A Bad Week For The GOP On Immigration

[pampango]

Immigration doesn’t break cleanly along left/right, liberal/conservative, or Democratic/Republican lines. There are lots of pro-immigration and pro-immigrant conservatives and they come in different varieties. Likewise, there are lots of progressives with deep reservations about immigration reform and immigration in general.

But the divisions the immigration debate creates on the right are deeper, more passionate, and much more destructive to GOP unity than the division on the left and the last few weeks since the Tea Party and CPAC conferences have underscored this fact of political life.

Tom Tancredo, the former Colorado Congressman, is the gift that keeps on giving. Having keynoted the Tea Party convention in Nashville announcing his desire to see U.S. citizens tested for their civic knowledge before being allowed to vote, he is now attacking Tea darling and retired Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as not being “presidential.” He made these remarks in an interview with a Dutch publication, NRC Handelsblad.

The Wall Street Journal’s Gerry Seib wrote this week about Tancredo’s “cringe-worthy” performance in at the Tea Party convention and how “the Tea Party movement threatens to pull the party away from its moorings on two crucial and emotional issues: the war on terror and immigration.” Seib cites Tancredo’s crude conspiracy theories, as when he says of John McCain that had he won the White House, he and Mexican President Felipe Calderon “would be toasting the elimination of those pesky things called borders and major steps taken toward creation of a North American Union.”

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/03/04/a-bad-week-for-the-gop-on-immigration/

On a positive note for the GOP, the far-right Freedom Party did very well in the Dutch elections with its anti-immigrant, anti-Islam platform. (Of course, the left wing Left Green Party with its tolerant multicultural approach to immigration also did very well.) Perhaps Tancredo can become the Geert Wilders of American anti-immigrant politics. If it works for Wilders in tolerant place like the Netherlands, there is still hope for Tancredo and the repubs. ;)

[Romulox]

1. The GOP shills for cheap labor as hard as the Chamber of Congress.

Do you think you can dissociate cheap labor from its corporate supporters through sheer force of will? And in the worst recession in 80 years, no less? :silly:

Unrec! :hi:

[pampango]

2. I post instances of far-right opposition to immigration (Tancredo and Wilders are perfect examples).

It's my opinion that globally left wing parties are more open to immigration, while right wing parties generally oppose it. If you feel that is a mistaken impression, post instances of left wing opposition to immigration or immigration reform (domestically or around the world) or right wing support for it. Or if you think that what governments and political parties in other countries do has nothing to do with us, just say you don't care what the rest of the world does.

Your point about corporations is well taken. They and their supporters (the pro-immigration conservatives referred to in the OP) benefit from a large pool of illegal workers who have no rights. (These corporations must have little sway over guys like Tancredo who is about as right-wing as you can get. :) ) That's why organized labor supports Obama's framework for immigration reform.

[Romulox]

3. But you conveniently IGNORE all instances of far right SUPPORT for cheap labor

E.g. the US Chamber of Commerce, from whose site your posts could be lifted wholesale.


And you do this while attempting to not-so-subtly tar your opponents as "rightwing" while you yourself are in total accordance with the George W. Bush's and Karl Roves of this world on this issue.

It's counterproductive, ultimately.