“Sooner or later we all will have to face the fact that most of the 11 million are here to stay, and it is in our interest as much as theirs to find a way for them to do so legally. There is simply no practical alternative. The only real question before us is how to structure the transition.”
“The tough-talking swagger of the kind we're hearing from people in Congress who want enforcement only is not a political winner. It won't solve problems, and it won't win votes.”
“This is like the gun you shoot at the beginning of the race or the bell that you ring at the beginning of a classroom discussion, ... This is the president saying, 'OK, we're going to get serious about this now. Congress is going to work on it. I'm going to put my political capital behind it.' ”
