Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Crazy Uncle Pat Buchanan was a firm believer in the GOP Southern Strategy of appealing to the racism of white voters against African-Americans when he worked for Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. The Southern Strategy is sometimes referred to as “white grievance” against federal enforcement of civil rights laws for African-Americans and intervention on their
behalf, including the passage of the Voting Rights Act. It is a political strategy of racial polarization.

Back in May, crazy Uncle Pat Buchanan wrote an article calling for a new Southern Strategy against Latino voters. Pat Buchanan Calls For ‘Southern Strategy’ Against Latinos, Immigrants:

In an article published by the website World Net Daily last week, Buchanan describes increased black voter turnout and Latino demographic growth as a “crisis for the Grand Old Party.” To combat it, the conservative pundit implies that the Republican Party should adopt a new version of the “Southern Strategy” revolving around immigration.

At the time, the commentariat largely dismissed this as just crazy Uncle Pat spouting off his usual racist ranting again.

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

From the White House: Statement by President Obama on Senate Passage of Immigration Reform:

Statement by President Obama on Senate Passage of Immigration Reform

Today, with a strong bipartisan vote, the United States Senate
delivered for the American people, bringing us a critical step closer to
fixing our broken immigration system once and for all.

I thank Majority Leader Reid, Senator Leahy, Senator
Schumer, and every member of the ‘Gang of Eight’ for their leadership,
and I commend all Senators who worked across party lines to get this
done.

The bipartisan bill that passed today was a compromise.
By definition, nobody got everything they wanted.  Not Democrats.  Not
Republicans.  Not me.  But the Senate bill is consistent with the key
principles for commonsense reform that I – and many others – have
repeatedly laid out.

If enacted, the Senate bill would establish the most
aggressive border security plan in our history.  It would offer a
pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million individuals who are in
this country illegally – a pathway that includes passing a background
check, learning English, paying taxes and a penalty, and then going to
the back of the line behind everyone who’s playing by the rules and
trying to come here legally.  It would modernize the legal immigration
system so that it once again reflects our values as a nation and
addresses the urgent needs of our time.  And it would provide a big
boost to our recovery, by shrinking our deficits and growing our
economy.

Today, the Senate did its job.  It’s now up to the House to do the same. 

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Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

This afternoon the U.S. Senate passed the “Gang of Eight” comprehensive immigration reform bill. Steve Benen reports, Senate approves comprehensive immigration reform, 68 to 32:

Following months of bipartisan negotiations, the U.S. Senate easily
approved landmark immigration legislation with a 68-to-32 vote. In
recognition of the seriousness with which Senate leaders took the issue,
members took the unusual step of voting from their desks.

In the
end, 14 Senate Republicans joined Senate Democrats in support of the
proposal. Despite the so-called “border surge” and other provisions
secured by GOP senators, 32 of the 46 Senate Republicans — about 70% of
the caucus — still voted against the bill. (In 2006, 21 GOP senators voted for comprehensive immigration reform, suggesting, despite electoral pressures, the party is slowly becoming more hostile on the issue, not less.)

Immediately
after the Gang of Eight’s bill was approved, Dream Act kids in the
Senate gallery could be heard chanting, “Yes we can.”

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