When Bush entered office, immigration reform was on his agenda. Congress agreed to work on it.
Because of 9-11, they took it off the table.
As they got the pressing issues of terrorism and the war squared away, work on immigration reform began.
In late 2003, Agjobs was introduced. In Jan and Feb of 04 much more happened. McCains bill was introduced, Then Cornyns, then the Bush Plan, then Daschle-Hagel, and finally Kennedy-Gutierrez.
Now, over a year later, that is where we still set.
There are two problems. The republicans are split and no one has enough votes to pass anything. Second, the immigration crowd is stirring up dust and many Congressmen are worried about getting re-elected.
As they should be.
- 9/11 happened and we must realize we live in a post-9/11 world where terrorists still want to attack us.
- Article IV Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution is not negotiable.
- America is for American citizens. American jobs are for American citizens. American prosperity is for American citizens.
Any Congresscritter who does realize these things needs to go find another job.
From Pete Wilson in CA to Utah (not a hot bed of Blue) to Illinois, the anti-immigrant voters are able to lose, and sometimes to sink a candidate they agree with on 80% of the issues. But the anti-immigrant voters are only rarely able to win.
One reason for that is that in their passion for the issue, they see no need for smart strategy and tactics. A second reason is that, similar to the pro-life passionate, they are often unwilling to work in coalitions with people who agree with them on 80% of the issues.
In a 7 candidate IL GOP primary for US Sen, Oberweiss ran an anti-immigrant ad that gave him a 10% bump in the polls and that bump carried thru to election day to carry him to 2d place in the 7 candidate field. But the #1 and #3 and #4 and #6 candidates for 70% of the vote were all "pro-immigrant".
In 5 towns I knocked door to door for the #3 candidate with good words for the #1 candidate, knowing he was going to win the primary but did not have the cajones needed in the US Sen. Consistently the 70% of GOP primary voters ridiculed Oberweiss for his anti-immigrant stand. Overwhelmingly, these voters agreed with the #1, #2, #3 candidates on pro-life, cutting government spending, education choice and other conservative coalition issues. Interestingly, the only pro-abortion candidate was also very anti-immigrant. But due to his stand on abortion, he came in last, despite being supported by the GOP State Chair and her patronage and having the wisdom of the professor of Illinois politics.