Pirate's Cove

As many pundits have mentioned, the GOP lost in 2006 because of their free-spending, big government, ignore-the-illegals ways, among others. President Bush and the shamnesty supporters are looking to increase on that loss, apparently (Washington Times)

President Bush yesterday told Hispanics to step into the middle of the immigration debate and make sure senators who have been bombarded with calls from opponents also hear from those who support the bill. 

"There’s a lot of emotion on this issue, and it makes sense to have people from around the country come and sit down with members of Congress to talk rationally about the issue," he told those attending the Hispanic Prayer Breakfast in Washington yesterday.

He was speaking a day after the bill, which collapsed last week, was revived by the top Democrat and Republican in the Senate.

I guess W missed the part where hot-lines were set up for people to bombard Senators with pro-amnesty canned responses. I guess he is missing the part where the majority of Americans are against amnesty. And, politically, I guess he missed the part where, when you start pissing off your Conservative base, you will lose an election, as they will either vote Democrat, vote third party, or just not vote. The rhetoric emanating from the White House looks to be pushing for complete control of the federal government by Democrats.

The thing is, anti-amnesty forces are just as prevalent on the left. As Rasmussen reported

The reality is much simpler and has nothing to do with legislative tactics. The immigration bill failed because a broad cross-section of the American people are opposed to it. Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters are opposed. Men are opposed. So are women. The young don’t like it; neither do the no-longer-young. White Americans are opposed. Americans of color are opposed.

The last Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll found that just 23% of Americans supported the legislation. When a bill has less popular support than the War in Iraq, it deserves to be defeated.

There is no mystery to why the public opposed the bill. In the minds of most Americans, immigration reform means reducing illegal immigration and enforcing the border. Only 16% believed the Senate bill would accomplish that goal.

23%. Support among illegal aliens and temporary/migrant workers and residents doesn’t count, President Bush. And quite a few Hispanics, who came here legally, waited their turns, etc, are against it, too.

Yet, despite the opposition to the shamnesty bill by liberals, this won’t cause a dropoff in their votes. They love getting out there and voting, because it is about power to make people change their lives for them.

But roadblocks are already popping up. 

Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, said he will block any attempt to send the bill to an eventual House-Senate conference, complicating the usual path a bill takes to reach the president’s desk. 

"Ted Kennedy has sold us another bill of goods and I don’t trust him to make even more changes to it behind closed doors in a conference with the House," Mr. DeMint said, referring to the Massachusetts Democrat who has spearheaded the bill along with Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican.

Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kyl and others involved in the grand bargain have been successful in fending off most challenges to the bill, and leaders on both sides have said any deal-breaker amendments that pass can always be dumped in a House-Senate conference. 

But that is exactly what worries conservatives such as Mr. DeMint, and prompted his pledge to block a conference.

It is a small group of Republicans and Democrats, along with President Bush, who love this legislation, and plan on ramming it down our throats. Bush doesn’t have to worry about reelection. He is also rich, so any tax code changes won’t harm him, nor will most legislation that a Democrat Congress and White House will pass. But, for the average Joe, it will hurt. And this country will be less safe, as Democrats will go back to their "terrorism is a law Hardy Boys mystery to be solved after we are attacked" ways. Taxes will be jacked up. The economy will stagnate. And all the rest of the Democrat ideas hit parade.

The whole debate should be simple: shut the borders down, enforce existing law, then pass simple legislation for the other portions. Better access to the Social Security system to see of numbers are fraudulent or being used fraudulently? Pass a simple bill. Increase the penalties tremendously for those who hire and shelter illegals. And so on. Passing a bill that is starting to take on the size of the federal tax code will not cut it, and will push Conservatives away from voting in 2008.

At what point do those Republicans who are pro-amnesty get it, if ever? The national GOP has seen their donations tank. Conservatives are writing negative essays on Republicans more then ever, which effects their support of other GOP initiatives. They need to get off their moral high horse and make immigration reform palatable for the majority of Americans, rather then saying, in effect, "screw them, we know better, and they should just shut the hell up."

And CNN even notices the right-o-sphere revolt.

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