Stalemate on immigration reform possible

Immigration Debate Sours for Illegals:

"Privately, senators in both parties and strategists on the issue say he [Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)] has faded from the forefront of immigration negotiations—leaving his staff to track them and a confidant, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, to mediate—while he waits for the right moment to weigh in."

I'm not certain I'm reading this as intended, but what I take this comment and others regarding McCain to mean in the context of this article is that McCain would prefer to keep a low profile on immigration while he is trying to get the GOP nomination; but, if a deal does emerge during this session of Congress, he will take credit for it.

No doubt, McCain sees that a compromise along the lines emerging in the current debate on the Hill might peel away some support from the opposition to illegal immigration making it less damaging for him to get back in front of the parade. Moreover, putting himself out front might help him in a few open primary states and in the general election if he wins the nomination.

So much for the brave "maverick" McCain.

Meanwhile, it is interesting that a new Congress with a Democrat majority in each house is now considering legislation more restrictive than last year. Of course, the new proposals are still far from satisfactory to critics of unrestricted immigration like myself.

I suspect, as the article mentions, that many Democrats would prefer to have no bill at all. This would save them from some criticism from the left that would accuse them of caving in to the GOP. It would also give them a stronger issue to use to keep a lock on the Hispanic vote in 2008.

The $64 question is this - How can the Democrats keep their hold on the Black vote and support more immigration when immigration has been the cause of Black unemployment rising even as the national unemployment rate has been dropping?

I'll say it again, unrestricted immigration does greater danger to the Black and Native American communities than to White Americans.