Frank Sharry
Frank Sharry
Frank Sharry is the founder and executive director of America’s Voice, an immigration reform group...
issue volatile
We all know that this issue is so volatile that anything can happen.
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Every Western industrialised nation faces the same issues of an ageing society that needs migrants, a sceptical public and some hostile media. In supporting migrants, we do face formidable challenges but I'm still optimistic; we just have to focus on bringing together the needs of our societies and the aspirations of migrant families.
base caught desire face issue jeopardy latino party progress tom voters winning
Their painstaking progress on winning Latino voters is in jeopardy because the face of the (Republican) party on this issue is Tom Tancredo. They are caught between their base and their desire to do something reasonable.
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The idea that 11 million here illegally are going to sign up for a program that is going to (eventually) result in their removal is unworkable. Most won't sign up. The good news is that (Bush) continues to address the issue and he hasn't backed down from the point of view that temporary workers need to be part of it. But politically, they've made a mishmash of this issue.
alliance bill forces great proven reform
The Sensenbrenner bill has proven to be one of the great mobilizing forces for the pro (immigration) reform alliance in this country.
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There's lots of signs of the growing drumbeat for reform. We think there is a bipartisan majority with presidential leadership that can actually get across the finish line this session.
bush mean president weigh
That would mean President Bush would have to weigh in.
good sign tough votes
That's a very good sign for the tough votes on other issues.
base control gets party populist trying understand
I think he's trying to tell a restive populist base in his party that he gets it, ... It's a way to say, 'We understand that we need to get better control of our borders.'
change happen
Will it (the speech) change what's already scheduled to happen in Congress? Not one iota.
immigrants pay taxes win
But even if we win today, it's only one step. Immigrants pay a lot in taxes and don't get a lot back.
fix pressure tremendous
Obviously, there's tremendous pressure on lawmakers to fix the problem.
momentum political week witnessed worried
I'm a little worried that the political momentum that we witnessed this week may dissipate somewhat.
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No matter what the administration witnesses say, it's going to be revealing. Everyone knows the only way that immigration reform happens is if the president leads on it. And if they come and mouth platitudes and stay vague, it'll be interpreted in both chambers as an abdication of his leadership role.