Add immigration to the critical list

This good day is getting even better. Now Politico reports that "The elusive goal of 70 votes for the Senate immigration bill started to slip from the Gang of Eight’s grasp on Wednesday, as potential swing GOP votes began to peel away from the reform effort." Splendid news, in that it further reduces the odds of any movement in the House.

This is the worst possible time to throw a life preserver to the delightfully endangered Republican Party, and successful immigration reform--even inadequate immigration reform--would be just that: a political lifesaver for a party that by rights should be pushed--and held--under.

No matter how wretched, any passed bill would be hailed by GOPers as legislative proof of their cultural enlightenment, their philosophical turnaround, the end of their despicably nativist days. It would mostly be a lie, of course, but that the GOP does exceptionally well. All the party needs is something in writing, signed by the president, to certify its rehabilitation and thus con millions of Latinos.

Republicans could pull it off. They just need a bill, any bill, which some Senate Democrats seem foolish enough to procure for them--all in a misguided, shortsighted attempt to deliver reform straightaway, as promised.

No, no, deliver it in 2015, with Democratic majorities, in a more liberal, Democratic way. Give nothing to Republicans; deny them all opportunities to take credit in the run-up to 2014--which is one of the major routes to possessing those delivering majorities in 2015.  

That, anyway, is my take.

Comments

[japa21]

I think the GOP's ability to con people, other than the true believers, is slipping away.

And I think this is specially true in the latino community.

And any bill that passes the Senate is going nowhere in the House. And those GOP Senators that approve it * ahem* Graham * ahem* will be in trouble with the base and won't gain any support in the latino community because of it.

2014 is going to be a very interesting year.

[japa21]

To clarify, I think the Dems need to make a big opush for immigration reform, even including some of the GOP proposals, and shout it out loud and proud. As much as the GOP needs to be plastered with the onus of there not being reform, the Dems need to be credited with trying to make it happen.

[Peter G]

It is a rational argument to be sure. Do think Hispanic voters will notice their interests have been back burnered yet again. It is true that the republicans may lard a bill with so many toxic provisions no decent person could vote for it. And so many Democrats would be forced to vote no on immigration reform. There is that risk yet an honest effort is owned to immigrant communities. You must rely on their judgement as to who represents their interests or what's a democracy for.

[AnneJ]

I see where you're coming from, but then won't the republicans just turn around and try and make the president look bad over this?

[Peter G]

Of course they will AnneJ, regardless of what happens. As to the wisdom of waiting until after the very problematic mid term elections, I would refer our host to the numerous left leanings blogs where a serious debate is under way as to whether Obama most closely resembles Stalin or Hitler. Good luck in 2014.