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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2007-05-19

More Ramblings on the Immigration Deal

Not that I need to expand on what Hugh contributed through learned, scholarly analysis, but . .

The President’s Job Approval has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded by Rasmussen Reports. Just 34% of American adults now Approve of the way that George W. Bush is performing his duties as President. Just 71% of Republicans now offer their approval. His support among men has fallen to 35%.

The President’s ratings have tumbled each time immigration reform dominates the news.

Looking at the Rasmussen Poll recent history, you can see that the President was at a whopping 38% on Wednesday. On Thursday, after word of "The Deal" had started to leak, that number had fallen to 35%; by today, now that all three days' worth of polling are after word of the deal had been widely disseminated, it drops to 34%.

Thankfully, I suppose, The Deal could be DOA in The House.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has told the White House that she's not going to bring the issue to the floor unless the president can deliver at least 70 Republican votes.

I'm not sure there are 70 Republican House members who can look at the President's numbers and think that it's worth their careers to support this Bill.

Though, if it were me in the Whip's job, I'd find 70 members to SAY they were going to vote for it, with no intention of letting any of them cast a vote for this Bill. Yes, the President is out to lunch on this issue; John McCain is doing his usual job of serving his own interests backed by Lindsey Graham, the lapdog from South Carolina; and a handful of Republican Senators who recognize that a real amnesty bill would cost them their seats (Jon Kyl) are signing on to this and trying to mold into something more tolerable.

But let's make sure that in the House, at least, it is VERY clear that this is really a DEMOCRAT idea pushed by DEMOCRATS with the inexplicable support of this President. Let this hit the floor. It will still pass in the House without 70 Republican votes.

But let the message be very clear: amnesty comes from the Democrats.

And the thing is, I am CERTAIN that this is not just a Republican issue. I was talking on Mother's Day with my father-in-law, who is a lifelong, union-based Democrat. And he is LIVID at Ted Kennedy et al. for pushing LAST year's amnesty bill; I've haven't talked to him this week, but I can say very confidently that he's not going to be happy with anybody who supports this amnesty, either.

There is no good political logic to supporting this bill. I heard Fred Barnes say tonight that Republicans just have to swallow this and get the issue off the table before next year. The logic being, I suppose, that it's better to get votes from people who are likely to forget about this by getting rid of it sooner than later.

The thing is . . . I won't forget. And neither will most of the Republicans who are serious about national security and rule of law.

Rudy's statement on The Deal, strangely, is weak and incomprehensible. Which makes Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson look better and better.

I suppose it still makes a lot of sense to elect a Republican President to preside over a 57-43 Senate and a 60-vote advantage Democrat House.

Though, if my history serves me, our greatest President was elected just four years after his former political party was dissolved and a new one took shape. Sometimes a purging fire is good.
Posted by: Michael / 5/19/2007 10:22:00 PM

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