11 JUN 07 / "Congress Strikes Out on Immigration Reform"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week shelved the immigration reform bill after it failed to survive a vote to end debate and move to final passage. The legislation, unveiled a mere two weeks ago, caused a firestorm of protest fanned primarily by conservative bloggers and talk radio hosts, most of whom I agree with 99 percent of the time.

In the public debate over this particular piece of legislation, a vocal and vociferous minority overwhelmed the silent majority. Negotiations among senators about the bill were shrouded in secrecy, but this was to ensure that it didn't fall apart from criticism before it had a chance to go to the floor.

What my fellow conservatives are failing to understand is that the United States wouldn't have achieved greatness without its immigrants. They are correct to say that immigration is a matter of national security, but that's because our economic productivity is greatly enhanced by our immigrants. The Republicans who oppose immigration reform say they are standing up for law and order and American values, but immigration is so ingrained in our culture, we sometimes take it for granted that immigrants themselves created these values.

The president is right on this issue. He's been right ever since taking office as the governor of Texas. There is no such thing as a perfect piece legislation, and this immigration reform package would significantly improve the lives of the nation's hardworking immigrants and their families. Senator John McCain correctly summed up what transpired in an interview on "This Week" by saying that the middle couldn't hold. McCain has shown tremendous political courage during this presidential race on the war in Iraq and immigration reform.

It seems McCain is the only profile in political courage currently in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani side-stepped the issue as if it were an on-coming train, explaining that he could not support the Senate bill in its current form because the identification procedures were weak.

Giuliani, however, has historically been outspoken in support of increased immigration, and even spoke eloquently of their contributions to American society during the last televised Republican debate at St. Anslem's College in Manchester, NH. Politically, his position is smart, but it does a disservice to the nation. He could be demonstrating real leadership on the issue.

Rush Limbaugh said on his radio show on 11 June that the founders would have been happy with the result. But they formed a republic for a reason, they were just as worried about demogoguery as tyranny. Rush had also proclaimed that passage of the bill could spell the end for the Republican Party. I believe the opposite. The responsibilities of citizenship are significant. A misinformed public is a threat to national security. Ultimately, we get the government we deserve.

The president has been weakened significantly by the Republican loss of Congress in '06 and our inability to pacify Iraq. If the bill does not come back this year, it's possible that reform could be achieved incrementally.