Thread: Hutchison seeks easy way out of complex immigration issue

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Hutchison seeks easy way out of complex immigration issue
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the sensible and usually reasonable politician that she is, wants to find a way to navigate the most volatile of issues that divides her party today — immigration — and come out on the other end without getting too bruised.

That was my impression after reading through a column submitted by her office in response to an opinion piece I recently wrote. In that column, I was critical of Hutchison and her fellow Republican Texas senator, John Cornyn, for their views up to this point on the immigration issue.

I wrote then, and still believe now, that the two Texas senators were not helpful in the effort to advance comprehensive immigration reform when they voted against a Senate measure on this issue.

It is a bill supported by a number of leading Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, GOP presidential frontrunner John McCain, and senators Lindsey Graham, Chuck Hagel, Mel Martinez, Sam Brownback and John Warner, to name a few.

This Senate bill also happens to have the support of the president of the United States.

Hutchison and Cornyn have been ardent supporters of the president, a fellow Texan and Republican, on nearly every key issue George W. Bush has faced since reaching the White House (immigration being a glaring exception).

There’s really only one rub — and it’s a big one — on the immigration issue. All sides agree on the need to equip, train and provide more Border Patrol agents and bolster the overall federal law enforcement presence on our nation’s borders.

We’ve seen that first hand in Brownsville, a city where there are now many more Border Patrol agents than police officers. Nationally, the Border Patrol’s budget has increased from about $150 million in 1986 to well over a $1 billion today.

And if the president gets his way, the number of Border Patrol agents will have more than doubled by the time he leaves office.

The sticking point is that the Senate’s immigration bill provides a lengthy and conditional path to possible citizenship for many immigrants who are now residing in the United States illegally. The president and the Senate’s Republican leadership have a general welcoming view of immigrants. It’s a position Bush has stated on numerous occasions in praising the worth ethic and family values of many immigrants.

On the flip side of the issue are Republicans leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and their echo chamber on right-wing talk radio and cable television “news” programs.

Offended by the race, culture, language, and mere presence of these immigrants, Republican House leaders and their echo chamber want to turn their illegal aliens into felons, a dramatic upgrade from their current status of committing a misdemeanor civil offense.

The concept of ever offering these immigrants U.S. citizenship is unthinkable to House Republicans and the far right of the GOP.

In the column submitted by her office, Hutchison cautiously says she could support the sort of guest worker program so staunchly opposed by House Republicans and the far right. The senator, however, gives few details on how such a program would work beyond offering a few generalities.

Hutchison has known Bush for years so it’s hard to believe that the senator really believes Bush supports the Senate bill merely “as a method to reach a conference committee where a better bill could be put together,’ as stated in her column. That’s a politician talking who is seeking to find the nuances of a troublesome issue.
Hutchison might yet offer a helping hand in the debate over immigration in the manner of a past senator and Texas political centrist, Lloyd Bentsen.

This nation is in dire need of what Bentsen often provided — seasoned and solution-oriented leadership that put country above party and ideology.

For now, without many such leaders, this nation’s immigration debate appears to be going nowhere. House Republicans are on a freaky road show, holding hearings to spin stories of al-Qaida-like beasts ready to leap across the U.S.-Mexican border.

Senate Republicans leaders, meanwhile, are holding a few hearings of their own, but are mostly standing pat, knowing that recent polls show about 75 percent of Republicans support their immigration views.

It would be a positive development to know that our two Republican senators from Texas are in the mainstream of their party on the immigration issue.

But, then again, the 25 percent shrill right of the GOP has a way of making naturally cautious politicians even more fearful of falling out of their favor.

R. Daniel Cavazos is publisher of The Brownsville Herald and El Nuevo Heraldo.


Posted on Jul 23, 06 | 12:01 am

Senate Republicans leaders, meanwhile, are holding a few hearings of their own, but are mostly standing pat, knowing that recent polls show about 75 percent of Republicans support their immigration views.

What poll is this?

Dixie

The concept of ever offering these immigrants U.S. citizenship is unthinkable to House Republicans and the far right of the GOP.

I'm sure the writer meant to say ILLEGAL ALIEN. I also hate to break it to him but it is not just House Republicans and the far right GOP.

Cavazos

Oh, wait a minute. I see he is a typical hypocrite complaining about "race". Not that his being Hispanic has anything to do with his support of ILLEGAL ALIENS /sarcasm

I know it gets tiring having to rebutt the same crap over and over again but please do Here is Mr Cavazos e-mail:

rdcavazos@brownsvilleherald.com

That John McCain ad up there ^ is disturbing.

I think Hutchinson is weak and promotes a guest worker program.
NO THANKS She's up for election in November so she is doing the little side step.

Dixie

a dramatic upgrade from their current status of committing a misdemeanor civil offense.

This is NOT true....it's a criminal offense.....civil penalties can be attached but it does NOT negate the criminal offense. Read the statute. These people are just plain stupid.

Senate Republicans leaders, meanwhile, are holding a few hearings of their own, but are mostly standing pat, knowing that recent polls show about 75 percent of Republicans support their immigration views.

I'm with Dixie, what poll is the author talking about here? I'd be hard pressed to believe the majority of Republicans support S. 2611. Actually, I doubt I'd even believe it if I saw it!