Republicans won't stop obsessing on illegal immigration

[The Duke]

Fred Barnes is a sycophant for George Bush.  He is carrying Bush's water on immigration as he carries Bush's water on every other issue.  Why should we listen to somebody when one of their main motivations is hero worship?

Fred Barnes is politically tone deaf.  He was a full throated backer of the doomed and wildly unpopular immigration bill.  Despite poll after poll that shows Republicans actually are seen as better on immigration than almopst any other issue, despite poll after poll that shows the conservative position to be poplar and Barne's and Bush's position to be unpopular, Barnes continues to defend his nonsensical view that it is a political liability to oppose illegal immigration.  Why should we listen to soemone who clearly has no understanding of public opinion?

Fred Barnes is evidence-proof.  Evidence has no effect on him at all.  Despite the fact that in six years of Bush pushing for amnesty, he has failed to even move the needle on latino public opinion  Barnes keeps pushing for the Bush-Rove vision that has left the GOP in ruins.  The grand Rovian strategy has not produced any material results, the Rove strategy has failed miserably.  Barnes ignores the evidence, and continues to push the fantasy that favoring amnesty will turn latinos towards Republicans.  The Reagan amnesty did not swing latino opinion and neither did Bush's push for amnesty.  When you show a rational person evidence that what they are doing is not working, they will change their strategy.  Not Fred Barnes.  Why should we listen to someone who is in no way influenced by facts or evidence?

Fred Barnes won't change the subject.  Despite being rebuffed by the American people, the US Senate, and their own party, Rove, Bush, and Barnes refuse to stop trying to shove amnesty down everyone's throats.  They just won't take a hint.  The reason that Romney and Rudy have to constantly attack illegal immigration is that Bush won't stop defending illegal immigration.  In fact, rumor is that Alberto Gonzalez may be replaced by Michael Chertoff, which means that the US Attorney General will be a man who openly says he is not obligated to enforce laws he doesn't feel like enforcing.  Why should we listen to someone who has such a one-track mind?

[The Duke]

John Ford, the reason many opposed that bill was because it wasn't liberal enough.

Not exactly.  It is true that there was substantial opposition to the bill from Democratic Senators because the guest worker provision would certainly have led to wroker exploitation.  However, I would not chacterize their objection as only a liberal one.  I see nothing in conservative philosophy that should prevent one from wanting to ensure that workers are not abused, and I'm sure that many Republican members were concerned about these very provisions.

I'd also suggest that, while the Senate bill could be attacked from both right and left, public opinion on immigration leans strongly to the right.

The most recent NBC poll (from June) shows how strongly to the right the public's mood is.  65% favor a border fence.  73% favor making immigrants learn English before becoming citizens.  57% favor employers sanctions for hiring an illegal immigrant.  55% oppose allowing illegals to apply for permanent residency.  64% oppose allowing illegals to be given temporary work visas.  And on and on and on.