On the White House Immigration Proposal

Earlier this week, word out of the White House/Congressional Republican negotiators was that they had arrived at an immigration proposal that "deals with the DACA" folks--DACA folks being those here illegally as the result of illegal immigration decisions made by their parents , who as adults, had registered to work here under a clearly unconstitutional program set up by President Obama. The program under which they were here is expiring, and their status (illegal) once again manifests itself unless something is done. They are particularly "vulnerable" as their registration for DACA status essentially outed them as being here illegally in the first place. There is a second, considerably larger group of illegals -- known as "Dreamers" -- who are-- like DACA--here illegally through no choice of their own, but who chose NOT to register under DACA.

Early in his term, President Trump did something I thought was wonderful. As DACA was expiring, he essentially said, "go figure this out Congress." For those of us who believe that the previous two Administrations had expanded Presidential power too far--with Congress' complicity--this move to motivate Congress to do its job was welcomed.

Congress has done its job, or at least part of its job, and between the GOP and the White House a proposal has emerged, which you can read about here.   The broad outlines include:  a path to citizenship for what is conservatively estimated to be 1.8 million people here illegally (DACA plus DREAMER--though this could inevitably rise), $25B for border security/wall (the 2013 plan included $30B), an end to the "diversity lottery" and a dramatic scale back of chain migration. I think this is a superb plan, the kind of plan that a sensible GOP puts forward to help solve a tough problem (DACA) by giving the other side something (DACA plus Dreamer) in order to get what it wants (wall, legal immigration reform). Of note--"E-verify" is not in the plan--which while I believe is terribly necessary--serves as a disincentive to Democrat votes because it could actually have an impact on a ton of future Democrats illegal immigrants here already.

Again--I really, really like this proposal. This is the way things are supposed to work--compromise and recognition that one side rarely gets everything it wants, and if it does, what it gets is probably not worth having (see "Obamacare" and perhaps in the future--the GOP tax cut--which I liked).

So--those who are still reading to this point....you are waiting for the other shoe to drop, aren't you. I couldn't possibly come forward with unadorned praise for something that the Administration was part of, could I?  You know me too well.

First, I don't care how wonderful and reasonable this plan is, IT IS NOTHING LIKE WHAT HE CAMPAIGNED ON.  What this plan represents is the considered wisdom of virtually every other person in the GOP race, except for Ted Cruz who has already put himself on the path to pick up those Trump Immigration voters who must now reconcile the fact that their man could be responsible for the legalization/citizenship of nearly 2 million illegals.

We could have had this plan with virtually any of the other GOP candidates, along with the tax bill and Gorsuch--without the goddamn daily carnival we get from the White House and the progressive diminishment of the office by the ethically and morally flawed man occupying it. We got stuck with this chump because a whole slice of Americana wanted to blame immigrants for their lot in life, and he promised them the moon.  What do I mean by that?

"I will build a great wall -- and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me --and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."  This line was always delivered to roars of approval by his crowds--and it is a lie.

"Within ICE I'm going to create a new special deportation task force."  No deportation force here--thank goodness--but this whole thing is about granting a path to citizenship to millions of people. Trumpkins used to call this "AMNESTY".

"there will be no amnesty," Whoops.

Folks--keep in mind--I never, ever wanted the insanity of the Trump Campaign immigration approach--I wanted something MUCH like what we're getting with this proposal. My task here is to point out to the suckers who stuck us with him is (first) that they have been lied to and (second) that they are getting EXACTLY the kind of GOP policy approach that the cucks and GOPe have been talking about for years.

So yes--I am perfectly capable of being incredibly positive on a policy basis for something the Trump Administration has proposed, while simultaneously doing an end-zone dance of joy that his vaunted base is taking it in the backside--all the while lamenting the destruction of a once great Party that this Presidency is creating.