Amnesty Again - W. James Antle, III
May 16, 2009
By W. James Antle, III
Try as they might, neither Bush nor McCain were ever able to convince the American people that they were willing to do what it takes to secure the country's porous borders. Whenever Bush or McCain said 'immigration reform,' the voters heard 'amnesty now, enforcement never.' Much as happened when the first major bipartisan amnesty, the Immigration Reform and Control Act, was passed in 1986.
For this reason, Obama has tread carefully. Although Democrats control both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue and the enforcement-first Republicans who defeated two Bush-era immigration bills have been reduced to an ineffectual rump, the immigration issue is fraught with political peril -- especially for Democrats representing historically Republican congressional districts, many of whom were recruited by White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel himself in his past role as Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman.
The American Spectator
This entry is in the following archive(s): Opinion
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