Many in the GOP seem to understand that they can't continue to staunchly oppose any solution to the immigration problem (what immigration problem?) without alienating the fastest growing electoral demographic in the country. At the same time, the GOP immigration policy has been one of stalwart opposition for so long now that they don't really have an immigration policy. What few platforms they can cobble together—increased border security, more deportations—Obama has taken care of in the first three years of his administration. But they can't agree with Obama in an election year, especially since much of their argument is that Obama is the antichrist. What's a reactonary political party to do?
McConnell probably knows what Romney's going to say, he just wants Romney to be the first to say it (welcome to being the leader of your party, Mitt). But things won't get much easier from there. Via Greg Sargeant:
It seems likely that Romney will continue making a process argument against the move, even as he signals more clearly than before that he supports the general goals of the policy. If he does this, will the House Republicans who want to undo the policy really drop their push? Will the GOP leadership allow their measures to proceed? Will Republicans who have railed against the move on process grounds in recent days — and are looking to support their presidential nominee — echo Romney’s expected quasi-support for it?
Meanwhile, some congressional GOP members are posturing with a letter to Obama questioning the procedurals of his EO. Here's the
money line:
"Not only do we question your legal authority to unilaterally act in this regard, we are frustrated that you have intentionally bypassed Congress and the American people."
Even I can write Obama's response:
My predecessor tried to pass bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform in 2007 and was prevented by a Republican Congress, and I tried to pass the DREAM Act in 2010, and you wouldn't let it through even in exchange for extension of tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans. This country cannot wait for a do-nothing Congress any longer, etc. etc.
Obama staff, call me.
Last, woes
Marco Rubio. Rubio clearly doesn't want to be anywhere near his party's [coming soon] position on immigration, but he's also a rising star in his party, an ascension that can be easily arrested by deviating too far from his party's base—hence his weird
para-DREAM Act that
ain't going anywhere. This is a squeamish position that leads to
sentences like these:
I think it borders on unconstitutional. It's not that I don't want to tell you that it's unconstitutional, because I probably am going conclude that it is. But I think it is a strong statement, and before I say that I should study all of the applications of the law to make sure that is exactly the case.
In other words, I'm not sure what I think, but I think I know what I'll think when I decide to think it. Also, nice unintentional border pun.
Something tells me Rubio knows exactly how he feels on immigration policy, he just can't square it with the current far-right location of the GOP. We'll see if he ends up supporting whatever his party's stance on immigration ends up being, whenever they have it.
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