the president said there would be bumps in the road. but the faces -- look at the faces in the ad. the row be some sort of watered- down dream act -- there will be some kind of watered-down dream act to deal with the total issue. >> mitt romney is not too extreme. he is closer to meg whitman. he was winning the latino vote. would over performed across the

board. pete wilson is a dirty word. you first put him on the ticket. what did romney do? he made in his co-chair. outrageous. there's a lot that mitt romney is going to have to answer for. he promised to veto the dream act, which is something a huge majority of americans want support. >> i think you're issue on rubio and what he presents is some version of the dream act or a first step toward some immigration reform. have to see if romney can except it. >> he basically laid out vague markets. he does not want to see a path to citizenships.

you will make it so difficult for an immigrant to survive that they have to pack their bags and leave. he will make the issue about the economy. one of the first ads that mitt romney put on line was called "bumps in the road." the president said there would be bumps in the road. but the faces -- look at the faces in the ad. the row be some sort of watered-down dream act -- there will be some

kind of watered-down dream act to deal with the total issue. >> mitt romney is not too extreme. he is closer to meg whitman. he was winning the latino vote. would over performed across the board. pete wilson is a dirty word. you first put him on the ticket. what did romney do? he made in his co-chair. outrageous. at the same time, he was dealing with spanish-language in florida. he cannot talk to -- you cannot talk to latinos and of two size of your mouth. -- two sides of your mouth. all of a sudden, you're going to make the life of an immigrant so difficult. giving of the party to the neighbor to make it difficult for them to survive that they have to pack their bags and leave. >> all of this would have to be pivoted. >> exactly. i agree with you. he will try to pivot. campaigns are following every single thing and the word you're saying. that will be difficult for him. not just pete wilson but he has also sought the support of the most anti-immigrant chair in the country. there's a lot that mitt romney is going to have to answer for. he promised to veto the dream act, which is something a huge majority of americans want support. >> i think you're issue on rubio and what he presents is some version of the dream act or a first step toward some immigration reform. have to see if romney can except it. >> he basically laid out vague markets. he does not want to see a path to citizenships. the kits would become citizens but they would not be citizens -- the kids would become citizens. it doesn't lead to a path to relatives living overseas. by the time to get to august, mitt romney will have some kind of a dream act.

>> the act without the dream. >> these are big differences in the electoral strategy is to go beyond the latino vote. this will be decided by the economy. the obama is looking at this as an incremental election. mitt romney is planning to win a touchdown or two. obama wants to win by a field goal. they will make that case. >> let me bring in another element. we're looking at how things shift in the big picture. there are other small pictures which sometimes matter more to people. a lot of latinos that were born here see the undocumented and

say there but for the grace of god go i. so they do care. there's another issue. a couple of weeks ago, i crossed this country in a state affected by one of these laws, they told me that her bodego, has quite sure people that work there, fathers, heads of households. it gets confusing. she had a bodego and hired three or four household heads. immigration came and took them. that shop is essentially closed. three families do not have a way to find support.

pink underwear and all those wetbacks, still hurt. three households do not have a father. that matters more than any other rhetoric when you're talking about that. do you know who they chalk that up to? not to pete wilson. they chalk it up to the federal government. 55% of the deportations have been criminals, that includes the people that came back into the country three weeks ago because their daughter had been taken away from them because they were deported. the daughter was put up in a foster home and the daughter was raped.

parents came back to this country to take their daughter. she would fall into the 55% criminal. nearly half a million people -- what was their crime? that amount of suffering -- that matters more to many. that matters more than pink underwear or pete wilson. knockabout operation we -- talk about operation wetback. the administration is separating 1.2 million families.

>> this president has to make the argument that if he had any support within the republican senate to have been able to pass comprehensive immigration reform, it would be a lot today. -- it would be law today. not one senator supported comprehensive reform. they have turned their backs on it. including john mccain whose name was on the legislation. that needs to be part of the mix. >> they are not part of the same issue. was a report saying 47,000 or 45,000 people have been deployed with u.s.-born citizens. i don't know the statistics of how many went back to their home country with their parents. these are american kids.

>> there is finishing conversation here. under current is the subject of trust. this is a personal thing. it is wanting to say republicans would not work with us -- it is one thing to say republicans would not work with us. made a promise and i was going to do what my first year. the comet went down the tubes -- the economy went down the tubes. but people come back and said, he had health care reform. i did latino fall to the back of the barrel? he can argue they are not. do they trust the president to keep his word?

>> to the trust the person running against the president to be better? >> right now they do not. >> so we start seeing with the president lives. 70% sounds amazing. this is what michael's article is all about. it will be important. i think -- i did not note a latino that doesn't know somebody that is undocumented or about to get deported. those are conversations that are having every single day. it will be people what the local communities. "i need to change my local school boards."

>> it is about the president. >> what galvanized sharron angle was not harry reid. it was the conversation. >> it was on the ballot. that will have an effect. >> it will be even worse news for the republican party. at a local level, the state legislators are much more right wing. >> the person that got elected was it moderate republican. that is what the latino community is holding to winning. or create a wave of individuals providing political cover -- we are creating a wave of individuals providing political cover.

they believe overwhelmingly in the dream act. thing start breaking about. the dream act was up for a vote. there were five democrats decorative voted for it but chose not to. >> 8 republicans voted for it. >> it passed. i get it. >> not ocho cinco. >> says the health care vote was very close as well. it is easier to create a narrative that is one over the other. >> you say five democrats voted against it. how many republicans voted for

it? >> they chose not to. >> we needed a handful of democrats to vote with it. this is not a democratic or republican problem. this is an american problem. >> it is a political problem for both political parties. they deal with it matters. it takes courage on both sides to not to the real popular thing in your political party. they did it for their political survival, what may be in the best interest of the nation. >> a majority of republicans chose to do the personal thing

in the senate. >> the senate. >> the member for the day -- number for the day is ocho. >> must rubio helps him, let's see what comes up with. much can you pivot when you have youtube. you explain what self deportation really means. it is a hard thing to describe. that is what logic would tell you it means. they did not say that. at some time you have to define yourself. >> it will be defined. >> but with youtube around --

>> it is back-and-forth, tit for tat. >> there is no comparison between the words of obama and the words of mitt romney. the people who support obama on immigration reform are different than the people that support romney on no immigration reform. >> we can agree on that. let's talk about the impact that immigration will have. people will vote for the candidate, not the party. it is consistent from what we know from our data. they are focused on the economy. the independent swing voters -- >> how many are latinos?

>> it is about 25%. republicans need to garner about 12% of that. you have die hard kennedy democrats that may not turn now. the president has to talk about immigration. you have independent, swing voters on the republican side who are primarily focused on the economy. they are looking with a critical eye and both parties and are starting to focus on mitt romney, assuming he is the nominee. we have asked about rubio and they don't know rubio either. >> tell me who you hang out with and i'll tell you who you are. these are the people he hangs with.

i do not know. i am asking. >> the biggest issue right now with the romney campaign is that -- gingrich and santorum have a long did it the debate -- have elongated the debated. he would like to be focused on jobs. the president is the jobs president right now. >> the president is the jobs of president in what narrative? >> in the last three months. asked someone what romney's position is on jobs.

and they will not be able to tell you. that. and it should be leading in the polls with job creation. his expertise has been lost in that narrative. >> that is being felt significantly? >> not significantly. joe market meet it is talking about job growth -- general market media is talking about job growth. >> about 11%. >> they consume english. they will be able to enjoy that. >> michael, jump in. [laughter]

>> have a friend who is an anglo. i aston, how was your christmas -- i ask him, how was your christmas. he said, it was goodbye did i get a chance to speak much. i said, there is no turn. you have to jump in there. >> we're talking about 25% of the latino votes. republic and will get 20, 24% no matter what's -- republicans will get 20%, 25%, no matter what. you're talking about this in between vote. states like nevada, for every

eight points you get with the latino vote, you get about one point in the overall outcome of the election. forre talking 3% are up grabs here in a state like colorado or nevada. the theory of the race -- romney can pivot. ads will start going up with his plans for the economy. haqqani will get him -- the economy will get him one or two votes. this is romney's approach. they will go to the polls -- "did the president the fill his promise to me?"

that will be the thing that wins him -- romney as to back away from actively turning people off. >> a lot of republicans will tell you that that will be his strategy. he needs to be something. t knows care mostly about the economy -- latinos care mostly about the economy. emigration is what we call a filter issue -- immigration. if we do not like the way you're speaking about immigration -- >> you're saying there is the tone of immigration as the entry issue. mitt romney has a problem with

the tone. if you say you don't care about a vote, they will not vote for you. mitt romney has been broadcasting is measures that he does not care about your vote and he has to solve that. let me ask you guys. let's say that you're called then -- let's say mitt romney is set to go and he says, "one of the points that i have to bring up in spanish language media to try to mitigate the damage?" what would you suggest to mitt romney that has the nomination. nate two are three points -- give me two are three points.

>> spanish language is different in terms of the tone and message. i will tell you why. we just came out of the field. risk an interesting thing that i didn't expect to hear. the people that listen when it came to romney they said, why didn't he say he was mexican? it went on and on in different states. he seemed to disrespect a heritage. it was something very personal and very cultural. >> will would do talent to do -- what would you tell them to do? >> he is going to have to talk about believing in the american dream and having the opportunity for these children, finding a pathway.

the same way he is having some movement on the dream act already. has to say he will make immigration reform a priority. >> same question to maria. they call you in -- >> romney? >> no. >> the democrats and president obama did not want to help you. they just want the issue to beat up on republicans. there is a case to be made there. every time he talks about immigration, he can say, i can get something done here. tell me that again. >> let me ask maria the same

question. obama calls you in and says, how do we hand out the lack of enthusiasm there may be in some segments of the line american community? -- of the latin american community? >> he will start speaking to latinos in spanish like he did during the campaign, which was very effective. [speaking spanish] mi casa blanca is your casa blanca. "here's where i need your help," eye to eye, into the camera.

>> they need to start talking to them in english. the majority of them -- 2.4 million people that have turned 80 years old and nobody is -- 18 years old talking to them -- that have turned 18 years old. it is fantastic with telemundo and univision. we have to start talking to the young people. if you want to talk to them, start talking to them in bilingual radio. i would start to identify surrogates. i would identify surrogates if i was obama. as far as romney, care about job creation and small business. --'s start talking to them

they are the fastest-growing small business owners. let's talk about family values. talk to them in a way that this issue based and not personal. >> we have to talk about age. when we talk about the long- range demographic trends, we're not talking met huge waves of immigrants coming to the country. republicans, the latino vote could be damaging long-term. it granted a generation of younger latinos democrat. arnold schwarzenegger tried. >> california was say swing state.

>> even after some compromise, what you'll see for a decade, kids in college now have in the mont been introduced to politics by thinking republicans are bad and democrats are good. >> there are microphones if you like to join the conversation. in my almost 30 years in television, i saw a shift of awareness in the white house of the latino importance with george w. obama has been far better from my perspective at reaching out to spanish-language media. the interview that i do it with him is in english and it airs on msnbc and on nbc.

he does cnn, you chime in in both languages. i think this white house has really made some huge efforts in reaching out to media. >> they know all the statistics you just rattled off. that will be part of the strategy. >> it is basically kabul together -- cobbled together. how do you get creative online? you have to work. obama has been great of online. >> yes, sir. >> a lot of the discussion has been tamped down to local strategy.

with the latest wave of immigration from mexico, it has been dispersed through the united states. traditionally it has gone through loss angeles and the agriculture areas -- los angeles. >> you're speaking about mexican americans? >> i am talking about undocumented labor. they have been so widely dispersed. one has to been more of a bottom-up kind of movement? >> to do what? >> to get the kind of immigration reform you think would be more popular with people who see labor on a daily basis. i have sympathy for people who use the labor.

>> i think alabama is a perfect example. they came together and said we need immigration. silicon valley or agriculture workers -- we're living in a time when there is a lot of fear. people are losing their homes. find leadership that gets selected based on that fear. alabama and georgia lost billions of dollars in agriculture. they went against the farmers. >> biggest growth has been in north carolina and south carolina and georgia in the latino population. those will be ripe for democrats to go after in several years.

there is not much political activity that you can do unless you're -- >> my show on sunday at noon on telemundo. they met with people in the car companies in korea that have plans in some states of america and they have been meeting with car officials in germany and korea. a law of things have been happening. there is a lot of work being done -- a lot of things have been happening. >> feeling the backlash -- fueling the backlash. the carolinas and the south and the midwest, you have latino populations living where they did not live before and that has made people feel like they

need to react. the pot pleasant as a% is too small to flip an election -- the population is too small to flip an election. >> we see this all the time. people live invisible for many others. in new york, go to the best french restaurant and the chefs that are coping are from pueblo. we call it puerbo york. for others, they are invisible. they do incredible work day in and day out. you are helping to make them invisible to your community.

>> i was doing set up for some events. people were being interviewed and they were undocumented. this is a town with 3000 reporters. nobody will look for them. >> good morning. the panel earlier talked about america in achieving a minority majority around 2040. we seem to get caught up in the black vote, the hispanic vote, the asian vote. is there any efforts to work collectively and -- >> you saw the march on selma. was a latino-african-american march. -- that was a latino- african-american march.

>> i know we have our own agendas. to sign any equation, you have to find the common denominator. i think we can take the power of the minority-majority if we can work collectively. >> right now we're working on a firm step and that is the voter registration. we're working with more than 80 national organizations. the conversation we need to have it is bringing the minorities and bringing together like-minded americans. that is when we start creating that space. i think that is where we have to have that conversation. to your point, we need to have

an honest conversation about the need for emigration. this is an american issue. we need the labor. we will basically -- everything is smoke and mirrors. >> and a political ping-pong. >> the majorities of americans support comprehensive immigration reform. it goes back to political courage. >> there are numbers involved that we should talk about. >> this has been interesting. i am a writer. i have always thought that one which has been what unified nations throughout history.

this is it long term question. how we got into this situation where people can live in the united states and not have to speak english -- is in this divisive? -- isn't this devisive? >> u.s. parents about whether they want their parents to speak english -- you asked parents. it is not that they do not want to speak english. if you're a parent and you have two or three jobs, when do have time? mayor bloomberg is doing a good job and the city of las vegas where they provide classes during lunchtime and the classes fill up. think our greatest strength --

you start talking about india and china at eating our lunch. we're more educated and have a higher health standard. why are we capitalizing on that? boy >> what about unifying? >>i think that is another issue that republicans have waded into to their detriment in terms of calling for english-only laws. the fear in the community is that everything is changing.

they hear these families speaking spanish. it doesn't have to inject fear. part of the problem is that we are not talking to each other. >> what language do you speak to each other? >> you can find committees that want to bring people together and i think that is what we need to do. >> i know entire school district that is bilingual. they're both learning english and spanish to gather. it is an asset -- both learning english and spanish together. >> know that we find the importance of english. you go to community centers across the country, across the southeast and there are non- hispanics learning spanish. cross seeing a great pollination. they want to learn the cuisine.

have these coffee talks with people trying to practice their english and they are trying to help each other. >> i was in california two weeks ago where people were waiting for a job by the home depot. i was asking them about the difficulties that they face. one of the guys was telling me -- [speaking spanish] he was sent his children were starting to lose some of their spanish. he is not able to speak with them about schoolwork. did not like he works eight or 10 or 12 hours. they are there from sunrise to sunset waiting for a job.

all of the most recent arrivals undocumented -- their children in mealie pickup english -- their children immediately pick up english. that was a reality i wanted to leave you with. >> good morning. i wanted to thank you for speaking so much about immigration as a filter issue. >> into the aspen-- thanks to the aspen institute for inviting us. >> both parties have been holding off on immigration. a lot of members are rallying around an anti woman health agenda.

latinos often have strong family values and are fairly conservative on social issues, how do you see that rhetoric affecting the vote in 2012? >> there was a study done on that issue with latinos. what it showed was that even though -- this goes to the mistake the republicans make when they say the latino community is much more socially conservative and therefore try to put above that a political filter. the latino community is much more parsley conservative -- personally conservative. some of the questions were top of mind. the majority of latinos agree

that women should have access to health care including contraception. that included most latino man who believe that. whole debate about the perception that the republican party was trying to do -- >> that is without the church element. >> the church element is important. those issues for latinos are personal issues. they don't bring that into the voting booth with them. >> that has changed. fodder is are mobilizing-- voters are mobilizing vertically for the first time the way black churches do. have the big prayer breakfasts. they are mobilized on those issues and have made a

difference on marriage amendments on the state level. the religious freedom issue. >> 60% of catholic latino women believe that it is their own decision. what is happening right now is where you live. if you are in rural arkansas, become an evangelical. they are teaching english and parenting and it becomes a funle. you'll see -- a funnel. you'll see a split in the latino vote on religion. >> i think the split is already occurring. bourbons have moved out of the

urban areas -- suburban have moved out of the urban areas. that will have a long-term economic of fact. >> add to that the immigration issue. they all agree on the immigration issue that the republican party is on the wrong side. the pastors are saying we want to get to a revolution. -- resolution. >> i interviewed a pastor in arizona who volunteered for bush in 2004 and has pictures of him all over her office and says she will not vote for romney and does not think she can vote for obama. >> will not vote for romney because? >> immigration. >> we have a few more minutes.

>> there seems to be a misunderstanding of the impact of these anti immigration policies. these reach deeply into families. then a family household, you may have a resident or citizen or somebody who is undocumented. what you have is the entire diamond -- a mix of household debt broken out. is resentment against obama because of that -- there is resentment against obama because of the. russell pierce the state attorney -- form a network of extreme right-wingers. folks on the ground no that is

-- those interests are republican. this goes back to 1980. it has the same lineage. resentment against obama is very deep. they would rather sleep with the devil. >> thank you for that. we talk about those that some are invisible and do a lot of our work and contribute to our economy. i met an incredible late last year who tell me that she lives in a neighborhood -- a small hispanic neighborhood in arizona. an american moved then who is a

sex offender. because he knows that in that neighborhood their little children, children of undocumented. that mother told me about how her community and her group of neighbors knows that one day he is going to rape one of their children. it is why he is there. because they cannot call the police. if they call the police, they fear deportation. there are people who move into neighborhoods to prey upon children knowing that it is easy, free, and uncostly pray for them. when we talk about people in puerbo york -- pueblo york the

work of the best restaurants and maybe prepare our rooms at hotels, that needs to be spoken about. it doesn't matter how you feel about the undocumented first is the documented. let's talk about general human decency. there are people in this country who live in fear that people move into the neighborhoods to rape their children knowing there is no cause behind it and have to live like that. it is about them. it is about those who have documents see that reality and say, this should not be happening. there but for the grace of god go it.

debate we should be having should not be democrat and republican. there but for the grace of god go i. should be no never it's a child rapist can move into. thank you for the opportunity and i thank this extraordinary panel. you have gone much more talkative. next time you have a family meeting, you'll be able to cut in and interrupt these people. thank you, all. [applause] ." >> this year's studentcam competition was asked what part of the constitution is important to them.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> in the summer of 1789, the constitutional convention was in session. politicians debate about edit bill of rights to the constitution federalists. that was unnecessary to write down someone's natural born right. i-federalist argued in their rights could not properly be protected unless they were written down first. on september 25 of 1789, congress passed 10 amendments to the constitution. these amendments are known as the bill of rights. ♪ ♪

>> the first amendment. >> inalienable rights. >> exercising his right to burn the flag in protest theme of freedom of religion. >> free speech. >> our country's first national document, the declaration of independence, spoke to unable rights given to americans by their creator. the truth is, our constitution says we are guaranteed freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. >> we are given our right from got including the pursuit of happiness. it is in god we trust. >> religion is one of the world's most recognized controversies. has been around since the beginning of human history. many countries still don't recognize certain religions and don't give a natural born right to choose what you want to believe in.

the first amendment grants the right of freedom of religion and it is a huge part of our society. and my life. this is my church. it is a methodist church. to understand the relationship between government and religion, my family took a trip to colorado springs where we visited the united states air force academy cadet chapel, one of the first chapel's commissioned by the u.s. government. the chapel not only accommodates many religions with different rooms and levels but also has some specific history having to do with the first amendment them until 1973, all the cadets were required to come to church. >> the supreme court ruled that was unconstitutional to require the cadets to come to church. since then it has been voluntary. >> this is important because i'm part of the experience, a traveling music ministry. ♪

although many do not share the same religion, we all have this freedom. >> we are all capable of making sound and rational decisions. if i hear someone talking about something that is outside of my religion, i certainly know that if i cannot get up and leave that i can tune it out. while i may be constrained in have to listen, i don't have to incorporate that into my personal beliefs. ♪ >> you want free speech? let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil the said standing center stage and advocating that which you spent a lifetime opposing of the top of yours. >> and of speech is recognized as one of the most important freedoms written into our constitution. it ensures freedom of expression and the ability to say whatever

we want to say not only in speech but in music and verse as well. music is a huge aspect of my life. as a performer, i have to use the expression as well as voice and speech to tell a story. although speech is the best way of open communication, many believe there are situations in which it is better not to speak. >> freedom is not the ability to do whatever you want to do. freedom is the ability to do what you want to do. >> rights are clearly important but we are based on rules law and we are all aware of the classic example that you have the freedom to say anything you want but you cannot stand up in a crowded stadium and yell " fire." >> even with these limits, a risk is taken every time one uses free-speech. >> any spoken word in class that

deviates from the views of another person may start an argument or cause a disturbance. our constitution says we must take this risk. >> that is the risk you take when you speak out. >> with every expression, freedom of speech gives everyone the opportunity to have their voice be heard. ♪ >> is america ready? >> is the u.s. next? >> behind the scandal larks serious danger. >> if you think you are immune, you better think again. >> freedom of the press is another right given to us and the first amendment. some consider the media biased, it is our average americans get their information.

i broadcast everything from local news to sports. most people recognize that the media is biased. it comes down to one simple fact -- >> we've got more information than we ever had before. we have the ability to pick and choose what we consume and what credence we get to that. ♪ >> the final freedom given to was in the first amendment is that of the right to assembly and petition. although we have many examples of protests and assemblies in the past, the most recent is that of recentoccupy movement that many young people are exercising their first amendment right and are petitioning the government and showing their grievances. >> this freedom is not always used in the right way. >> you have the right to assembly that is assured and the

constitution but remember that this is associated quite closely with the right to assemble. >> no matter how unpopular, this freedom is everyone's. >> a symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn the flag in protest. >> congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. >> or prohibiting the exercise their of. or the right of the people to peaceably assemble for a redress of grievances. it is everything we are about. >> and vitter is, from religion to petition, this is the land of the freight. >> go to studentcam.org to watch all the winning videos and continue our conversation on our facebook and twitter pages.

>> the brookings institution is hosting a forum on the housing market this morning we will have the acting director of the federal finance agency live on c-span 2 at 9:30 a.m. eastern. in a few moments, today's headlines and your calls live on "washington journal." the u.s. is it to the peace hosts a forum on the afghanistan brief -- peace process at 10:30. president obama will be in florida to talk about tax policy. we will be covering mitt romney at any event in wilmington, delaware live just before 6:00 p.m. eastern. in little more than half an hour, we'll discuss the 2012 campaign with the head of the ethics and committee of the southern baptist commission. we will be live in the u.s. is to the peace to discuss its mission and worked in mission and worked in