Bill Clinton: Obama On ‘Firm Legal Footing’ With Immigration Order

Former President Bill Clinton answers questions from Gwen Ifill of PBS NewsHour at the 2014 Fiscal Summit organized by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation in Washington, Wednesday, May 14, 2014. Lawmakers and policy exp... Former President Bill Clinton answers questions from Gwen Ifill of PBS NewsHour at the 2014 Fiscal Summit organized by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation in Washington, Wednesday, May 14, 2014. Lawmakers and policy experts discussed America's long term debt and economic future. (AP Photo) MORE LESS
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President Barack Obama is on “pretty firm legal footing” to issue his upcoming executive actions on immigration, Bill Clinton said on Wednesday night, one day before the steps were set to be announced.

“The president’s going to make his immigration comments tomorrow. As far as I can tell, every governor—every president in the modern era has issued some executive orders affecting immigration. So I think it—I imagine he’s on pretty firm legal footing,” the former president said at The New Republic’s 100-year anniversary gala.

Obama’s authority to act stems from an immigration law signed in 1986 which permits the executive branch to defer deportations for certain categories of immigrants and temporarily let them work in the United States.

Congressional Republicans are raising hell in anticipation of Obama’s move, which is expected to shield as many as five million undocumented immigrants from the threat of deportation. House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) office dubbed him “Emperor Obama” and incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) vowed that “Congress will act” if the president moves forward.

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  1. Yes, but firm legal footing doesn’t matter to a bunch of fanatical Republicans bent on complete annihilation of the President.

  2. Avatar for grawk grawk says:

    A fact which is certainly not lost on this President!

  3. Love me some Bubba hehe

    “Obama’s authority to act stems from an immigration law signed in 1986 which permits the executive branch to defer deportations for certain categories of immigrants and temporarily let them work in the United States.”

    Anyone got odds on this little tidbit of nontroversy-destroying information never entering the conversation on Faux, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS or any of the others?

  4. Avatar for pine pine says:

    “Bill Clinton: Obama On ‘Firm Legal Footing’ With Immigration Order”

    It’s called “CheckMate” Mr President.And the repubs(small R) knew that.

    Futher proof:

    "WASHINGTON – Last Thursday evening, word spread on Capitol Hill that House Speaker John Boehner was considering suing President Barack Obama over his impending executive action to grant deportation relief for millions of undocumented immigrants. Hours later, conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer appeared on Fox News and floated the idea that an executive action would be “an impeachable offense.” When
    Boehner and Krauthammer, arguably the top political and intellectual
    leaders of the GOP, suggest lawsuits and impeachment, it comes with more
    than a dollop of significance. Across town, however, a far
    different type of conversation was taking place among an equally robust
    part of the conservative movement. At the Mayflower Hotel, lawyers
    gathered for the annual Federalist Society national convention – one of
    the highest-profile conservative legal events of the year. The day’s
    big draws were the opening speech by Supreme Court Justice Antonin
    Scalia and an evening event featuring Justice Samuel Alito. "

    I see the MSM won’t be carrying the President address to the nation tonight .???

  5. Where’d you see that?

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