Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Conservatives Aren't The Only Ones Against The Immigration Bill

ThinkProgress.org tells half the story:
MSNBC goes all conservative for seven hours.
“During the seven hours of the June 11 edition of MSNBC Live (9 a.m.-4 p.m. ET), 15 segments aired about immigration or the Senate immigration bill, none of which featured a Democratic or progressive commentator. Indeed, in nine of the 15 segments, the anchor interviewed a conservative anti-immigration activist who had opposed the bill — including six separate solo interviews with MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan.”

MSNBC also had no liberal or progressive Democrat opposed to the immigration bill, of which there are many:






MSNBC misrepresents, by omission, the fact that liberals and progressives also aren't in support of this immigration bill, albeit for different reasons than conservatives. This is one of the rare issues that unite liberals and conservatives although it would be hard to find anyone on either side who realizes it. Bush's trip to Congress yesterday, his first in five years, was an attempt to make sure we never do.

For conservatives, the deal-breakers in the bill are 'amnesty', xenophobia in general and towards Mexicans in specific, and free-floating fear of Al Qaeda sneaking over the border to set off dirty bombs in our shopping malls.

For liberals, it's all about economics (jobs with real living wages for Americans), failed U.S. foreign aid and trade policies, and a U.S. that doesn't have to wage war to keep Americans safe and secure.

Bush's trip to the Hill was to resurrect the bill with assurances to conservatives about their reservations. Just enough assurances to get enough votes on board to pass it. National ID cards for both citizens and immigrants as a requirement for employment for everyone, and/or actually appropriating the money to build that fence on the U.S. southern border, whatever it takes.



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