海角大神

笔谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟听Barack Obama听is treading carefully in deciding how visible a role he should play during perhaps the most delicate stage in the effort to overhaul U.S. immigration听laws.

The Democratic president, having fought with conservatives in the Republican-controlled听House of Representatives听over everything from budget cuts and tax hikes to healthcare reform and environmental policy, is aware they are in no mood to compromise or to be lectured.

Obama has so far held back from major criticism of his political opponents even when it appears they could stall a central objective of his second term.

House Republicans are adamant against approving the听Senate听version of legislation and are instead talking about passing several bills that address various immigration听problems, but not necessarily legalizing the estimated 11 million undocumented residents.

Unlike the public relations blitz that accompanied his healthcare law in 2010, Obama has made no sweeping travel plans to campaign for the legislation nor delivered any major speeches on the subject in the weeks since the Democratic-led听Senate听approved an immigration听bill that he backed.

Instead, he has held meetings with groups like the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and sent out top economic adviser听Gene Sperling听and others to make the case publicly that legalizing the status of undocumented immigrants will prove an economic boon for the听United States听in the long run.

White House听spokesman听Jay Carney听said Obama would make his case for the overhaul, but "how that manifests itself, what events he may hold, we'll have to see, because we're going to make those judgments as this issue ripens over the next weeks and months."

Obama on Thursday heard words of caution about his role from Senators听John McCain, a Republican, and听Charles Schumer, a Democrat, two members of the "Gang of Eight" senators who shepherded the听Senate听version. The two senators sat down with Obama at the听White House.

McCain said afterward the challenge was to get recalcitrant House Republicans behind some form of immigration听legislation and that it was important they not feel they were being unduly pressured by Obama.

"So I think the president is walking a careful line here and I think it's the appropriate thing," he said.

There is some skepticism at the听White House听that if Obama speaks out about immigration, it will drive away House Republicans, since many want to kill the legislation whether he talks about it or not.

One听White House听official said any presidential activity on the subject would be based on a calculation of whether it was needed and would be helpful.

We'll speak out, we'll travel, we'll do things with different decibels, depending on what we think will help move the ball," one听White House听official said.

'Got to let it simmer'

Obama is getting cautionary advice from other players in the immigration听debate, such as听Thomas Donohue, president of the Chamber of Commerce, which has been lobbying strongly for immigration听reform.

Donohue said Obama needed to strike a balance on immigration听reform and not try to rush House Republicans.

"He should be very careful not to get down into the weeds on this thing. He's got to let it simmer. He's got to let the House work its business," said Donohue.

Donohue and other supporters of reform said Obama's focus should be on boosting public support for an immigration听overhaul. Supporters hope that if constituents in various lawmakers' districts voice their backing for the legislation, it could influence the debate in the House.

Obama has made passing an immigration听overhaul a significant priority of his second term after giving the issue short shrift in his first four years because there was no political momentum for it in听Congress听and he was preoccupied with trying to get the U.S. economy going.

In the past when Obama has been faced with a high-profile debate in Washington, he has frequently argued his case to the voters in travels across the country, but with mixed success.

His high-decibel argument to persuade Republicans not to let $85 billion in automatic spending cuts take place last spring fell on deaf ears and the budget cuts went into effect.

Republican Representative听Raul Labrador听of听Idaho, who served until recently on a working group on immigration听and is open to a comprehensive bill, said Obama's effort to pass gun legislation this year was an example of why he did not think the president traveling to pitch immigration听reform would help.

"All I remember is that the last time he traveled for a big issue, he killed it. He might actually want to rethink that," he said.

But there are many voices among Democrats who think a highly visible campaign would help pressure Republicans who saw overwhelming numbers of Hispanics vote for Obama's re-election over Republican challenger Mitt Romney last November.

"I think the president should be out there talking about it and pushing it, not just for political reasons," said Democratic strategist听Bob Shrum. "He ought to be out there pushing this because someday it has to happen."

(Editing by Peter Cooney)