Senator John McCain (R-AZ), flashing that
"country first" maverick streak for which he is renowned, won't support the
comprehensive immigration reform package he's pushed for years because ... well, because it's no longer in his political interest to do so. And, I suspect, because supporting it would mean helping Obama, which is the most deadly sin of all in the modern Republican Party (the excuses of the other 10 Republican Senators who used to support comprehensive immigration reform, but have mysteriously flipped, are equally pathetic).
I've thought his mavericky reputation was overrated for a long, long time, but in the last few years, he's disappointed even me.
ReplyDeleteBut it's so simple; you're a maverick when you buck your own party to do something that's popular with the general public, even if it doesn't really make a difference (think McCain Feingold).
ReplyDeleteSo it's totally inapplicable to the current situation. In fact, if we interpret "your own party" to be the organization's "ruling class" (and we're talking Republicans, so why not), and accept that either 1) Americans tend to be fairly hostile to immigration reform, or 2) the definition of "general public" can be narrowed to just tens of millions of Republicans (keeping in mind campaign finance reform would probably poll well even among individual Republicans, themselves not being corporations)... if we look at it like that then McCain was being anti-maverick by carrying water for a Bush-backed pathway to citizenship that proved to be unpopular. So really he's just returned to his maverick-y roots!
Gosh, try to keep up ; )
More important: Where does Joe the Plumber stand on this issue?
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Republican Senators have finally realized that voting for open borders and unlimited immigration is the same as voting as their own political extinction.
ReplyDeleteVoting for open borders and unlimited immigration is the same as voting for higher taxes, more sprawl, higher crimes, lower wages, and lowering the standard of living for the current blue collar and middle class American citizens.
When the Democrats show any commitment to border and interal enforcement of the current immigraiton laws, then the Republicans should come to table for a non-amnesty immigraiton bill.
Of course, the Republicans should couch immigration in terms of protecting the environment, raising wages, helping with sprawl, and improving education.
Sorry, Republicans don't care about those things.
ReplyDelete