Nov 28, 2014 4 min read

Editorial voices from newspapers around the country as compiled by the Associated Press:

President Obama succinctly articulated the case for reforming America’s immigration laws in his speech to the nation Nov. 20. It’s just too bad he had to use the occasion to justify taking executive action because Congress failed to do the job itself.

In explaining why he will defer deportation of as many as 4 million undocumented immigrants in this country, the president said his action was forced by Congress’ inaction. To those members of Congress who question the wisdom his action, Obama had a three word response: “Pass a bill.”

That is exactly what should happen.

The Senate passed an immigration reform bill last year with the support of 68 Republicans, Democrats and independents. Among other things, the bill would double the number of Border Patrol agents to answer the stock criticism we must first seal the border. The bill would then create a path toward citizenship for those undocumented immigrants who pay a fine, taxes and go to the back of the line. That bill reportedly has enough votes to pass the House, but it was blocked by Speaker John Boehner to mollify the tea party wing of his party.

This is neither an unconstitutional power grab nor unprecedented. That said, Obama’s executive action is unprecedented in scope, which may backfire politically. Instead he should have kept the heat on Congress to pass immigration bill that would be permanent and more comprehensive.

Passing that bill would be the best response by Republicans who object to the president’s action.

When Congress – not if – sends the president a bill authorizing the Keystone XL oil pipeline, he ought to sign it contingent on approval by the legislatures in the states affected. The fixation on this pipeline has become irrational, and it shouldn’t be decided by irrational politicians.

The Keystone is what is called a red herring. It’s a distraction from far more important issues. But it’s one Republicans use to generate emotional capital they can use against the president.

The reality is both the concerns against and the benefits touted about the pipeline are exaggerated. The jobs would be temporary, so the economic benefit is grossly overpromoted. It isn’t about gas prices, which already are low and falling. At the same time, the environmental concerns seem hollow. Canada already is mining the oil, and the U.S. State Department concluded the risk of an oil spill is slight.

The debate over the Keystone XL shouldn’t be in Washington but at the state level. The fight over the XL should be in Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

It isn’t fair for politicians to cast away the interests of the local citizens who will live with the pipeline for their own political gain.

Once again, truth turns out to be stranger than fiction: The National School Boards Association ended its brief partnership with a large corporation that supposedly was going to help it convince kids not to take up smoking. And which large corporation might that be, you ask?

Why, it was R.J. Reynolds, the nation’s second-largest cigarette maker.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Far be it from us to question the good intentions of the folks at RJR, but they did promote the Joe Camel cartoon character in their commercials, for nine years, in what the Stanford School of Medicine called “a transparent effort to greatly increase their market share of young smokers.”

For its part, the National School Boards Association probably just wanted the issue to go away.

But well done, NSBA, for ending a relationship that was a bad idea from the start.