Obama hails 'genuine desire' for immigration reform

President Barack Obama Tuesday hailed a "genuine desire" among warring US politicians to pursue immigration reform, ahead of a speech laying out his own approach to the politically fiery issue. Obama headed to Las Vegas to begin to mobilize public support around a bid to bring 11 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows, ahead of a push for legislation that could form a glittering second-term legacy victory. "The good news is that -- for the first time in many years -- Republicans and Democrats seem ready to tackle this problem together," Obama said, in excerpts of his speech released as he flew west aboard Air Force One. Obama said that a new cross-party Senate effort to frame principles of a new law were in line with those he had laid down in his first term and in his re-election campaign.  "At this moment, it looks like there's a genuine desire to get this done soon and that's very encouraging," Obama said. Treacherous politics dashed similar efforts under president George W. Bush, but the rising muscle of Hispanic voters has shifted political calculations and created the most favorable climate for reform in years.As well as offering illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, the current plans would bolster border security and find a way to keep high-flying foreign graduates of US colleges in the country to catalyze economic growth. Obama repeatedly promised during his first term to push immigration reform and successfully laid the blame for the inertia on the Republican Party, which paid a heavy price as Hispanic voters flocked to the president last November.  Now, fearing the prospect of entering another presidential election in 2016 viewed as pariahs among Latino voters, key Senate Republicans have signed on to a bipartisan effort to forge comprehensive reform. White House officials believe that Obama has proven most effective when he is out in the country shaping public opinion rather than being bogged down in the hyper-partisan gridlock of the US capital. Hence the president's trip to gambling paradise Las Vegas, where heavy Hispanic support helped him win the key swing state of Nevada over Republican Mitt Romney in November, on the way back to the White House. In another sign of political momentum, the Senate plan was backed by Marco Rubio, a Cuban American and rising Republican star seen as a possible 2016 White House hopeful, who has a clear interest in wooing Hispanics.Rubio, seeking to ensure his compromise stance does not alienate the right-wing Republican base, ventured onto conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh's show on Tuesday to explain his position. He made clear that he would not sign up to any law that did not include vigorous enforcement of the US border in return for a transition period in which illegal immigrations would eventually become citizens. "If in fact this bill does not have real triggers in there ... I won't support it," said Rubio, while adding, "if we are going to deal with this (illegal immigration)let's deal with this once and for all." Obama is expected to state general principles rather than details of a plan. He will likely also praise what aides say is faster-than-expected progress in Congress, and argue principles he laid down in 2011 were a spur for change. With signs that Republicans are coming round to the need for reform, and even the most contentious issue, a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, Obama may have an incentive to avoid inflaming conservative criticism.White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama wanted to "continue a conversation with the American people about how we need to move forward and why we need to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform." "It is something that he has spoken about quite frequently since his re-election and made clear his commitment to act on this early in his second term. It's now the second week of his second term, and he is acting on it." Senior Obama aides say that given intense work six years ago, and in Obama's first term, the parameters of reform have long been clear -- what has been lacking is significant bipartisan support necessary for successful action. They also argue that Obama's frequent statements on immigration reform and strong performance among Hispanics partly explain the changed political winds. The plan unveiled Monday in the Senate would provide a "tough but fair" pathway to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants, once strengthened border security benchmarks have been met. It includes a strengthened employment verification system, improved skill-based immigration, better visa enforcement, and deportation for serious criminals.