Borderline

Immigration is one of those issues (another is affirmative action) where there's a big elitist/populist split. Most Americans have very little trouble with tough action taken to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the border, and deporting those who do--and they don't want to hear about "comprehensive" reform, which to them means amnesty for illegals and lip service to everything else.

George W. Bush and John McCain were on the "elitist" side of the issue and it cost them. Bush tried to put forward a reform plan in a Democratic Congress and it got nowhere while his poll numbers dropped. And now maverick McCain, who's served 23 years in the Senate, is forced to repudiate his former stance just to save his seat.

Illegal immigration is not an issue that's easy to boil down, since it deals with race, economics, civil rights, federalism and millions of potential new voters. But apparently Arizona's citizens were fed up enough to pass a tough new law. Predictably, it was anathema to President Obama, who denounced it by name, calling it misguided and irresponsible.

The political question is what will the federal government do about it. There'll be court challenges, of course, but what about a bill of their own? It's on the agenda now, but do the Democrats have the nerve (and the votes) to wade into this when their popularity is already low?

A while ago I wondered if the Dems, after forcing through an unpopular health care bill, would take it easy the rest of the term while they primp for reelection, or would they figure this is their last, best chance to pass their wish list? (Not that immigration is a simple Dem/Repub issue--it splits along strange lines.)

Some think the Arizona law will help get something through Congress, but the inside word (which I can't vouch for) is that the Dems are afraid and--with almost no bipartisan cover--will let the whole thing drop, even if Obama wants to push it. Guess we'll see.

PS I don't want to give the impression this is just an issue for the Democrats to worry about. It's just that they're in charge so the ball's in their court. But if Republicans choose to oppose reform, they can easily overplay their hand and appear too harsh. If nothing else, they certainly should be concerned about how it will play with the Latino vote.

PPS Now Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times has written "I’m not going back to Arizona as long as it remains a police state, which is what the appalling anti-immigrant bill that Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law last week has turned it into." Gee, I could swear it was just a week ago in the Times that Bill Clinton warned us of the dangers of such harsh criticism. I guess that only applies to Tea Partiers.