I've seen some sniping about driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants in the presidential race, and I just don't get it. Perhaps granting driver's licenses is a reasonable framing for the state level, but it simply is not an issue that our president will need to address. And at any rate, both candidates support them. You see they both support comprehensive immigration reform.

From Senator Clinton:

Hillary has consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar. (Emphasis added, HillaryClinton.com)

From Senator Obama:

Obama wants to preserve the integrity of our borders. He supports additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at our ports of entry. Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.  Obama will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants. Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.  Obama believes we need to do more to promote economic development in Mexico to decrease illegal immigration.  (Emphasis added, Headings removed, BarackObama.com )

Sorry about the stilted language in that Obama 'graf. I actually removed headings before every sentence. Looking at it now, it kinda sounds like those “Bill Brasky” phrases. Sorry 'bout that Senator.  

Anyway, both candidates state that they believe there needs to be a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants. And, in fact, that is a view of the majority of Americans. Does anybody honestly think that driver's licenses will not be included as part of that process. In fact, you'd expect that it would be at the very beginning of the process.

The thing that makes drivers licenses so explosive is that they are taken out of the context of comprehensive immigration reform. So, no matter what the polls say on the specific issue of driver's licenses, the underlying issue of comprehensive immigration reform is what Democrats should be focusing at on the federal level. Let's not get bogged down in the politics of fear as we approach a monumental election. Republicans justly claim the mantle of “Party of Fear.” We should not be following them down that road.

AP Reports and CNN confirms:

Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voters’ sympathies, The Associated Press has learned.

The two-time White House candidate notified a close circle of senior advisers that he planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. EST event in New Orleans that had been billed as a speech on poverty, according to two aides. The decision came after Edwards lost the four states to hold nominating contests so far to rivals who stole the spotlight from the beginning – Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

The former North Carolina senator will not immediately endorse either candidate in what is now a two-person race for the Democratic nomination, said one adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the announcement. Both candidates would welcome Edwards’ backing and the support of the 56 delegates he had collected.

Obviously the big question is how his votes will get redistributed. For us in California it’s especially interesting, because if Obama can peel off enough of the Edwards supporters, we’re going to have one dramatic night next week.

An added wrinkle is the votes already cast. Edwards’ supporters have been among the most dedicated and loyal in this campaign, and many of his California supporters have already mailed in their ballots. As Brian pointed out yesterday, the VBM return rates are “low” overall so there may be a significant chunk of Edwards backers who haven’t voted and could decide the outcome here.

So what will they do? Or, if you’re an Edwards supporter, what do you plan to do?

In what is becoming an increasingly nasty campaign,  (most ably demonstrated by having our 42nd president serve as attack dog) the two leading campaigns are signing up dueling rapid response teams.  Here are the two press announcements today:

US Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president reports launching “Rapid Responders” teams in all 22 of the states with caucuses or primaries on February 5. The teams will respond to “inaccurate or misleading attacks directed at Senator and President Clinton,” and in California the team members listed are: State Controller John Chiang; Pres. Alice Huffman, California NAACP; San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom; Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and former US Rep. Lynn Schenk.

US Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign for president reports forming a California Truth Squad “to respond to misleading negative attacks from the Clinton campaign.” Members listed are: US Reps. Barbara Lee, George Miller, Linda Sanchez, Zoe Lofgren and Adam Schiff, Sen. Gloria Romero, Asm. Karen Bass, San Francisco DA Kamala Harris and Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles Federation of Labor.

The bashing back and forth is getting annoying, and I suspect the only real beneficiary is John Edwards as he pursues his quest for delegates to make himself into a kingmaker.

And, for what it’s worth, I’d take Obama’s squad, mostly because Barbara Lee and George Miller are super-duper cool.