Pelosi Push Needed

Up to 30 Republican representatives could be persuaded to vote for a Kennedy/McCain type immigration reform bill if it came to the House floor, according to a recent count by a leading Republican supporter of the bill.

The 30 votes would be critical for the success of the bill because, at present, it is believed that up to 50 Democrats, especially members who were recently elected, are leaning against supporting the bill.

It has become obvious that House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi is especially protective of the new members, many of whom were elected in Republican districts and may have difficulties in two years time.

Immigration was used heavily against them in the election, and while it was not a winning tactic it certainly left an impression that it was a difficult issue to handle.

So Pelosi is keenly aware that any bill that lands in the House will need to carry enough assurance for her freshmen that it will not damage their reelection prospects.

If 50 voted against Kennedy/McCain on the Democratic side and 30 Republicans voted for, the margin would be very tight. At this stage it may take Pelosi pushing a bill pretty hard to make it pass.

Fine Gael’s U.S. Funds

Fine Gael, Ireland’s second largest party, is hoping to raise $700,000 in America according to the Sunday Times newspaper in Ireland.

Enda Kenny, the leader of Fine Gael, will be in Boston and New York in February to raise money from wealthy Irish backers.

“Enda Kenny is very well known in America going back to his term as minister for tourism,” said Phil Hogan, Fine Gael’s director of organization,

“A lot of the Irish diaspora in America is successful and would want to donate to ensure the Irish democratic political process remains strong.

“He is popular with American companies and businessmen with strong Irish links and it would strengthen the party to tap into this.”

Spending on Irish elections, which are only three weeks in duration, is miniscule compared to American campaigns. Fianna Fail are expected to spend about $5 million on their campaign.

Thus any money raised in America is a major bonus for Fine Gael, though $700,000 sounds like a tough target.

Anger at Obama

The first salvo from the anti-Senator Barack Obama forces within the Democratic Party faithful was fired last weekend in the Chicago Sun-Times, his hometown newspaper.

Juan Andrade, head of a leading Hispanic organization, the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute, took Obama to task for voting for the border fence before Congress broke for the elections.

The 700-mile border fence is a highly controversial issue with Hispanics, and Andrade thinks that Obama has hurt himself, especially with Mexican Americans who vote in significant numbers.

Andrade states, “Mexican American leaders have called on Obama to repudiate his vote and make things right. But Obama merely says, ‘Let’s move on.’ He obviously does not get it.”

Andrade says that Obama was “just pandering” with his vote, but Mexican Americans will not forget that he did it.

“If Obama decides to run for president in 2008 he should not expect any enthusiastic Mexican Americans welcome wagons along the way,” Andrade writes. “His vote for the wall will become as divisive in his campaign as it will become between Mexico and the United States.”

Andrade makes the point that six of the seven Republican senators who voted for the fence were defeated, as were 30 House members who had voted for it.

Interesting to note, however, that Senator Hillary Clinton also voted for the fence, as did Senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, two other candidates who may run.

Bill on Northern Ireland

The holiday brunch for supporters that Bill and Hillary Clinton held on Sunday in New York was attended by the great and the good, and not surprisingly Bill took the opportunity to tout the Irish peace process as a part of his legacy.

It is something that the 42nd president is incredibly proud of, and he rarely misses the opportunity to bring it up as an example of what can be achieved in peacemaking.

In the midst of a discussion with several Jewish leaders, Clinton spotted an opportunity to bring up the Irish peace process when he recognized an Irish Voice staffer.

The conversation turned to the events in the North over the past few months. Clinton remarked that “even old Paisley can’t stop the progress now.” And he waxed lyrical about what an amazing document the Good Friday Agreement was and his pride in helping to get it signed.

His message to his Jewish supporters was that when people of good will really want to get something done it can be done with the help of America. Certainly, it was instructive for those present who had probably never linked the two conflicts in their minds.