President Obama on Tuesday night stumped for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke, but not before he was sidetracked by a protester urging the administration to take greater action on immigration.
At the outset of the rally, Mr. Obama was repeatedly interrupted. Eventually, he addressed the protester directly as she was escorted out of the Milwaukee auditorium.
“The young lady is expressing her concern about immigration and the fact that we don’t have a comprehensive immigration [reform] bill. The problem is she should be protesting the Republicans who are blocking it in Congress. That’s what she should be doing. Because I’m for it,” the president said.
The exact words of the protester were not immediately clear, however Mr. Obama is being criticized “from the left” by immigrant-rights advocates. Those activists say that, regardless of whether Congress can pass a bill, Mr. Obama still has the authority to halt many of the deportations his agencies are performing and they have criticized him for refusing to do so.
The president has promised in general terms to make major changes to immigration policy and deportations after the November election.
After the brief disturbance, Mr. Obama went on to make his pitch for Ms. Burke, a Democrat running against the state’s incumbent Republican, Gov. Scott Walker.
Ms. Burke, a businesswoman and former Wisconsin secretary of commerce, will work on behalf of the middle class, not the wealthy, the president argued.
“The biggest corporations don’t need another champion. Mary Burke is a businesswoman. She recognizes the incredible role of free enterprise in building our economy, but she also knows you need a champion,” he said. “She knows the wealthiest Americans are doing fine right now. They don’t need another champion. You need a champion.”
Recent polls show Mr. Walker and Ms. Burke in a virtual tie.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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