Thread: Immigration Backslide Express

GLOBE EDITORIAL


Immigration Backslide Express
March 24, 2007

IN 2005, when he was wearing only his senator's hat, Arizona Republican John McCain fearlessly filed a comprehensive immigration bill with Senator Edward Kennedy.

But now that he's a presidential candidate wooing conservative voters, McCain appears hesitant to stand next to his liberal colleague from Massachusetts.

Now is a good time for the two senators to file an updated immigration bill. The country desperately needs reform. President Bush says he wants it. And Democrats control Congress, creating a political opportunity that didn't exist a year ago. But McCain and Kennedy have failed to reach agreement. Aides say they are arguing over labor provisions that were part of last year's Senate bill, which McCain supported. That's disappointing news given that McCain is campaigning aboard the Straight Talk Express.

A McCain spokesperson maintains he isn't walking away. And in a recent op-ed in the New Hampshire Union Leader, McCain calls for stronger borders and a guest worker program. So there's still some hope for a politically powerful consensus.

Fortunately, bipartisan progress on immigration is being made in the House. Congressmen Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, and Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat, have crafted a bill called the STRIVE Act, for Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy.

The bill isn't perfect, but it would strengthen the border, create a new visa program for workers, and enable immigrants to earn citizenship by getting at the back of the line.

A controversial aspect of the bill is the so-called touchback provision. It would require undocumented immigrants who want to legalize their status to exit the United States and return through any port of entry. People under 21 and over 65 would be exempt, as would those with physical disabilities. That provision seems like a way to pacify critics. But it threatens to be impractical, requiring millions to make a largely symbolic journey. This flaw is minor, however, given the bill's overall soundness.

Time is pressing. Immigration advocates fear that if reform doesn't happen soon, it will be capsized by an autumn surge of presidential campaign politics. The Gutierrez-Flake bill has Kennedy's support. In a statement, he says it's the right balance between "protecting our security, strengthening our economy, and enacting laws that uphold our humanity."

McCain praises the bill's leadership. Now he and like-minded fellow presidential candidates should use their political power to push for fast legislative action. Taking a loud, firm stand might complicate a candidate's quest for his or her party's nomination. But most voters already know that this complex problem needs a sophisticated solution -- and they're ready to hear genuine straight talk.

© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.



http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editor ... e_express/

I can tell which side this writer is on... Not too slanted eh!

God bless Mary Joe .

Who's Mary Joe?

She was a young girl who met her fate at chappquidik while associating with Ted Kennedy .

God bless her too.

Mary Jo was in the car pictured in my AVATAR

This story is so s slanted my monitor almost slid off the desk

Acually Kennedy should have spent many years in prison instead of congress!. Our country would have been better off also.

GOD BLESS MARY JOE!!!