I have to give Rove, if it was Rove, credit on this one. Bush kicked the can on border security and enforcement for six years. Here is a description of the stunt they pulled off last year:
A bill to bring in 10's of millions of more green carders and immigrant, and I'm talking about new laws way beyond an amnesty of illegals already here, would not have a chance in hell standing alone. How does one get it passed? You need nice words like "welcoming society" but one can point out we already take in 1 million per year.
They had to couple it with security. Bush kicked the can down the road for six years heightening the sense of crisis, and aiming to provoke a sense of inevitability and resignation among Republicans.
It worked on some, you can see it here. Their faith in Bush is in crisis, they are accepting his "comprehensive" memes. Comprehensive doesn't mean comprehensive in the normal sense, but you acceptance of Bush's definition of it. People feel they need to trade their economic well-being with Bush giving them in return border security. Bush played these cards well.
The surprise, for me, is how the Democrats and left have stated no dissent. The blogs are silent, but then the Left blogs are part of the same class as rules the Democrats - globalist, anti-worker, anti-middle class, anti-American. - this time -though it may have been Norquist or others who calculated this "comprehensive" idea. Insourcing 50 million+ new migrants wouldn't have a chance in hell of passing alone. It has to be coupled with
Why would the Democrats object? They will get at least 20 million new voters out of this and a parade of stupidly short-sighted Republicans is handing them electoral dominance for a generation.
Shermy, great point... it's absurd that 'border security' is now the 'compromise element' to bring the GOP on board what is 95% simply illegal immigrant legalization/amnesty,
when 'border security' is in the budget alrady and should have been done all along!
I also believe it is fundamentally wrong to not fix *INTERIOR ENFORCEMENT* too. Nobody is talking about it but it is more fundamentally broken than our border. Without the ability to deport ilegal immigrants and fine the employes of illegal immigrants, and without real verification programs, we continue to see illegal immigrant employment mushroom.