Quick action on amnesty, says Reid. Over my dead body, replies half of America

The “we want open borders and anyone who opposes it is a bigot” Weekly Standard must be feeling chipper. They report on an interview in the Detroit Free Press in which Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid predicts quick passage for comprehensive immigration reform under the incoming president:

Reid: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Will Come Early
Weekly Standard | November 25, 2008 | Brian Faughnan

Harry Reid told the Detroit Free Press that he expects comprehensive immigration reform to be passed relatively early in the next Congress:

Q. With more Democrats in the Senate and the House and a Democrat in the White House, how do you see congressional efforts playing out on such issues as health care and immigration?

A: On immigration, there’s been an agreement between (President-elect Barack) Obama and (Arizona Republican Sen. John) McCain to move forward on that. … We’ll do that. We have to get this economy stuff figured out first, so I think we’ll have a shot at doing something on health care in the next Congress for sure.

Q: Will there be as much of a fight on immigration as last time?

A: We’ve got McCain and we’ve got a few others. I don’t expect much of a fight at all. [Italics added.] Now health care is going to be difficult. That’s a very complicated issue. We debated at great length immigration. People understand the issues very well. [LA comments: Oh, really? The country understood very well that you wanted to grant everyone what amounted to instant amnesty and thus instant permanent legal residency?] We have not debated health care, so that’s going to take a lot more time to do.

Brian Faughnan of the Standard continues:

One senator who wields significant influence on the debate is Robert Menendez, and he seems to be pushing ahead on the issue as well. Menendez is no extremist among Senate Democrats, either; he’s just been named head of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. Expect Menendez to lead a push—apparently with Reid’s blessing—to get comprehensive reform passed in the first half of 2009. Proponents will argue that while the measure may be unpopular, it’s better to swallow a bitter pill far in advance of the midterms. And if it seems that they lack the votes to pass it in the next few months, they’ll bargain for a commitment for passage later in 2009.

Is Sen. Reid off the planet? Doesn’t he remember that McCain’s fanatical support for the Comprehensive National Suicide Act in 2007 almost sank his presidential candidacy, and that it was only by his promising repeatedly in every primary state that if elected president he would not seek comprehensive reform until the border was secured that he revived his candidacy?

Furthermore, have you noticed the way leftists who want something to happen announce that that thing is inevitable, the train has left the station, it’s a foregone conclusion, we have the votes? But very often it doesn’t happen that way. Right in the middle of the 2007 battle, Jorge W. Busherón arrogantly predicted the signing ceremony for the comprehensive bill. Didn’t work out that way, did it?

Furthermore, seeking quick passage of comprehensive reform/amnesty would seem to violate everything we’ve heard about Barry O.’s desire to avoid crippling, Clinton-like controversies in the opening months of his presidency. I thought Barry wanted the country to unite around him. If he wants war, he’ll have war.

John Hagan, who sent the item, writes: “Seems that McCain went to Chicago to see Obama for a reason.”

Terry Morris writes:

You wrote:

Is Sen. Reid off the planet? Doesn’t he remember that McCain’s fanatical support for the Comprehensive National Suicide Act in 2007 almost sank his presidential candidacy, and that it was only by his promising repeatedly in every primary state that if elected president he would not seek comprehensive reform until the border was secured that he revived his candidacy?

I think Senator Reid is a screwball leftist. So in answer to your question, yes, I think he’s off the planet.

I’ve been on the frontlines of some of these fights before, and that experience informs me that screwball leftists like Reid aren’t particularly persuaded to change their minds on such issues that they are heavily invested in just because half (or two thirds, for that matter) of the people are warning that the fallout will sink them and their cohorts politically. Indeed, these kinds of warnings seem more to rile them into being more determined, than to persuade them to cool it. My anecdote about the 1990 Anchorage City Council and the ordinance it passed adding the words “sexual orientation” to its anti-discrimination laws, is a good case in point. No less than five (riled by the warnings of their constituents) screwball leftists were summarily removed from the Council during the next election cycle, after they thumbed their noses in the face of a huge majority of voters who forewarned them of the consequences should they choose the wrong route. I know, I was there.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at November 25, 2008 01:42 PM | Send