He also laid the blame for the country’s lack of effective legislation on the issue squarely at the feet of Republicans. The White House, the public and the majority of Democrats want reform, he said, but Republican legislators have failed to come forward.

“Without bipartisan support, we cannot solve this problem,” Obama said. “Reform … cannot pass without Republican votes.”

Obama said comprehensive reform cannot wait until borders are secured — a common Republican argument for delaying legislation.

“Our borders are just too vast for us to be able to solve the problem only with fences andpatrols,” he said.

The Uptake posted a video of the speech:

Any comprehensive reform policy should require undocumented immigrants to register, learn English, pay taxes and fines, and admit they broke the law, Obama said.

“Ultimately our nation has the right and obligation to control its borders and set laws for residency and citizenship,” he said. “No matter how decent they are … the 11 million people who broke these laws should be held accountable.”

Businesses that employ and exploit undocumented immigrants should be penalized, he said.

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“Make my day punk!” said William Gheen of ALIPAC in a press release on the group’s Website. “Gutierrez and his fellow traitors in Washington know they are running out of time on this Amnesty legislation and since 78% of Americans oppose what they are trying to do and many consider it Treason.”

The Tea Parties Against Amnesty, scheduled across the country on Nov. 14 are only a warm-up, said Gheen. He said he is preparing many more events for the spring, when the “Amnesty battle will be full swing.”

Here’s the anti-amnesty pitch, posted on www.AgainstAmnesty.com:

President Obama along with Republican and Democrat DC insiders are preparing a mass ‘Comprehensive’ Amnesty for illegal immigrants in America that will provide a path to citizenship and turn illegal aliens into voters even though a vast majority of Americans oppose this. This will only bring more ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION to America!

It is time for Americans of every race, religion, and political party to unite and make it OUR MISSION to stop amnesty, stop and reverse illegal immigration, and place America back in the hands of We The People.

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According to Fort Collins Coloradoan editor Bob Moore, Gardner, who faces a tough GOP primary just to take on Markey, awkwardly answered a series of questions from a Democrat at a health-care town hall in Fort Collins last week.

Gardner, according to Moore, declined to refute the notion Obama was born outside the United States, a popular conservative rallying cry these days akin to the “Obama’s a Muslim terrorist” tactic that worked so well during the 2008 election

Also according to Moore, Gardner on an earlier health-care teleconference, verged into such unrelated rants as cap and trade in the climate change bill and the possible reintroduction of the Fairness Doctrine.

Cap and trade strangely came up at a health-care town hall with 2nd Congressional District Rep. Jared Polis Wednesday in Edwards when a Boulder man attending his third such Polis meeting brought it up in the context of conservatives being disenfranchised in a liberal district.

Gardner is a big backer of oil and gas interests, last year helping to form a shadowy 501(c)4 called the Western Skies Coalition (along with GOP gubernatorial candidate Josh Penry) that sought to sway voters in key state senate races. It also called on politicians to sign an “Energy Action Plan” pledge.

Big on pledges, Gardner is now calling on visitors to his website to sign a petition giving Markey direction as she deliberates health-care reform. Perhaps Markey needs to post a pledge for Republican candidates compelling them to dispel the Obama citizenship smear.