No Immigration Reform For You!

Have we, as a party, completely lost our way? I’ve read about a dozen articles today telling me that we’re going to focus on all-security-all-the-time between now and election day. Then I saw this article from the New York Times.

As they prepare for a critical pre-election legislative stretch, Congressional Republican leaders have all but abandoned a broad overhaul of immigration laws and instead will concentrate on national security issues they believe play to their political strength.

When did immigration and national security become separate, distinct, and mutually exclusive? Most of the people who are clamoring for immigration reform view it as a matter of national security because of our porous borders, but also as a matter of security for our economic interests, as well.

What’s worse is the reasoning for all of this.

[K]ey lawmakers and aides who set the Congressional agenda say they now believe it would be politically risky to try to advance an immigration measure that would showcase party divisions and need to be completed in the 19 days Congress is scheduled to meet before breaking for the election.

We came to power in 1994 demanding Congress tackle the politically sensitive issues that Democrats refused to face because of this same convoluted logic. They didn’t want to do what’s right for the country because it might harm the party.

It was bullshit logic in 1994 and it’s still bullshit logic today. If we lose control of the House/Senate in November, we’ll have gutless moves like this to thank for it.

Update: It seems I’m not alone on this way of thinking…

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