Faced With Bi-Partisan Opposition, New York GovernorDrops Effort to Grant Drivers Licenses to Undocumented Immigrants

New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer announced Wednesday that he is dropping his plan to grant drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants. The plan had drawn praise from immigrant rights activists but fierce opposition from Republicans and many Democrats. Spitzer spoke to the press on Wednesday.

• New York Governor Eliot Spitzer.

The Governor added that he still believed the proposal would have benefited New Yorkers. He had previously defended the plan as a QUOTE ‘commonsense’ public safety measure that makes licenses and insurance available regardless of immigration status. But Spitzer faced a growing storm of criticism from politicians and the mainstream media ever since he first announced the plan in late September.

CNN anchor Lou Dobbs was particularly harsh in his almost daily condemnation of Governor Spitzer and the driver’s license plan.

• Excerpts from “Lou Dobbs Tonight.”

Governor Spitzer’s driver’s license policy featured prominently at the October 30th Democratic Presidential debate in Philadelphia. This is an excerpt featuring Presidential hopefuls Senators Hillary Clinton and Chris Dodd. It begins with a question from the host, NBC’s Tim Russert.

• Clip from the October 30th Democratic Presidential Debate.

Chung-Wha Hong joins us now in the firehouse studio here in New York.

• Chung-Wha Hong. Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition.

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