I believe there are many Republicans who, like me, are disgusted with what the Republican leadership is trying to do with immigration reform.
A recent poll by John McLaughlin exposed how much we’ve been lied to by Republicans on this issue. They have been telling us that Republicans need to do this to get us into the graces of Latino voters. The poll, however, revealed that immigration reform is dead last on a list of legislative priorities of Latino voters. The economy was first, health care was second, education was third, and immigration reform was last.
Oh, I should qualify that. Immigration reform was last on the list for legal Latino voters. Latinos who were not registered voters (i.e. – when they vote, they would be illegal voters) felt that immigration reform should be the highest on this list of priorities. Hmmm . . . wonder why that would be?
The poll also revealed that Latino voters are more hawkish than Republican leaders on a host of immigration reform specifics, from border enforcement to the granting of government benefits and exactly when a path to citizenship should be activated.
But to John Boehner, on the other hand, the importation of more big-government voters by relaxing the laws on illegal immigration is his highest priority. Just what his motivations are, I’m not sure, but they have to be corrupt. It might be for donations from corporate donors, it might be because he wants to ingratiate himself with the rest of the establishment who hold the reins of power, or it might be because he is, contrary to how he wants to portray himself, actually in favor of big government and so wants to import more voters who will push for bigger government.
The whole contention of the Republican leadership on this is ridiculous on its face. They contend that this will help Republicans at the polls. Really? Then why are Democrats pushing it? Are we to believe that the Republicans are blindsiding the Democrats here? When in history has that ever happened? The whole idea is ridiculous. They want us to act as though we can’t see what we actually see and just believe what they tell us.
I believe that Paul Ryan’s pro-immigration-reform speech yesterday in Wisconsin was made because Boehner is pressing him to help lead on this, much as Marco Rubio was used in the Senate by Mitch McConnell to try to put a conservative face on the issue. Boehner is absolutely intent on this. And I am hearing from many conservatives that they have figured out his strategy, which is this: Get a bill through the House. Any bill. It would be a bill that, on its face, would be acceptable to most conservatives. Then, in conference committee, do the little bait-and-switch with Boehner’s hand-picked conferees and voilá, we have a comprehensive Democrat importation bill that will be acceptable to Democrats and will be voted on in the House and will pass, thanks to House Democrats and a few House Republicans.
I believe that Boehner will only be stopped on this issue if he comes to feel that his speakership may be in jeopardy over this. He seems to be that intent. Hopefully, there will be enough of an outcry that this will be the case.
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