Posted on 05/21/2007 3:39:25 AM PDT by Zakeet
It's understandable that the White House and its Senate negotiating partners want to rush through the compromise immigration bill they agreed to Thursday. Supporters acknowledge that the delicately balanced legislation could collapse if a single destructive amendment is attached to it. Its sponsors admit they want to minimize the political debate. "We all know this issue can be caught up in extracurricular politics unless we move forward as quickly as possible," says Sen. John McCain , a key architect of the bill.
But this is no way to debate the most sweeping change to our nation's immigration laws in two decades--especially since the last comprehensive attempt, the Immigration Reform and Control Act, failed so spectacularly. The new bill is set to pass with much less analysis in the Senate than the 1986 law, known as Simpson-Mazzoli, had. Senators did not even receive the bill draft until midnight Saturday. After a test vote scheduled for today, Majority Leader Harry Reid is planning a final vote on the bill this Thursday, only one week after the compromise was struck. Shouldn't senators have time to actually read the bill they're being asked to vote on?
Even a key supporter of the bill, Sen. Jon Kyl or Arizona, admitted to radio host Hugh Hewitt that "we don't have to rush the bill through the Senate in a week. . . . Hopefully, the majority leader would allow it to carry over beyond the Memorial Day recess so we could complete it."
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
For those who missed the excitement, on Saturday the Journal pretty much endorsed the Kennedy Release and Amnesty Plan ("KRAP"), as you can see here. Their readership flamed them in no uncertain terms for that position as you can see here. Accordingly, the Journal has backed down substantially by taking the position that we need to at least wade through the 1,000 pages of KRAP before we vote on it.
From time to time, forums like this, and the opinions of readers do make a difference.
Way more than we might think. I see ideas from my blog show up in all sorts of places. At least, I think I do.
You sure at your Journal early. Good cub.
John McCain the main agent in the sale of America.
He wants to be President? I wouldnt vote for him for dog catcher.
This is the closest the WSJ can come to arguing that the people should decide and that there should be a public referendum on immigration. A step in the right
direction. Maybe even a realization that they won’t get their open borders?
It's not a change in position. This is John Fund's column, not 'Review & Outlook'.
Actually, we don’t need immigration reform and we don’t need a huge act of congress and we don’t need to be stuck with the status quo. What we need is to simply enforce the laws already on the books.
“What a change in position by the WS Journal!”
A betting man might suggest the change is little more than skin deep.
Perhaps there's a wee bit of hope for us yet.
Good points... I’m really amazed that the Administration and GOP “Leaders” all seem so ignorant of the internet, to the point of being surprised when something stupid that they’ve done (Harriet Miers nomination) gets slammed and they are surprised. In many ways, they should be using the internet to float trial balloons and to identify real problems in policies that are being developed. Whether they like it or not, there really is “wisdom” in the Mob.
Rather than relying on their, I’m sure, competent staffs to review pieces of legislation like this, they should be watching the analyses emerging from various blogs and see the issues that generate the real contention and be prepared to address those concerns.
JMHO.
Fred Thompson/John Bolton ‘08, I’ll buy that.
“John McCain the main agent in the sale of America.”
I’d say he’s number 2, right after Bush.
Bush has turned into his father.
It would be too much to hope that Republicans could filibuster it.
Closest the President get’s to a PC is Atari 2300.
Algore gts aweay with saying the dbate is over on GW. Now McCain thinks he knows best. Anyone else see a pattern, here?
Opposition to the Kennedy Immigration Bill is growing, and rightfully so. Here’s some good reading on the issue; stay informed, and spread
the word that this bill is bad for America.
“Don’t Be Fooled.”
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OWMwNDIyNjBmNDRjMTNjYWM3ODg5ZWU0OTZiMTMyZjg
Lots of good links and info
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
“No Matter What You Call It, It’s Amnesty.”
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MmViN2Y4NzYyMmVlNzE4OWNiN2M0YTIwMWQ2NDUxOTQ
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Fred Thompson: “Scrap it.”
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjEzYTc5YjA2ZGNiZjlmZDJkMTllYmE4MjE3ZmY1OTY
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“Bipartisan Fantasy.”
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NWQxN2JiNTEwNzU4NDY1Y2EzZjQ3N2Y1OGNlMDk0ZTg
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Amen.
That should be the rallying cry against this Bill.
I think it might die in the House, where public opinion has more effect.
One point that I keep trying to make is that it is the state and local governments, not the federal government, that are the problem in this. People complain about the Feds not deporting illegals - but how can they, when many of our biggest cities have laws preventing law enforcement, hospitals or schools from enquiring about immigration status or reporting it if it is not in order? Federal funding for “bilingual” miseducation has been massively reduced under Bush, yet individual states and municipalities have gone ahead and funded it anyway with local taxpayer dollars. Federal welfare dollars cannot be given to illegal immigrants; yet local government gets around this in any number of creative ways, mostly by never inquiring about immigration status. Voting regulations that do not demand ID or provide materials in languages other than English or permit non-English speakers to have “assistance” in voting are also local provisions.
So in many ways, I find the debate over federal law to be almost meaningless, simply because any law itself is going to be meaningless as long as states and municipalities can simply do what they want to thwart it. I sometimes find it ironic that Freepers, of all people, think the Federal government can wave a magic wand and everything will be alright.
This, of course, is directly the result of the Dem party, which sees this as a way of harvesting voters and works hard to keep its farm of captive immigrants. But except for one or two local initiatives I have read about recently, I have not seen anyone here complain about the level of government where these policies are actually happening.
I am in favor of a guest worker program, btw, because most Mexicans actually want to be able to legally go back to Mexico after they have earned some money here. But the state and local Dems have a vested interest in keeping them here, so regardless of what Congress does, I don’t think there will be any change.
I agree with you. This is Mr. Fund’s opinion. I am sure it will be “noted” in the halls of power at the WSJ.
I gave up my 45 year subscription to the paper solely because of this issue. In addition, I stopped contributing to the Club for Growth because of its refusal to have a position on immigration.
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