President Obama's first speech on immigration since his election hit all the familiar themes and that was about it. No clear call for action or a concrete proposal for "comprehensive immigration reform."

Even some liberal news media panned the speech delivered at American University School of International Service in Washington.

From Time magazine: "Faced with what he called 'political posturing' by Republicans over immigration reform, President Obama fought back Thursday with some Grade-A political posturing of his own. ... It was, in the end, a political speech more than a policy speech, designed to deal with growing concern about Obama's performance among Hispanic voters."

Note: A Gallup Poll released June 7 showed Hispanics' approval of Obama's job performance plunged to 57 percent in May from 69 percent in January. Gallup said the drop was "seen mainly among those interviewed in Spanish: an 11-point drop in the past month and a total of 21 points since January." Interviewed in Spanish? What does that tell you?

From the Washington Post: "President Obama said all the right things in his speech on reforming immigration today - except one: that he was going to do anything. He didn't announce a new comprehensive reform bill. He didn't pledge action on the limited bills already in Congress covering students or agricultural workers. He didn't even say whether the federal government is going to sue the state of Arizona, which, apparently, the Justice Department is preparing to do over the state's recently passed 'papers please' immigration law."

You have to figure Obama is in trouble when both Time and the Washington Post dish out such criticism on top of the president's slump in the polls.

In the speech, Obama repeated the tiresome refrain, "Our borders have been porous for decades," resulting in "an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States." And he divined that the "overwhelming majority ... are simply seeking a better life for themselves and their children."

He did acknowledge that "the 11 million who broke these (immigration) laws should be held accountable." But he never said how. He said most Americans are skeptical of a blanket amnesty but also skeptical "that it is possible to round up and deport 11 million people. They know it's not possible."

He talked about improving border security, cracking down on employers for hiring illegal immigrants and reforming the "creaky system of legal immigration." He said he and his fellow Democrats "are ready to move forward; and I believe the majority of Americans are ready to move forward." (Yes, but the majority is ready - way past ready - to move forward on securing the borders FIRST.)

Reform "cannot pass without Republican votes," Obama repeated. As usual, Republicans are to blame for this mess.

But Obama spoke of "the courageous leadership in the past shown by many Democrats and some Republicans - including, by the way, my predecessor, President Bush." Is that a first or what? For once Bush is not to blame? That's real news.

dmckee9613@aol.com