Obama's immigration plan sparks Tea Party rebellion in the GOP
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Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) isn't even majority leader yet, but he is already facing a rebellion from Tea Party members of Congress who are livid about President Obama's unilateral moves to reform the U.S.'s immigration system and allow some five million undocumented immigrants remain in the States.
As Robert Costa of The Washington Post reports, Republican Party leaders are struggling to rein in right-wing conservatives who want to strike back at Obama by threatening a government shutdown or even trying to impeach the president, moves that party elders believe could backfire. Then there are the impolitic remarks coming from the likes of Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) — who said Obama's executive action would invite millions of "illiterate" immigrants to the U.S. — which could further erode the party's standing with Latinos.
Here's how Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) put it to Costa:
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"It only takes a couple" of comments for an unflattering narrative to build about the Republican response, said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). "That's the trouble with having some of these new, young punks around here. They ought to listen to us old geezers." [The Washington Post]
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Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.