Crush Liberalism

Spitzer kills his own “driver’s license for criminal aliens” plan

NY’s bumbling Democrat governor Elliot Spitzer thought that he could actually get away with issuing driver’s licenses to criminal aliens.  After all, he had won the guv’s office with 70% of the popular vote, in a deeply blue state.

However, he saw that about 70% of New Yorkers were opposed to his plan, and he watched his approval rating drop down to 41% (with only 25% saying they’d re-elect him).  As luck would have it, he changed his mind.  From the AP:

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has decided to abandon a plan to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, officials familiar with the decision told The Associated Press Tuesday night…

The governor’s office signaled to New York lawmakers Tuesday that Spitzer will say at the meeting that he is shelving the plan and that immigration is a federal issue to be handled by Washington, according to congressional aides who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement had been made.

Last month, Spitzer sought to salvage the license effort by striking a deal with the Department of Homeland Security to create three distinct types of state driver’s licenses: one “enhanced” that will be as secure as a passport; a second-tier license good for boarding airplanes; and a third marked not valid for federal purposes that would be available to illegal immigrants and others… 

How come immigration was not a federal issue until after the electorate revolted?

I wonder if this will affect Democrats who insist on amnesty for criminal aliens.  Also, since Her Highness supported Spitzer’s plan (before she didn’t, before she did again), I wonder if she’ll go back to supporting his new plan of no licenses.

November 14, 2007 - Posted by crushliberalism | illegal immigration