Immigration politics
Posted by Joseph Knippenberg
My Senators are on the hot seat, but TNR’s John B. Judis explains what he regards as Harry Reid’s uncharacteristically astute win/win strategy on immigration:
By branding the measure "the President’s bill," Reid has ensured that the Republicans get the blame for supporting the provisions and for failing to pass the bill itself. Hispanic voters are angry with the Republicans for holding up the vote on the bill. And the Republican base is angry with the White House for supporting the bill. When Reid yanked the bill off the floor for the lack of Republican support, that was a defeat for immigration reform, but a political victory for the Democrats. With the measure returning to the floor this week, Reid will have to continue his magic act.If the bill fails, Reid will say it’s the President’s fault. If the bill passes, he’ll blame the unpopular portions on the President’s party. Republicans can’t afford to make it this easy for him.
Update: My Senators
no longer seem to be on the hot seat.
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JK, let's just kill the bill. We'll worry about blame thereafter. We know, entre nous, that Bush is as responsible as anyone for this nightmarish piece of legislation. He was the driving force behind this bill. And he was the driving force for its resurrection. Bush told the Democrats that he would sign ANYTHING that got to his desk on this issue. As he allowed Kennedy to draft his education "reform," so too he's more than content to allow the Democrats to draft this bill, with a few Republicans, such as McCain's following, {McCain, Graham, Lott, Kyl, Martinez} along for window-dressing.
This second term has become a nightmare, an absolute nightmare of epic proportions. We would need a Tolkien to do it all justice.
Good for Isakson and Chambliss! We made them feel the heat.