Schumer and Dobbs meet to discuss immigration reform

In what is being seen as an attempt to kick-start a bipartisan effort on immigration reform Charles 'Chuck' Schumer, the Democratic Senator from New York, met Wednesday with former CNN host Lou Dobbs.

The Hill explains that Dobbs, who left CNN in November, once hosted “Lou Dobbs Tonight", a show on which he would frequently highlight the numbers of illegal immigrants arriving in the U.S., a situation of which he did not approve. More than one source describes Dobbs - whose future plans CBS News said, shortly after he left CNN, might include a run for a Senate seat in New Jersey or even a run for the White House - as a man taking conservative populist positions. And Politico notes that among the segments on Lou Dobbs' show those dealing with the issue of illegal immigration were given titles such as "Exporting America," "Broken Borders" and "War on the Middle Class". But apparently Dobbs himself has admitted that he is "changing his tune" on the issue and, according to the Huffington Post, quoting an interview the former CNN host gave to ABC News, now declares himself ready to be "part of the solution". Indeed CBS News indicated in November that 64-year-old Dobbs, not averse in the past to voicing doubts about the eligibility of Barack Obama to be President, had spoken with the likes of Latino groups and the Chamber of Commerce in the hope that past differences could be resolved and solutions created. Now, as he looks for two Democrats and two Republicans to be the sponsors of a bi-partisan bill to address the issue of immigration, Senator Schumer, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship, has reached out to Lou Dobbs. It is not clear where the two men met but the meeting appears to be part of Senator Schumer's strategy of "meeting with all different kinds of groups, trying to get everybody together to come out for one bill". Noting that Lou Dobbs has changed his views on immigration - seemingly he would support allowing illegal immigrants to change their status to legal “under certain conditions" - Senator Schumer observed also:

Now I've said all along, even before last Tuesday with the Massachusetts election, we need a bipartisan bill — two Democrats and two Republicans to produce it. We're not there yet. We're still working on getting our Republicans, but we're talking to people who have a lot of interest and enthusiasm, and our intention is to move forward

Between them Politico and The Hill question the enthusiasm the Democrats currently have for implementing immigration reform, and their ability to introduce reform after the victory in the U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts of Republican Scott Brown. The election in Massachusetts took place to fill the seat vacated by the death of Edward Kennedy.