NDN Blog

That's the message from this editorial in the Washington Post that highlights the details/potential of the Gutierrez-Flake STRIVE Act, which was introduced last week. The editorial notes that the details of the bill will give Conservatives no excuse to claim it as granting amnesty, saying:

Conservatives opposed to citizenship for illegal immigrants are fond of pillorying it as "amnesty." This bill provides nothing of the sort. In addition to requiring lawful reentry to the country, it would entail immigrants paying a $2,000 fine and any back taxes they owe, clearing a security and background check, learning English and civics, compiling a felony-free record, and submitting proof of past employment. Only after six years and after satisfying those requirements could workers apply for permanent residency status, which could lead to citizenship.

For NDN's statement on the Gutierrez-Flake bill, click here. For Speaker Pelosi's, click here.

The Washington Post tells us not to rule out the possibility of NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg running for President.

My Pennsylvania bias aside, I think you'll agree that this video of Rep. Patrick Murphy's closing speech on the Iraq Accountability Act is amazing.

This Wednesday night, NDN held a Dinner with Dave Pollak, newly elected Co-Chair of the New York State Democratic Party. Below are two pictures from the event.

NDN, a progressive think tank and advocacy organization, today issued the following statement in support of The STRIVE (Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy) Act of 2007, which was introduced this morning.

Joe Garcia, Director of NDN's Hispanic Strategy Center said, “The introduction of the STRIVE Act of 2007 is a significant step towards passing comprehensive immigration reform this year, and NDN strongly endorses it.  We applaud the continued leadership of Congressman Luis Gutierrez on this important issue.

We look forward to working with Congressman Gutierrez, Senator Edward Kennedy, and their bipartisan allies in Congress like Congressman Jeff Flake and Senator John McCain; the White House; and other immigration reform coalition members to pass the STRIVE Act in this Congress.

NDN has championed comprehensive immigration reform since 2005.  We believe it is the best solution to one of the great governing challenges of our time: reforming our broken immigration system. This support places NDN in a remarkable and diverse coalition that includes labor, business, religious and immigration groups."

For more information about NDN’s work on comprehensive immigration reform, please refer to the following links:

NDN Advocacy: A Responsible Immigration Policy
NDN Bicameral Event on Comprehensive Immigration Reform (March, 2007)
NDN Forum on Immigration and the Latino Vote (November, 2006)

Yesterday, Senator Bob Menendez gave a response to the President's trip to Latin America. As the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Development, the Senator highlighted his ideas on how the US can engage Latin America with an increase in funding development programs. Specifically, he detailed his Social Investment and Economic Development Fund for the Americas. You can read more in the press release here.

The New York Times has an interesting article on the decisions surrounding newly-elected Rep. (and longtime friend of NDN) Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), as her office decides which projects get earmark appropriations.

Just a quick look at where the 2008 presidential candidates stand on Iraq:

Sen. Hillary Clinton: View her HillCasts on Iraq and our troops

Rudy Giuliani: Watch his take on the non-binding resolution

Sen. Barack Obama: Watch this video released today by his campaign

John McCain: Read "The Consequences of Failure in Iraq" from his website (and check out the video on the side)

Governor Bill Richardson: Read his Iraq policy (from a speech given in December, 2006)

Sen. Sam Brownback: Read this brief statement on Iraq from his website

Sen. Chris Dodd: Read his Leadership on Iraq from his website

Mitt Romney: Watch "The Mission in Iraq"

Sen. Joe Biden: Read the Biden-Gelb plan for Iraq

Rep. Duncan Hunter: Watch this video of Duncan Hunter discussing the Iraq War Resolution (Note: this video is also available on his website, though I can't directly link to it)

Dennis Kucinich: Read his plan for Iraq

Mike Gravel: Watch this video where he speaks on Iraq at Saint Anselm College

Jim Gilmore: Supports the troop surge and rejects calls for a pullout from Iraq on his website

Mike Huckabee: Read the National Security/Foreign Policy issue on his website (Note: no specific mention of Iraq)

Ron Paul: Read his website's statement on War and Foreign Policy

Tom Tancredo: Read about his views in the Defense section on his website

Tommy Thompson: Read his new approach where he proposes creating three Iraqi states

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

The Miami Herald tells us that Mitt Romney, in a speech to Cuban Americans in Miami, associated a statement often used by Fidel Castro with a free Cuba. The statement is Patria o muerte, venceremos! which means ''Fatherland or death, we shall overcome.''

For more information on NDN's coverage of the 2008 Presidential election, click here.

This Washington Post editorial gives us yet another example of how the immigration system needs to be fixed. This time the focus is on a raid in New Bedford, MA, where about 360 illegal immigrants, many of whom worked in sweatshop-like conditions, were arrested. The last paragraph says it all:

Cruel, self-defeating and illogical, the New Bedford raid is an inelegant example of how badly this country needs a clear-eyed immigration policy, one that provides not only for tough enforcement but also humane protections and a path to citizenship for immigrants who have put down roots and contributed to the national economy. The current regimen is a blight -- on immigrants who need the work, on employers who need the labor, and on a nation whose ideals of fair play and image as a welcoming and caring place are seriously at risk.