Why now? Because neither Republican voters nor Democrat voters want it. Opposition to the bill is in the neighborhood of 80%, which probably includes most blacks, union workers, and even legal Hispanics.
A Republican president was unable to get amnesty through a Republican congress. A Democrat president, supposing hillary is elected next year, will be unable to get it past the labor unions and the blacks without mortally offending them. Each party needs the other to blame the fallout on.
That’s why Harry Reid insisted that this is Bush’s bill, and why Bush needs Teddy Kennedy to take charge of it.
Ironically, IF WE MANAGE TO SHOOT THIS ABOMINATION DOWN, the businesses that hire illegals will be screwed, because the people are waking up to what is being done. Whether the Democrats or the Republicans win in 2008, they will be pushed very hard to enforce the law. So they need to make all these people legal NOW.
It’s now or never for both sides. Call your senators and everyone else who has any influence on this, including local politicians and newspapers.
“... the businesses that hire illegals will be screwed...” because it will harder to force us to subsidize their cheap labor.
Excellent analysis. Quite logical and believable.
Here’s what I don’t understand: if all these cheap laborers are legalized, don’t they become subject to minimum wage laws? How does this help businesses? Of are businesses going to fire all the now-legal folks and hire the next wave of cheap illegals instead? If the latter, what are the now-legal folks going to do?
bttt
I think there is also a very personal angle for Bush : he wants lay the groundwork for his nephew George P. Bush who he nicknamed "44".
According to the Rich Lowry article this week it is big business in States like Arizona who are beating this drum. We have hurt them with our propositions the past two election cycles and this abomination of a bill supercedes everything we voters have accomplished — like Voter ID, no freebies for illegals, English Only and more....