The Legal Intelligencer Blog

Immigration Lawyers - Health Care Yes, Driver’s License No?

Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Hillary Clinton had their own debate at the end of the night. Clinton said she understands New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.Clinton wouldn't nail down where she stood on the issue except to say she understood where Spitzer was coming from.

Dodd said licenses should not be extended to illegal immigrants. He said it is a privilege, not a right.

Health care is another story he said because it protects the public health at large.

Sen. Barack Obama was for the issuance of licenses to track illegal immigrants, but said the larger issue of immigration reform needs to be tackled.

~Gina Passarella, Staff Reporter

Tax and Corporate Lawyers – What do you think?

Tim Russert wanted to know what Rep. Dennis Kucinich would do about the tax structure for hedge funds. Kucinich said he fully supports upping the current 16 percent tax rate. He said one of the reasons the American public is so distressed about the Democratic party is because it has said it wouldn't do anything about increasing taxes on hedge funds - at least for this year.Former Sen. John Edwards - the only other candidate to get a chance to respond to the question - said Congress started to move to make changes on the tax structure but it was simply shut down by lobbyists.

~ Gina Passarella, Staff Reporter

Welcome to Philadelphia...

 Dilworth Paxson Chairman Joe Jacovini made an appearance on stage in his role as chairman of the board of trustees of Drexel University.  As part of the pre-debate welcoming committee, Jacovini said it was fitting for a presidential debate to be held in Philadelphia, just blocks from where democracy started.

Gov. Ed Rendell also gave a welcome speech, talking mainly about his proposed health care plan.

Mayor John Street isn't in attendance. DNC Chairman Howard Dean said he was sick. His son Sharif is in the audience, however, as is Philadelphia Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Nutter. More celebrity sightings to come... and of course some debate action as well.

~Gina Passarella, Staff Reporter

Debate Promises Political Fireworks

Mark Aronchick, DNC finance chairman for Pennsylvania, predicted a few weeks ago a crescendo of interest building around the Democratic presidential candidates.

"There is probably more attention now on the Democratic candidates than there has been at any point this year," he said. "By the time the debate happens, there will be maximum focus."

Aronchick couldn't have been more right.

In the past few weeks, the frontrunners for the Democratic nomination have been trying to pull ahead of "the" frontrunner, Sen. Hillary Clinton.

While Philadelphia may just be the fourth stop on a six-debate DNC sanctioned tour, political pundits are predicting less civility and more fingerpointing in this debate than any of the previous ones this campaign season.

One of the hot topics will be a recent vote in the Senate to pass a non-binding resolution on designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. Clinton supported the resolution and Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards are making sure to mention that.

~Gina Passarella, Staff Reporter