The Press Enterprise: Takano invites Obama, flunks GOP
Rep. Mark Takano spent time this week dealing with letters about immigration reform. But they weren’t from his constituents.
Takano, D-Riverside, sent a letter to President Barack Obama inviting him to the Inland Empire. The president is considering traveling across the country to discuss immigration reform, which passed the Democratic-controlled Senate but faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
Takano’s 41st Congressional District includes Riverside, Perris and Moreno Valley, cities with sizeable Latino populations. In his letter, Takano notes that the Inland Empire is home to about 1 million immigrants, 260,000 of whom are undocumented.
“The Inland Empire is a perfect example of why comprehensive immigration reform is needed, and having you speak with my constituents will be a great benefit,” Takano wrote.
Obama was in the region last month for a meeting with the Chinese President at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage.
Besides writing a letter, Takano “graded” a letter drafted by House Republicans to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, urging him to oppose the Senate immigration bill and instead take a more step-by-step approach to immigration reform.
The letter, which Takano posted on his Twitter account, is marked up with a red pen and received and “F” with “see me after votes.” A former high school teacher, Takano wrote “evidence?”" and called the letter a “weak draft” as he refuted its arguments that the Senate bill was rushed through with vote-buying and secret deals.“If you don’t understand the bill, come by my office and I’ll explain it,” Takano writes.