I leave you this fine evening with a column by Fred Barnes. Key paragraphs:
Republicans must also clean up their act on immigration, Mr. Bush insists. Last year, he says they "set a tone" that pushed Hispanic voters away. "The tone of the debate reached a point that was very damning to the Republican Party, and the evidence is in. The chest pounders lost."
Mr. Bush supports immigration reform as championed by his brother and John McCain, which would allow illegals already in this country to stay. "Politics has to be about ideas and values and aspirations." he says. "It shouldn't be about anger and preying on people's emotions. You can't lead a mob."
I'm not getting this. Most Americans, including me, have nothing against immigrants. Nor do we want to prevent immigration. What we want is lawful, orderly immigration. Why is that so hard for Jeb Bush, Fred Barnes, and other inside-the-beltway people to understand? They persist in conflating lawful immigration and unlawful immigration. That's like conflating sex and rape. Do we say that once rapists have penetrated their victims, they should be allowed to continue? The people who are here illegally should not be allowed to stay. They should be rounded up and sent back home. Those who have been waiting patiently and playing by the rules should be processed. And please, please, please don't be stupid. By "rounded up" I don't mean putting a posse together. I mean deporting the illegal aliens who turn up in the ordinary course of events.
