In view of John Boehner's historically lilliputian guidance of his enormously backward caucus, I'm experiencing some serious skepticism about the House leadership's immigration-reform proposal. For starters, to even call it a proposal is an act of political generosity; "the document," notes the NY Times, is only about a page long, hardly "a blueprint for action." But more than that, the knives came out, instantly, and the prospect of a battling Boehner remains highly improbable.
National Review editorially slammed the House leadership's gentle push toward long-term political health, arguing, as all pseudoconservative voices have become wont to do, that this year's elections are of supremest importance. To rock no boats, to entertain no thought, to countenance no divergence from the GOP's singular anti-Obamacare screed is the smart play.
That's NR's rather insistent advice, and the Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol couldn't agree more. Any intelligent action on immigration reform is "one of the few things that could actually disrupt what looks like a strong Republican year," he told the Times, thereby teeing up for Republicans an absolutely disastrous 2016--assuming Democrats refuse to hand them the gift of compromise in 2015. And of course the quite possibly developmentally disabled Senator Jeff Sessions is already working with his House counterparts to sabotage Boehner's designs.
Again, I doubt it comes to this, but Democrats would, I think, be wise to hold firm in 2014. Any immigration-reform bill that could squeak through this reactionary House would, by definition, be a setback for judicious, visionary reform. Ameliorative legislative efforts in 2015 would be doomed, coming so soon after what Republicans would hail as their immigration triumph for all times, which in turn could complicate the Latino vote in 2016--now safely, and overwhelmingly, Democratic.
Right you are. There is no bill this House could pass on immigration reform that could possibly solve any problems. And because of that it is the perfect issue to continuously troll before the Republicans.
Posted by: Peter G | January 28, 2014 at 11:25 AM