On Hillary Clinton's position on Drivers Licenses
by gladiatorstail, Wed Nov 14, 2007 at 03:32:28 PM EST
OK, I take the bait and make the dairy.
I will advocate that Hillary has NOT flip-flopped on the immigration issue as others in media and blogs are claiming it to be. And here are the FACTS. I hope people digest the facts and then jump to conclusions.
Fact 1:
In the debate, when the question was asked, she stood for a fellow democrat. What should she do? Run a fellow democrat down the train? I am glad she stood for the party. She stood for the principle too. When asked in terms of yes or no, she conceded that she doesnt support the specific plan.
Fact 2:
Next day she released statement to clear up the air. She insisted she supported the governors who are trying to resolve problems in their states, and therefore supports Spitzer. What should she have done? Run him down again? She stood for democrats while others were attacking her for standing for a democrat governor. Here is the precise statement.
"Senator Clinton supports governors like Governor Spitzer who believe they need such a measure to deal with the crisis caused by this administration's failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform,'" her campaign said.
Fact 3:
She was consistent in her answer to CNN too in recent interview. Here is her transcript from CNN interview in this regard.
In the wide-ranging interview exactly a year before the election, Clinton continued to hold back from offering full-fledged support for a plan offering illegal immigrants driver's licenses, saying it's a question that doesn't allow a candidate to answer simply by "raising their hand."
"It depends upon what state they're in, it depends upon what [governors] think the risks are," Clinton said. "The governor of New York has a lot of immigrants, many of whom we know are not there legally; [he] has to worry about security. A governor of another state where that's not a problem doesn't.
"This issue has been so politicized," Clinton continued, "and I understand that, because you can score points, you can score all kinds of political, demagogic points."
Again, all I see her doing is standing up for a democratic governor.
Fact 4: todays statement is consistent with her previous statements
Hillary Clinton's campaign said late Wednesday that she supports New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan for illegal immigrant driver's licenses, a clarification required after a twisted campaign performance Tuesday night left people guessing her position.
Spitzer's plan, which he has retooled in the face of heavy criticism, would grant identification on a three-tier basis, decreasing with the level of proper documentation. Undocumented, illegal immigrants would receive a license only to be used for driving, and be inscribed "not for federal purposes," meaning it couldn't be used to board flights or cross borders.
"Senator Clinton broadly supports measures like the ones being advocated by Governor Spitzer, but there are details that still need to be worked out," Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said Wednesday.
Fact 5: MSNBC debate transcript Senator Clinton, Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer has proposed giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. He told the Nashua, New Hampshire, Editorial Board it makes a lot of sense. Why does it make a lot of sense to give an illegal immigrant a driver's license? Clinton: Well, what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is fill the vacuum left by the failure of this administration to bring about comprehensive immigration reform. We know in New York we have several million at any one time who are in New York illegally. They are undocumented workers. They are driving on our roads. The possibility of them having an accident that harms themselves or others is just a matter of the odds. It's probability. So what Governor Spitzer is trying to do is to fill the vacuum. I believe we need to get back to comprehensive immigration reform because no state, no matter how well intentioned, can fill this gap. There needs to be federal action on immigration reform. Clinton: Well, I just want to add, I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do... (Unknown): Wait a minute... Clinton: And we have failed. We have failed. Dodd: No, no, no. You said -- you said yes... Clinton: No. Dodd: ... you thought it made sense to do it. Clinton: No, I didn't, Chris. Russert: Senator Clinton, I just want to make sure of what I heard. Do you, the New York senator, Hillary Clinton, support the New York governor's plan to give illegal immigrants a driver's license? You told the New Hampshire paper that it made a lot of sense. Do you support his plan? Clinton: You know, Tim, this is where everybody plays "gotcha." It makes a lot of sense. What is the governor supposed to do? He is dealing with a serious problems. We have failed. And George Bush has failed. Do I think this is the best thing for any governor to do? No. But do I understand the sense of real desperation, trying to get a handle on this? Remember, in New York, we want to know who's in New York. We want people to come out of the shadows. He's making an honest effort to do it. We should have passed immigration reform.Now I know that many might accuse her of parsing with words. Well, in the end, she has been consistent forever. She stood for fellow democrat and urged people to get back to comprehensive immigration reform. Media made a furor, blogs went abuzz, and she was mocked by everyone. It further helped the republicans to get more ammo. If she does win nomination, republicans have one more wedge issue to attack her with. Tomorrow's debate will be interesting. However, who so ever says she flip-flopped is plain wrong. did she hedge, yes. did she flip-flop? NO
just goes to show how much everyone stretched it and will keep stretching it.
Tags: clinton, Democrats, Hillary, Spitzer (all tags)
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