Friends, Foes: Immigration Delay Purely Political

President Barack Obama is facing harsh criticism from liberals and conservatives over his decision to delay executive action on immigration until after the midterm elections.

Both sides say the president is playing politics.

But speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Obama denied his decision was designed to protect Democrats, who are facing difficult re-election campaigns in the senate.

Instead, he said that it was this summer's refugee crisis at the border that caused the delay.

But liberals and immigration reform advocates say the president broke his promise to act before the end of the summer.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," Arturo Rodriguez, president of United Farm Workers, said. "He broke his promise to the millions of immigrants and Latinos who are looking for him to lead on this issue in the wake of Republicans' dysfunction and obstruction."

And conservatives say the president is overreaching his presidential authority again, arguing he doesn't have the power to change immigration laws by himself.

"There is a never a 'right' time for the president to declare amnesty by executive action," House Speaker John Boehner said.

"But the decision to simply delay this deeply controversial and possibly unconstitutional unilateral action until after the election -- instead of abandoning the idea altogether -- smacks of raw politics," he charged.