during Obama’s first year.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, called Pelosi’s move “a very significant sign.”

As for Obama, Gutierrez told Fox: “I want him to keep his promise. During the campaign he made a concerted effort to reach out to Latino and immigrant voters carrying the state of New Mexico and Colorado and Florida, and I think many would say guaranteeing his presidency. There were eight million Latinos voting in 2004, 10 million voting in 2008, went for 60 percent for the Democrats to 70 percent. And when you consider for one moment that he got hammered by (New York Democratic) Senator Hillary Clinton in every primary among Latino voters and yet they came in overwhelming numbers for him in the general election, the stakes are really high.”

But Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, told Fox there’s more opposition to comprehensive changes to immigration now than there was when former President Bush failed on the issue in the latter stages of his presidency.

“I think the American people are not happy with the plans they saw before and they’re not going to be happy with the plans that might come out of the Obama administration,” Sessions said. “Right now we need to be thinking about how to create American jobs. People are out of work. There’s more opposition within the Senate and polling data shows more opposition among the American people than time the bill was brought up last time.”