Senator James Inhofe’s attitude — it’s all about beating Democrats. Why take chances with immigration, right?
[Speaking Truth To Power]
Republicans See Immigration As “Firing Squad”
This week, some Republicans declared comprehensive immigration legislation was unlikely to be passed as law this year.
Republicans are afraid of the divisiveness that would occur within their party. They see immigration as an “inflammatory “issue, which could severely hurt their chances during the mid-term Elections of 2014.
Is the Republican Party fearful that their base will hurt their chances with Latino voters—who represent, for many Whites, the face of a darkening America?
Recently, House Republicans crafted some standards they see as important for moving forward with an immigration bill. However, on Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he didn’t see how immigration reform could be accomplished, especially, since he saw variance between the accepted principles of the House and Senate. “I think we have sort of an irresolvable conflict here,” Mr. McConnell told reporters. “The Senate insists on comprehensive,” legislation, he added.
“The House says it won’t go to conference with the Senate on comprehensive and wants to look at step by step. I don’t see how you get to an outcome this year with the two bodies in such a different place.”
Senator McConnell’s trepidation no doubt has more to do with fears that the immigration issue could derail Republican plans for winning the Senate back, this year, from Democrats—which would allow Republicans to further obstruct President Obama’s agenda for the remainder of his term.
Establishment Republicans obviously understand that to win future elections—outside of regressively racist all-White enclaves—that they must appeal to Latino voters, who represent the fastest growing racial demographic. But establishment Republicans also know they must navigate through primary challenges—where Tea Party candidates are, often, voicing the feelings of a constituency littered with prejudice, who want no part of allowing what they call “amnesty.”
Republican Party bigwigs definitely want to avoid a blood battle on immigration—which would do much to reveal the hatred many in their base have for non-White immigrants. The fear of Democrats being able to illustrate this to Latinos surely scares Republicans.
Remember how worried Mitt Romney seemed to be of Latino voters in the infamous 47 percent video, when he said if his father was “born of Mexican parents I’d have a better shot at winning this but unfortunately he was born to Americans living in Mexico?”
This was perhaps on the mind of Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe when he said “There is a partisan concern that is out there that I am concerned with also. Most of the Democrats would like to have the Republicans come up with something that could be distorted. In fact, it would be awfully hard to come up with a bill that you couldn’t use politically prior to the elections. So, I am not in a hurry to get anything done.” So, in other words who cares about the plight of immigrants? All Republicans want to do is beat Democrats in the mid-terms.
Primarily, because of this, party leaders, political strategists and conservative pundits are trying to avoid immigration.
In a letter to Republicans, The Weekly Standard editor, William Kristol, warned “If there’s one thing that could blow up GOP chances for a good 2014, it would be an explosive debate over immigration in the House. Bringing immigration to the floor [insures] a circular GOP firing squad, instead of a nicely lined-up one shooting together and in unison at ObamaCare and other horrors of big-government liberalism.”
The comments of Mr. Kristol make it crystal clear Democratic strategists should engage in a full-court press on the immigration issue and expose the Republican Party for their superficial kowtowing to reactionary racism in their base. On at least three levels here Republicans are being deceitful.
Republicans are trying to appease elements in their base that are bigoted, while, maneuvering an attempt at gaining Latino voters and at the same time trying to satisfy their corporate sugar-daddies—many of whom benefit from illegal immigration.
For years now, Republican politicians have been pretending to be dismayed with the state of illegal immigration. This is a lie. But, they know they must deceive dummies in their base by feigning phony outrage over the issue. Most Republican and conservative voters and supporters denounce illegal immigration—maintaining they have nothing against immigrants per se but hate the fact they broke laws. I sometimes wonder how different American history would be if Indigenous Americans had a system of illegal immigration that could’ve expelled the hungry horde of European elements who brought their death and disease to this country.
Why is it that these same people don’t seem to care about the out-of-control corporate criminality running rampant in the country—or, those who break laws while leading the nation into bloody wars? Why is it that they remain, largely, silent on these crimes that do far more damage to the nation?
Many will claim racism has nothing to do with the vitriol in the immigration debate. But immigration has now become one of the central battlegrounds of the fight—that white supremacists and racists fear they are losing—to preserve America as a “White” nation. Many of these crackpots—in the Tea Party and elsewhere—see America as rapidly becoming a country of color.
For years now, Latinos have become an important source of attacks by racist Whites who feel their influence shrinking. For example, do you remember how many were affronted about the presence of illegal immigrants during the time of the disastrous Iraq War? Why did this become the scapegoating issue at a time when every American should’ve been assessing the body of evidence proving that a criminal cabal took us into war based on deadly lies?
Another deceptive aspect of Republican politicians is their support for the very business interests who like illegal immigration. Recently, President Obama said the nation must have a conversation on inequality. If we’re to have that conversation the issue of income exploitation must be addressed. Ironically, some of the same business interests—that support Republicans and vice versa—love illegal immigration because it helps to stabilize stagnation of the wages of American workers.
The fact is: illegal immigration has been beneficial to those economic entities waging war against American workers. Remember when Mitt Romney admitted he got rid of the illegal immigrants who worked for him when he was running for president? If an investigation was launched, how many Republicans would be found having illegal immigrants working for them?
Clueless elements in the Republican base are oblivious to this reality—because all they see is the skin color of Latino immigrants. Many of these Whites want the nostalgia of an earlier time when Blacks had to ride the back of the bus and anyone not “White” had to damn well stay “in their place.” But now they look around and the country’s complexion is swiftly changing before their bigoted eyes. Consequently, many of these prejudiced people are losing their twisted minds.
Moreover, this current upswing in racist angst can be seen in the collective behavior of many Right Wing Whites since Barack Obama became the 44 President of The United States. Since then, many have been crying and whining about taking “their country back.” The White supremacist ideology, in their view, is slowly losing the very ground beneath their feet.
Unfortunately, for such people, the news is dire because America is changing—for the better—and all the racist illegal immigration invective isn’t going to alter the reality that America, soon enough, will be populated by a non-White majority.
