Thread: NAVARETTE: Still Hope Reform Will Occur

NAVARETTE: Still Hope Reform Will Occur

Ventura County Star (California)
January 25, 2010
By Ruben Navarrette

Sometimes conventional wisdom is wrong. That's how it is with the assumption that Republican Scott Brown's victory over Democrat Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts Senate race means that there will be no immigration reform this year.

The senator-elect has said that he opposes what he calls "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. In fact, Brown already knows how to turn illegal immigration into a wedge issue.

As a state senator, he recently introduced a bill that would require anyone suing employers for violating state wage laws to show proof of citizenship or legal residency.

That is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. Under current law, just because people are in the country illegally doesn't mean they don't have legal recourse if employers don't pay them.

Ironically, Brown's bill would produce more of what he says he opposes: illegal immigration. By signaling to companies that they can get away with not paying illegal immigrants, we will only encourage employers to hire more.

Even so, I think the rumors about the death of comprehensive immigration reform are premature. Here's why:

- This debate isn't as simple as Blue and Red. There are Republicans who support comprehensive immigration reform and Democrats who oppose it, both because they fear fallout over supporting earned legalization and because they're beholden to unions who oppose reform if it includes a plan for additional guest workers.

Let's remember that it was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats, including then-Sen. Barack Obama, who helped thwart immigration reform both in 2006 and 2007 - in part because they wanted to keep it alive as an issue and portray the GOP as the main obstacle to reform to rally Latino support for Democrats in 2008.

- Judging from the debate over healthcare, President Obama is a true believer who won't stop pushing for something he supports just because the political equation in Washington has changed.

- Obama understands that, in order to have a successful administration, a president needs to do more than give speeches. He needs to put points on the board. If healthcare reform is, in fact, doomed, then Obama will need another cause to trumpet. That could be immigration reform.

- Brown opposes a no-strings-attached form of amnesty, but he might be persuaded to support earned legalization that allows for fines and other restitution, especially since, as the senator from a state with a large Irish-American community, he is likely to get special pressure to legalize the estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants from Ireland.

- From a purely Machiavellian point of view, doesn't it make sense for Republicans to not merely welcome the immigration debate but to actually force it? Not only does it rally the GOP base, but it also splits the Democratic base.

- Time is running out for the Obama administration. If immigration reform doesn't happen in 2010, the debate will only become more complicated. If Republicans take control of Congress in November, the issue could be off the table in 2011.

If Obama breaks the one major promise he made to Latino voters - to deliver comprehensive immigration reform - this will make it tough for him to face the Latino community as he campaigns for re-election

All the more reason to recommit to comprehensive immigration reform, even without the support of the soon-to-be junior senator from Massachusetts.

Ruben Navarrette writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

E-mail him at ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/En ... 35&start=1

Brown opposes a no-strings-attached form of amnesty, but he might be persuaded to support earned legalization that allows for fines and other restitution, especially since, as the senator from a state with a large Irish-American community, he is likely to get special pressure to legalize the estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants from Ireland.

So he expects Brown to cave in on amnesty because 50,000 non-voters have more clout than the millions of Mass. voters that gave him their support?

As a state senator, he recently introduced a bill that would require anyone suing employers for violating state wage laws to show proof of citizenship or legal residency.

That is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. Under current law, just because people are in the country illegally doesn't mean they don't have legal recourse if employers don't pay them.

First, I think it's a wonderful idea.

Second, Ruben, how do I convince you that illegals have no right to work here. Just because they illegally found a job, doesn't mean they're entitled to it.

I always write to this guy after reading his articles. He's very nice and polite. I am not!
Here's what I just sent him:

There are two groups that America OWES NOTHING to!

Illegals and terrorists! Both of which are ruining our country for different reasons. One hates us and the other USES us.

It's people like you (and our undocumented President) that are ruining this ONCE great country.

If you are a REAL citizen, read the Constitution.

Hopefully next election we can get a Constitutionalists in our Congress and Senate office instead of people like Pigalosi and Hairy Reid, Barney Fwank, Murtha, Dodd.... crook after crook, after crook!

How can America lessen it's fuel use, water use, consumption, and pollution? DEPORT EVERY illegal and retroactively take away Anchor-baby status.

They have closed our hospitals, ruined our kids education by dumbing down the schools with NCLB, over crowded our prisons and raped our welfare. They ruined their country and now they have ruined mine. Ya, that's what we want for reform. PLEASE!

We Have No Jobs For Americans!
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He will respond back and say, "I'm glad my story got your excited"
all the best.......

How can you argue with a guy that nice? I try!

Sorry Ruben and hate saying this but Latinos thsi Latinos that this needs to stop. Latinos are NOT a more special class of people or ethnicity. it is people like La Raza and Co who have been seeking to create a special ethnic class flexing demographic hegemony muscles. Latinos are NOT owed more than ANY other class of immigrants or ethnicities. Enough!