As Obama’s favorability drops, critics are questioning the usefulness of his pledge of support for immigration reform. One Democratic aide told Time that
“„Take the issue of immigration. One of the best things that can happen to Obama, assuming he is serious about pursuing comprehensive reform, is to be rid of a pair of obstacles: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who sees his role as protecting organized labor from having to compete with foreign workers, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who likewise protects Democratic members from having to take a vote on a controversial issue. With Reid and Pelosi gone, Obama can work with pro-business Republicans to find solutions to a problem that need not be as vexing as Washington makes it out to be.