Clearly immigration was why we lost in 2012. It had nothing to do with a milquetoast Republican candidate who had been on both sides of so many issues that a good portion of Republican voters just stayed home. No, forget the moderate candidate. It was the Hispanic vote that killed us!
Also, I’ve got some unicorns in my back yard I’ll be glad to sell you on the cheap.
NEWSMAX – The House Republican leadership is expected to release a one-page list of principles governing immigration reform efforts next week that for the first time backs legal status for undocumented immigrants.
But the plan falls short of providing for an immediate pathway to citizenship as outlined in the comprehensive Senate bill passed last year.
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House Speaker John Boehner, with the support of Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, is expected to circulate the plan to GOP members before it is publicly released ahead of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Jan. 28.
Rep. Lee Terry told the Journal the move could help win hard-to-get GOP support.
“If it doesn’t lead to a pathway to citizenship, I think you will get more people to at least embrace that or be OK with that,” the Nebraska Republican said. However, he added, “It will still be a very difficult sell.”
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According to the National Journal, Boehner has little to lose in trying to convince his fellow Republican to follow his new guiding principles. If conservatives object to any part that resembles amnesty for immigrants, Boehner and other Republican leaders can still say they tried to push though legislation so that the House and Senate could then go to conference to pass something.
“We can win in 2014 without resolving it. We can’t win in 2016 without resolving it,” Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn of Texas told the Journal.
The new plan, while stopping short of endorsing amnesty, still provides a legal process that will require immigrants to admit guilt, pay a fine and back taxes before being legally allowed to live and work in the United States, congressional aides familiar with the plan told The Wall Street Journal.
Immigrants would not automatically qualify for a “pathway to citizenship,” which is called for in the Senate Bill. Instead, would force them to seek legal permanent residence, or green cards, in order to be eligible for citizenship.
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But there are still many Republicans who oppose legalization, and Boehner and his team may have a difficult time getting them to agree with his plan.
“Illegal immigration is a crime and ought to be treated that way,” California Rep. Tom McClintock said Thursday.