Legal immigration has been a sacred cow since the 1965 immigration law. No mainstream pol has ever suggested lowering the annual intake quotas. Until Walker. That is why he is attracting so much flak from GOP and Democratic pols alike. A significant number of major donors on both sides of the aisle require the pols they support to, at minimum, be pro-legal immigration and to support the expansion of the current intake quotas. Walker is writing off the big GOP donors who have imposed this litmus test, and that will have some impact on his viability as a major candidate. Money isn't everything to a political campaign, but it is very, very important.
With our infrastructure, roads, electric grids, and water problems, shouldn't we take a break from foreigners?
Legal immigration has been a sacred cow since the 1965 immigration law. No mainstream pol has ever suggested lowering the annual intake quotas.You're quite right that it has been conventional wisdom in politics to speak highly of legal immigration. In the case of Republican politicians, vocally supporting legal immigration is the shield they hold up to fend off attacks from Democrats who charge racism is at the root of GOP opposition to illegal immigration. Gov. Walker's current stance, if sincere and not an election ploy, is a bold departure. We'll have to wait to see the net effect on his candidacy.
He will also be able to lever this against illegal immigration which hurts both domestic Americans and legal immigrants.