No one really knows what is in the "comprehensive immigration reform" bill. It has been agreed on, but it hasn't been completely written yet or released. It will run to about 1000 pages, per report, and won't be available for examination until after the voting is done. Regardless, Republicans are already in revolt.
What appears clear even from the information available is that the only part that will go off without a hitch is the amnesty part. The enforcement parts are all on delay, under study, or weakened to the point of uselessness.
Quote of the day, from Mickey Kaus at Slate:
This is looking more and more like the Bush administration's domestic version of Iraq: a big risky gamble, based on wishful thinking and nonexistent administrative competence, that will end in disaster.
What disaster?
1) Lower wages for struggling unskilled--and semi-skilled--American workers (including, especially, underclass men) even when the labor market should be tight;
2) Income inequality moving further in the direction of Latin America--maybe even to such an extent that social equality between the rich and their servers becomes difficult to maintain; and
3) A large semi-assimilated population along our southern border with complex, understandably binational allegiances--our own Quebec. ...
Actually, I can see why some Republicans might not be so bothered by (1) and (2). But what about Democrats? ...
There was never much question for conservative Republicans about who was the better of the two candidates in both 2000 and 2004. But one thing that has always sat poorly with conservatives has been Bush's position on immigration. And the more populist-minded the conservative (read: "Reagan Democrats,") the less Bush is liked on this issue.
The Bushes have close ties with any number of members of the Mexican plutocracy. The Mexican system, whereby there is a small number of extremely wealthy families and a huge mass of working poor, doesn't seem to distress the Bushes all that much. Mainly because they and theirs won't ever be a part of the latter group.
The failure to control our borders and control immigration is a tidy arrangement between two groups of plutocrats in the U.S. On the one hand, you have the Republican big business interests who like open borders because they drive labor costs down and will eventually break the backs of unions. It's like a bottomless cheap labor pool.
On the other hand, you have the (usually very wealthy) plutocrats at the top of the Democratic food chain -- epitomized by Sen. Kennedy. They like open borders because they know that first and second generation immigrants vote overwhelmingly Democratic. It's like a bottomless voter pool.
Working class Democrats are fooled into thinking that controlling borders and immigration is a mean Republican thing. All too many Republicans are fooled into thinking that what is good for Wall Street regarding immigration is good for Main Street, too.
As a final note, the Bush-Kennedy-McCain amnesty/immigration deal marks the end of McCain's presidential hopes. A spokesman bravely says that they're glad it is happening now, and not this fall. But given that real immigration reform (i.e. enforcement) is an issue of deep concern to the Republican base, and one which polls show deeply resonating with a vast majority of Americans. McCain can run, but it is doubtful that he will now be able to hide. His chances of wooing the Republican base were always a long shot. Now, it's Hail Mary time -- and one can't imagine what he would have up his sleeve.
Enter Fred Thompson stage right.
