Opinion: Social media wrap: Bloomberg, Murdoch, mayors and business leaders call for immigration reform
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Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch joined fellow media tycoon Michael Bloomberg in calling for immigration reform Thursday before a congressional subcommittee.
Perhaps an unlikely alliance given Murdoch’s ownership of the New York Post and the tab’s frequent criticism of New York Mayor Bloomberg’s administration, the two were a cozy coalition in front of the same House Judiciary panel that last week hosted comedian Steven Colbert (who also testified on immigration issues, but a bit less seriously).
The media barons also announced a new joint initiative called Partnership for a New American Economy and website RenewOurEconomy.org that seeks to promote a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. alongside the securing of American borders and restrictions on business hiring of illegal workers.
Bloomberg tweeted repeatedly on issues he raised before the committee, largely spelling out the ...
... mandate of a group of nationally recognized pols and business leaders (full list below) recently formed by the mayor and Murdoch (himself an immigrant to the U.S. who became an American citizen in 1985).
Bloomberg tweeted:
+ The more difficult we make it for foreign workers & students to come and stay here, the more likely companies will be to move jobs overseas.
+Immigrants create new companies that produce jobs. Look at @Google @Yahoo & @eBay
+ I believe immigration reform is an issue where Democrats Republicans & Independents can find common ground http://bit.ly/bHSiS1
+ Fixing our broken immigration policy must become our top national priority
+ America must secure our borders and decide who we want here and who we don’t #tcot#immigration
+ Our broken system of immigration is undermining our economy, slowing our recovery and hurting millions of Americans
Murdoch, who is neither on Twitter or Facebook, defended Fox News’ coverage of illegal-immigration issues and told the committee: ‘As an immigrant, I chose to live in America because it is one of the freest and most vibrant nations in the world. And as an immigrant, I feel an obligation to speak up for immigration policies that will keep America the most economically robust, creative and freedom-loving nation in the world.”
The bipartisan group’s members include Julián Castro, Mayor, San Antonio, Phil Gordon, Mayor, Phoenix, Bob Iger, Chairman & CEO, Walt Disney Co., Bill Marriott, Jr., Chairman & CEO, Marriott International, Jim McNerney, Chairman, CEO & President, Boeing, Michael Nutter, Mayor, Philadelphia, Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor, Los Angeles, Sam Adams, Mayor, Portland, Oregon, Richard Anderson, CEO, Delta Air Lines, Cory Booker, Mayor, Newark, New Jersey, Ursula Burns, Chairman & CEO, Xerox Corporation, Ken Chenault, Chairman & CEO, American Express, John Cook, Mayor, El Paso, Texas, Francisco D’Souza, President & CEO, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Daniel S. Fulton, President and CEO, Weyerhaeuser, James P. Gorman, President & CEO, Morgan Stanley, Reid Hoffman, Executive Chairman and co-Founder, LinkedIn, Dennis Nixon, President & CEO, IBC Bank, Rob Speyer, President & Co-CEO, Tishman Speyer, Joe Uva, President & CEO, Univision Communications Inc., Fred Wilpon, Chairman & Co-Founder, Sterling Equities, Deborah Wright, President & CEO, Carver Bank, Jerry Yang, Co-founder and Chief Yahoo, Yahoo! Inc., Mort Zuckerman, Chairman & Publisher, US News & World Report & NY Daily News. -- Craig Howie
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