Lou Dobbs: GOP Has “Gone Too Far” On Immigration
Lou Dobbs, the former CNN anchor, and outspoken opponent of illegal immigration, thinks that recent Republican calls for repealing the 14th Amendment’s birthright citizenship are a bad idea:
Senator Lindsey Graham took some by surprise when he called for eliminating birthright citizenship and changing the 14th Amendment — and Lou Dobbs took even more by surprise when he opposed Graham’s idea.
Dobbs, an outspoken advocate for tougher immigration laws, told me on “GMA” that changing the Constitution is “no way to proceed.”
“It is not in the interest of the American people, in my judgment at least, to roll back the laws…because the result may be inconvenient to some and their political views,” he said.
GOP Senators McCain, Kyl and McConnell have said they were open to hearings on this issue. The so-called “anchor babies,” children of illegal immigrants that are born in the United States, are an “immense problem,” according to Dobbs. But he advocated dealing with it “rationally.”
“I have no problem taking a look at any right and examining it so long as…the purpose is to bolster the public’s understanding and knowledge of those rights, which I think is needed,”” Dobbs said.
Do you think the 14th Amendment should be amended to remove birthright citizenship? Will there be a backlash against the GOP that will hurt them in November?
I can’t imagine a Constitutional amendment would ever pass (nor do I think it should), but I don’t think these calls for review will hurt the GOP on election day. Calls for hearings on an amendment that will never pass are likely to fire up activists likely to vote GOP without provoking the kind of backlash that will drive others away.
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I don’t normally give much weight to Dobbs, but when Lou Dobbs thinks you’ve gone too far on immigration, that’s saying something.
Indeed (and my reaction exactly).
The most interesting part of the “immigration debate” is that there is no politically possible path in any direction. I’m happy to talk in abstract about whether birth citizenship is necessary, or about what form work visas should take. At the same time I can step back and see entrenched positions on all sides.
As I talk to people about this, even more than other topics, people put their heads down to what they think should be, and can’t look up to see the population dynamic. There are balancing groups with an opposite view of what should be. Pragmatism is almost completely lacking.
If I was going to place a bet, it would be on this status quo (with some possible “rebranding”) for the next 10 years.
To whom do you give much weight, Doug? Karl Marx? Dobbs is about as level headed as any on TV when it comes to opinion or new delivery. He is both older and far wiser than you. That you think little of his counsel shows your lack of depth. Second, who flat gives a flying f**k what you think of Dobbs? That you feature the information you hold Dobbs in little regard adds nothing to the post.
Why should people be able to cross our border illegally to give birth, giving benefit to an illegal act? I doubt the 14th Amendment was meant to accomplish this and should be revisitied. Else those children who fall into the catagory should be placed in foster care and thier parent or parents returned to the country of origin. Doug would be happy to foster parent a bunch of legal babies.l
Well, obviously you do, Zelster. Or you wouldn’t read his posts, let alone react so vehemently to them.