Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Immigration Reform Must be Win for GOP and DEMS

Details

  • Description

    Unless both sides can declare victory on immigration reform it will not pass.

  • Duration 4:37
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Days after a contentious battle over -- budget deal new word the President Obama has his sights trained on immigration reform and that will be the next battle.

What about this Monica Crowley radio talk show host Doug -- Former pollster to President Bill Clinton how you to do and we'll fire -- -- there is here happy new year to you as well Monica's is the fight you wanna pick next.

Well I think if you're the president you do believe that you have maximum leverage at this point -- -- second term president almost immediately becomes a lame -- so at this point in his term he probably feels like.

He does have the maximum opportunity here to get the rest of his agenda -- which largely includes immigration reform.

-- yeah I I think with the victory on the fiscal cliff where the Republican divisions were on.

-- -- We became clear how weak frankly the Republican Party.

Is the president is going to push an ambitious agenda and I think.

The Republicans having lost the election in large measure because they couldn't get more than 27 -- -- 8% of the Hispanic vote.

Bottom line if the president has an expansive.

Agenda including a pathway to citizenship for the eleven to twelve million.

Illegal immigrants here it's going to be tough for the Republicans to resist it to two pointed questions on this firstly Latino votes.

71%.

In the last election President Obama 27%.

For governor Mitt Romney Monica first point of action here.

You've got to debt ceiling fight this can take -- -- the oxygen in the room for the next two months minimum what what -- their time for immigration.

Well that's a concern I think that the Democrats have that so we're gonna have this -- -- ceiling fight and it is gonna consume most if not all of Washington.

But remember that the president still has the bully pulpit -- he said in 2008 by way of criticizing John McCain.

That a president should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time this president has shown the ability to do that and -- since he does have such enormous leverage.

If he decides to pursue -- immigration reform.

I think that he will probably do with in the next couple of months maybe after the debt ceiling debate -- remember.

-- political motivation bill on both sides in order to get answers and I'm going on immigration -- for the Democrats to try to lock lock in.

That huge majority Latino vote and for the Republicans to try to at least make some headway among Latino.

-- -- to that point now Doug pick up where Monica left off -- -- -- Republicans put their fingerprints and immigration reform.

So that they can gain advantage.

As well they have to do something they've heretofore not done since President Bush.

Which is to come out with their own comprehensive.

Immigration reform program that involves both border security.

Penalties for.

Employers who hire illegals but offers a real path to citizenship for those eleven to twelve million if they do that.

They can then bargain with the White House from a position of strength the real problem the Republicans haven't Monica was alluding to this if they sit back on their heels as they did in the debts are in the fight over the tax reform measure.

They're going to be without and agenda they'll be reactive and they could risk -- another very serious -- so.

John Boehner Mitch McConnell and Eric Cantor have to be proactive in a way they just haven't been -- them -- On moniker dress that them.

Yeah no I am largely agree with I mean I think there are a lot of areas in which the Republicans and the Democrats can find some bipartisan agreement and -- -- -- -- the paint penalizing employers who knowingly hire.

I illegals.

-- border security enforcing the border first and foremost also assimilation requirements are requiring these folks to learn English to assimilate into the American community so you're you're arguing that Republicans need to embrace this issue.

I -- to really go for yeah well I think that that's the consensus anyway among most Republicans anyway that something needs to be dot.

What is problematic is the last point that -- laid out which is that pathway to citizenship.

Will a majority of Republicans agree with that and if so in what.

Form great point.

Doug west where you are at bottom line they have to agree with that because of its just coercion and the three items that Monica cited that are important.

But involve coercive policies it isn't gonna work politically sustainably.

Or elect -- -- so bottom line.

The Republicans need to embrace and pathway to citizenship.

So -- George W.

Bush.

Embraced and something the party needs now fearless prediction unless both sides can declare victory and this it won't get through I agree I agree thank you Doug I thank -- Monica --

Load More