http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20 ... _page2.htm

Republicans and immigration
Promises by House Majority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio and Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois don't impress me ("Immigration reform now," Editorial, Tuesday). Those promises are nothing more than election-year posturing, just like President Bush's purported National Guard presence on the border.
After learning that the National Republican Congressional Committee went back on its commitment to remain neutral in the Republican primary for Arizona's 8th Congressional District race and then sent a $234,000 donation to Steve Huffman (the "open borders" clone of retiring Rep. "Gentleman Jim" Kolbe), I understand that the commitments of House leaders clearly are on-again-off-again as they review their political chances in November.
Of course, that NRCC contribution wasn't expected to become public knowledge — it was supposed to be a "dark of the night" backroom deal. However, the nearly quarter-million-dollar donation wouldn't have happened without the solid approval of Mr. Hastert, Mr. Boehner and Majority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri. Whether the donation reflects White House pressure or just "fence straddling" by House leadership is irrelevant.
At the end of the day, House leaders have demonstrated they're concerned only for their own political fortunes. They care nothing for substance, only for appearance. They have had five years since September 11 to achieve immigration reform and enforcement, and they bowed to Mr. Bush and his open-borders agenda until it threatened their political careers.
The House leadership's promised immigration reform bill should be scrutinized closely. Does it contain any hidden giveaways like the huge increase in H-1B visas demanded by Bill Gates and the rest of the high-tech industry in the SKIL (Securing Knowledge, Innovation and Leadership) Bill? Or another guest-worker amnesty, allowing 20-million-plus illegal aliens to remain in the United States?

SANDRA MILLER
Phoenix