This was supposed to be the time that the House and Senate got serious about immigration — by working out the differences between their drastically opposing bills and sending a solution to President Bush, who has made repairing the immigration system one of his cornerstone promises to Americans. It was going to be a hard job, involving lots of focused attention and a willingness to compromise. A hard job, but that's what we pay these people for. But wait. Hold on. House Republican leaders have decided they don't want to negotiate just yet....
The House has a much more simple-minded solution: walling immigrants out and calling the rest felons...
A senior member of the Republican leadership, Representative Deborah Pryce of Ohio, called the Senate legislation the "Kennedy bill," a nasty bit of partisan mislabeling that would surprise Arlen Specter and the other Republican co-sponsors, including Mel Martinez and John McCain.
If the Republicans really wanted to listen, they would listen to a recent poll that found that Americans are coming around to President Bush's immigration views. Or to the more than 500 economists who signed an open letter to Mr. Bush arguing that immigration is a net plus for the nation's economy.
Given the topics that have preoccupied Congress lately, one wonders why the Republicans don't simply propose a catchall bill aimed at illegal gay liberal Mexican flag burners and be done with it. The immigration debate has been obscured for too long by a fog of distortion and fear, and the House Republicans are gambling that the public won't see through it. The American people deserve better. They deserve action on a good immigration bill, and if this do-nothing Congress won't give it to them, they should elect a Congress that will.
These Republicans, including Pryce, are just trying to make a show of things. They aren't actually interested in solving any problems. As a matter of fact, this Republican controlled House of Representatives has accomplished nothing. It is time to throw the Republicans bums out. We need members of Congress who will actually get the job done.
Update:
Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10th) is for staying the course in Iraq. Born in 1975, McHenry is still young enough to join the military. Now that the Army has raised the enlistment age to 42, McHenry could show his real support of the war by enlisting in the Army. Someone should send enlistment papers to McHenry. Why should McHenry advocate sending our sons and daughters to Iraq when he would be an excellent candidate for military service??????