Even bigger than the split between liberals and conservatives over immigration is the split within the Republican Party. There are the "movement" conservatives -- the evangelicals, the anti- choicers and the gay-bashers who make up the core of the GOP's voters. Then there are the big money conservatives -- the folks who write the checks, control the GOP and generally get whatever they want.
The Reformer attempts to editorialize on the issue of immigration but gets quickly distracted by its abiding compulsion to beat Republicans over the head with any implement it finds lying around.
Partisanship is okay by us but we've found some pretty smart people who don't like the immigration bill and are also able to walk without dragging their knuckles on the ground. Contrary to the Reformer, being opposed to the recently defeated immigration bill does not qualify one, automatically, as a racist, homophobe, or fat cat, sweatshop proprietor.
What dismays about this editorial is not the position it takes on immigration which isn't especially clear, anyway. One gathers that the Reformer thinks the U.S. and its bad old corporations (and probably George Bush) are to blame for the sorry state of the Mexican economy. If we would just take care of that, the Reformer suggests, then everything would be fine.
The editorial does not say precisely what should be done to bring the Mexican economy up to snuff. If the Reformer knows, then perhaps it ought to share. The rest of the world would, no doubt, like to know. But that would distract the Reformer from its first passion which is witless name-calling. When you can't do any better in an argument than to accuse your opponent of racism, then you don't have much to say.
Since the Reformer isn't capable of intelligent thought on the subject of immigration, we suggest a couple of people who are. Here. And here. *
* WARNING: these essays contain complex thoughts and sophisticated arguments.
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