A New York Times article today says that Senator Clinton accepted over $150,000 in campaign contributions from executives at International Profit Associates (I.P.A.), a consulting company owned by disbarred New York lawyer James R. Burgess.

Not only does Burgess have a criminal record for attempted larceny and patronizing a 16-year-old prostitute, the company itself has a sordid reputation. Sexual harassment charges are being pressed by the EEOC against I.P.A. on behalf of 113 female employees of the company. I.P.A. has also received 470 complaints from the Better Business Bureau and is being investigated by the Illinois attorney general for deceptive marketing tactics.

The NY Times contained an article today that featured quotations from various politicians questioning the effectiveness of the May 1 rallies in changing votes in Congress on immigration legislation. While the rallies and marches across the country may not have changed votes immediately, the increased visibility makes it difficult for Congressional leaders to ignore the question of immigration reform.

For context, it is interesting to think back to the history of May 1, celebrated internationally as labor day. Although it is no longer recongized here as labor day, May 1 was initiated in this country when immigrant workers, organizing for the 8-hour workday, called for a general strike in 1886. We continue to benefit from the efforts of these earlier generations of immigrant workers who fought for and established many of the labor rights and working standards we enjoy today. Without comprehensive immigration reform that legalizes the status of immigrant workers in our country, defending the corrosion of these standards is more challenging. While the actions of May 1 may not have won votes immediately, they added momentum for reformed immigration policies.