The Return Of The Lost Pander

Just before the Nevada caucus I had wondered why Obama had not tried for some Hispanic appeal by resurrecting his bold (but foolish!) stand on driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. 

Well, he has finally returned to that topic, just in time for the California primary.  Here is the San Fran Chronicle:

Obama takes big risk on driver's license issue

(01-28) 04:00 PST Washington -- Sen. Barack Obama easily won the African American vote in South Carolina, but to woo California Latinos, where he is running 3-to-1 behind rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, he is taking a giant risk: spotlighting his support for the red-hot issue of granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.

It's a huge issue for Latinos, who want them. It's also a huge issue for the general electorate, which most vehemently does not. Obama's stand could come back to haunt him not only in a general election, but with other voters in California, where driver's licenses for illegal immigrants helped undo former Gov. Gray Davis.

Well, as a policy this seems foolish (and unpopular) to me, but a certain segment of reliable libs will surely swoon, and the current target audience is Dem primary voters, not the general public.  And since he has not backtracked on his position, as Edwards did since 2004 and Hillary seemed to within the course of one debate, Obama may collect Lib Bonus Points points for principle and courage - he certainly ought to be able to have a bit of fun deriding his opponents courage and conviction.  It'll be a killer come the general election, but that is another day.

From the same story, a bit more substance:

The Illinois senator is differentiating himself in three key areas: driver's licenses, a promise to take up immigration reform his first year in office, and his background as the son of an immigrant (his father was Kenyan) and a community organizer in Chicago.

Obama made the promise to Latino leaders to take up immigration reform in his first year after Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., chairman of the Democratic caucus, said his party might not raise the divisive issue again until the next president's second term, assuming a Democrat wins.

Latino leaders felt betrayed. For them, an immigration overhaul is a top priority in light of state and local crackdowns on illegal immigrants and federal raids in workplaces across the country.

Clinton has not made such a promise, saying only that she would make her best efforts.

Well, if Obama wants to get shot down on an immigration bill in his first year, fine.

MORE:  Josh Gerstein of the NY Sun opens up a new line in tough-on-illegals Hillarity.  This sort of phony tough talk probably alienates aliens without convincing anyone else.

LAST GASP:  IIRC, even among Democrats the notion of licenses for illegals polled badly amongst Dems, but maybe Obama's team figures that Dem primary voters won't be single-issue in opposition to this, but might be in support of it.

Comments

[Crunchy Frog]

Among the general electorate here in Cali, giving drivers licences to illegals goes down in flames by a 2-1 margin. Even the majority of latinos don't much like it.

It will make him popular with the Mexican socialists in the CA legislature, however.

[TM]

All I can figure is that he figures that 2-1 among all voters means less than 2-1 among Dem primary voters.

However, it polled as a loser even among Dems in NY.

Beats me - are there Federal driver's licenses? (he asked rhetorically). Maybe Obama figures folks who care will vote for him, but Dem primary voters who don't like this idea won't be single-issue about it.

[RichatUF]

curious from the CA MV website-

International Driving Permits The State of California does not recognize an International Driving Permit (IDP) as a valid driver license. California does recognize a valid driver license that is issued by a foreign jurisdiction (country, state, territory) of which the license holder is a resident.

The IDP is only a translation of information contained on a person's foreign driver license and is not required to operate a motor vehicle in California. Citations issued to a person in California who has an IDP, but does not have a California driver license will be placed on the Department of Motor Vehicle database.

The IDP is also called an International Driver License, International License, etc.

For more information about travel and driver licensing requirements outside of the US, visit the US State Department Road Safety Overseas website at: http://travel.state.gov/road_safety.html

here about 7/8's of the way down. Just my reading of it seems to indicate that if someone had a DL from a foreign country that CA would recognize driving privileges.

[Ralph L]

Can the federal government force the states to document the undocumented, except by holding federal money over their heads?

This sort of phony tough talk probably alienates aliens
What else have the Clintons done for 16, sorry, 35 years, and look where it's got them.

[sbw]

This could be a busy year for blog-assisted editorial writing. In the pipeline already are:
- Neo-Marxis healthcare
- Follow the economic data, not the political blather
- The business of America is business
- Great (economic stimulation) Expectations
- 1864 Democratic Platform
- Hillary vs. Milton Friedman
- The Kennedy (Hah!) endorsement

[steve sturm]

The dilemma for Obama: in order to win the general election, he has to keep the focus on the uplifting, but generic 'let's change' and away from the specifics of those changes, as those are pretty much standard liberal planks (higher social security taxes, drivers licenses for illegals), and not the likes that will excite the people whose votes he needs.

I'm guessing he had hoped that he could skate through at least the Democratic primaries without having to announce just how liberal he is, but it must be a sign, notwithstanding South Carolina, that he's worried about Clinton so he's off pandering to the Hispanics.

Which is a good thing, as while I'm not thrilled about any of the GOP candidates, I don't think the country is ready to elect a hard left liberal, so the more Obama feels the nomination is at risk, the more he's going to court the hard left... and the more he does that, he more he hurts his chances come November.

[MayBee]

Just my reading of it seems to indicate that if someone had a DL from a foreign country that CA would recognize driving privileges.

Only for visitors. Not for residents, which includes people that have taken employment in California.

[dick]

How would it work with a foreign DL? If you get stopped and you use the foreign DL, then do you also have to at that time produce your passport or visa so that the officer will know if you are a resident or visitor? Otherwise all you have to do is claim that the address on the foreign DL is your permanent address and you are home free on that one.

Do the businesses in California and the polling stations recognize a foreign DL as a valid form of ID?

[MayBee]

Dick-
It depends how much the CA authorities want to pursue it. It is much the same if you produce an out of state license when driving in CA. You are required to get a CA license if you come from say, Ohio, and become a resident. If you produce an Ohio license, the authorities may challenge you.
That's what's happening to Brittney Spears, of all people. She's been driving on a Louisiana driver's license while living in CA.

Do the businesses in California and the polling stations recognize a foreign DL as a valid form of ID?

I have no idea if a polling station would recognize a foreign DL. It can be legitimate that someone wouldn't have a US driver's license, but be eligible to vote in a US State. A long-term expat, for example.

[Pibe]

FISA no cloture too:

Texas officials endorse enhanced driver's licenses
BY MICHAEL MARTINEZ, TECHNOLOGY DAILY

The top cop in Texas has endorsed a plan for the state to develop enhanced driver's licenses that can double as border-crossing credentials.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Tuesday ruled that the cards proposed as part of the state's high-tech licensing plan would satisfy federal law. Abbott was asked for his opinion about the initiative by the director of the Department of Public Safety.

The Legislature recently authorized the plan to develop the license, which will be designed to meet nationwide standards for driving credentials recently released by the Homeland Security Department, as well as specifications for another initiative to speed cross-border travel. Several other border states are moving to issue licenses that would satisfy both the so-called REAL ID Act and the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39116&dcn=e_nextgov
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