June 10, 2007
S. B. D. :
Maverick Hits Back on Immigration (Ruben Navarrette, 6/09/07, Real Clear Politics)
Sen. John] McCain is correct about the need for comprehensive immigration reform as opposed to what's behind door No. 2: the "faith-based" enforcement-only approach of building walls, hoping illegal immigrants self-deport and calling it a day. Congress did something similar with immigration reform in 19[8]6, and -- as Sen. Sam Brownback noted in last week's presidential debate -- all we have to show for it is a population of illegal immigrants nearly twice as large now as it was then. [...]McCain zeroed in on one of his most vocal critics, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. On immigration, as on other hot-button issues, Romney has held nearly as many positions as there are days in the week. Recently, McCain told the Miami Chamber of Commerce that voters should come down hard on candidates who find it easier to criticize the solutions of others than to offer solutions of their own. While the Arizonan didn't mention Romney by name, the McCain campaign made clear it was Romney the senator was criticizing.
"To want the office so badly that you would intentionally make our country's problems worse might prove you can read a poll or take a cheap shot, but it hardly demonstrates presidential leadership," McCain told the group.
"Pandering for votes on this issue, while offering no solution to the problem, amounts to doing nothing. And doing nothing is silent amnesty."
Remember that phrase. Silent amnesty.
The political imperative--which they've helped create--to end the silent amnesty is the petard upon which the nativists will be hoist, because any measure that attempts to ameliorate the situation is just a Trojan Horse for amnesty, as the Reagan reform was. Posted by Orrin Judd at June 10, 2007 8:55 AM
Read the polls OJ. Americans can deal with assimilating the 12MM that are already here as long as some effort is made to make the borders more secure and to enforce the laws that are already on the books. The bill made no effort to address enforcement and focused all on giving the 12MM the path to citizenship. That, plus the arrogance of McCain et al (who has plunged in the polls given the immigration brouha) to slam it through the senate in less time it takes to do a building rename bill caused the bill's demise.
Posted by: AWW at June 10, 2007 9:47 PMyes, the polls say vast majorities want them legalized and the borders protected. The Right has chosen to emphasize the latter so much that it feels obligated to do something about it. When it tries to it will accidentally achieve only the former. But it will see the bill as a victory. Politics isn't rocket science--it's easy stuff.
Posted by: oj at June 10, 2007 10:31 PM