While the political elite is increasingly whiter and over 50.

Giving migrant workers the right to a driver's license is a good move but given that the political elite is whiter and older, they are not too keen on the whole deal. Middle/working class brown people are a threat, not the brown agrarian & poverty stricken cherry or tomato pickers.

The issue really is not the licenses or IDs. the issue is how Spitzer has gone and decided to unveil and implement the plan. He has not engaged none of the latino, african american or ... gasp ... pro-migrant democrats in Albany. it's been all very clickish and behind doors.

That's why he's come under fire here in NY. the republican reaction was expected; but his lack of coordination with minority state senate democrats has been absolutely crass.