Hillary Clinton Goes Big On Immigration

[okaawhatever]

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Clinton vowed on Tuesday that she would not only support immigration reform and protect deportation relief policies put forward by President Barack Obama. If elected president next year, she would expand them.

SNIP

Clinton's remarks, which essentially ran down the wish list of immigration activists, were more detailed than most expected. She argued that she would lean in on immigration, and she used that as an attack on Republican presidential candidates who have backed away from the issue.

SNIP

Clinton said she believes that undocumented immigrants who are children, who are particularly vulnerable such as transgender individuals, or who generally are not criminals should not be detained. She also criticized the congressional mandate that a certain number of detention beds be maintained and the fact that private prison companies run many immigrant detention facilities.

"People go out and round up people in order to get paid on a per-bed basis," she said. "That just makes no sense at all to me. That's not the way we should be running any detention facility."

Continued at Link:

[merrily]

1. Wow, her thinking on immigration has suddenly evolved quite a lot!

[wyldwolf]

2. It hasn't been sudden.

http://www.ontheissues.org/hillary_clinton.htm#Immigration

[merrily]

4. Sure has.

She opposed driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, wanted unaccompanied kids sent back, wanted deportation for even minor crimes.

[wyldwolf]

9. Sure hasn't

Unless 8 years (or more) is sudden.

[merrily]

12. You mean she's changed since the last time she ran for President? LOL!

I think she wanted unaccompanied minors deported in 2014, though. Not gonna bother googling for other dates. What happened in obvious.

[wyldwolf]

17. no, I mean she's changed in the last almost decade. LOL

[joshcryer]

15. Nearly a decade = sudden.

[joshcryer]

5. The whole party is evolving, in 2008 it was "pay a fine, get legal."

In 2012 it was amnesty for undocumented youth and "a way forward" for their parents.

In 2016 it will be amnesty for everyone (without a record) going by this.

Obama-Biden's platform from 2008 to 2012 evolved substantially.

Ironically, the Republicans are just now playing catch up, with Jeb Bush parroting Obama's "path to legal" stance in 2008 when he announced. A whole 7-8 years when the Democrats were suggesting it.

In a sense the whole political system is evolving on issues like this. A new generating is coming, and the Democrats are leading while the Republicans are simply trying to catch up as best they can.

[merrily]

6. Not the whole party. She was to Obama's right on this in 2008 and I am sure many

Democrats were with Obama or to his left.

On the driver's license issue in 2008, specifically, Hillary's position v. Obama's, Maddow ran tape only last night.

[joshcryer]

7. By whole Party = Party Platform

Read the 2008, 2012 platforms. There is significant evolution there. From 2004 to 2012 would probably be even more dramatic.

[merrily]

8. So? She was still to the right of many Democrats, even in 2008.

My original post on this was that HER position changed. My post had nothing to do with the party platform.

[wyldwolf]

11. "8 years ago."

18 year old voters in 2016 will have been 10 eight years ago.

I know you want to find something sinister in everything Clinton but 8 years is not a 'sudden' evolution politically.

[merrily]

16. The last time she ran for President.

I know you want to find something sinister in everything Clinton but 8 years is not a 'sudden' evolution politically.

Typical ad hom when someone doesn't cave after one post.

[wyldwolf]

18. Almost a decade ago.

Typical ad hom when someone doesn't cave after one post.

Typical misuse of the term "ad hom."

[merrily]

19. Yes, the last time she ran for President.

[wyldwolf]

21. nearly a decade ago.

[merrily]

22. DUers can do math. Have fun je um, gossiping with josh.

[wyldwolf]

29. but one obviously has no perception of time.

A Clinton, um, critic accusing someone of gossiping. Now that's funny!

[joshcryer]

13. It's not controversial.

If she wants to win the nomination she will have to represent the Party values which are changing. Sanders is ahead of the party in that respect and there's a chance when the primaries come they choose him over her value shift.

Why can't we appreciate this? It belies belief. The Party is evolving for the better from the New Democrat nightmare.

[merrily]

25. I didn't say anything about controversial. Why did you?

The Party is evolving for the better from the New Democrat nightmare.

Again, my post was about the change in Hillary's position, not the Party. Inasmuch as Hillary helped found and spread the "New Democrat nightmare" of which you speak, it's so nice to see her have to backpedal furiously because Democrats are not buying it anymore.

And fun to watch you trying desperately to rationalize it.

[joshcryer]

26. My post was about the party.

You're making it about Clinton.

If Clinton wants the party nomination then of course she is going to represent the Party shift. You seem to think that is "backpedaling furiously" or something. It's not even remotely controversial.

[wyldwolf]

10. but that's obviously a bad thing according to 'some.'

[joshcryer]

14. I don't get the controversy.

You want to win the nomination you better support the evolution of the demographics that the party represents. It's pretty boilerplate stuff.

I bet those saying that crap now said the same about Obama's evolution. When he took office there was absolutely no chance that anyone saw that immigration could even be looked at. Now he's opening things up so much, and we're even normalizing relations with Cuba. Hell they just approved commercial ferry to Cuba! For the first time in 50 years. No one could've predicted that in 2008. Well, I kind of did, but there's that.

[wyldwolf]

20. Here's the controversy

The near constant cry that Hillary should move left and the there needs to be another candidate to move her left was just an cover for those who don't like her. Now that that's happening, they have a problem with a 'sudden' (read: near-decade long) evolution on some issues. It's like the people who keep sending their dinner back to the kitchen at a restaurant.

[joshcryer]

23. I don't even think that's happening.

I think her policy positions are uncontroversial, not groundbreaking at all, and certainly not courageous or anything like that. It's almost academic about how it's rolling out. Not that I mind, I'd like to see some tough positions. The country is moving in a leftward trajectory faster than anyone realizes.

Psst, about that undocumented minors thing, it's a twisted out of context quote, and the Brookings Institute makes it clear that 85-90% are remitted to family here, and indeed, if you look at Clinton's quote she actually called for that. The quote out of context is almost completely used on right wing sites. Her actual position is to slow the deportation.

[cali]

3. Good. I don't care what her past positions have been on this

but I don't see why she- or any other dem elected to the Presidency- would have any more luck with a republican Congress, that President Obama has had. And the reality is that dems have the slimmest (practically nil) of chances to win the House back next year. Odds are now that the Repubs will also keep the Senate.

[freshwest]

24. Please add the link? TIA. n/t

[DonCoquixote]

27. let's be honest

She knows that Hispanics can move the needle the crucial inch left or right. She knows that Jeb will parade his wife and speak to her in Spanish, that Marco Rubio, who was supposed to be the joke, is actually above Jeb in some polls, and the the rest of the GOP is panderign to those "reagan Democrats" that are scared of Hispanics. It is a smart move.

And it sure helps that if she did not move on this issue, Bernie would justifably be able to criticize her on it, and do it in the big nasty way the media loves to.

[Gothmog]

28. This is a great move by Hillary Clinton

The GOP is in the process of alienating Hispanic voters