Yesterday the political pundits were speculating that Democrats will move Congressional consideration of immigration reform to the front of the queue of pressing national business because they understand that a fair reform is in their political interest. Ezra Klein spelled this out.
I'm stunned. Democrats understanding their interests lie with sticking up for constituents of color? Realizing that taking a combative, pro-migrant position is a winning stance for them?Democrats obviously have an election to win. Harry Reid, in particular, has an election to win in a state with a very large Hispanic population. And reformers were certainly given a great gift when Arizona decided to write xenophobia into its lawbooks and create a sense of emergency around state-level action on this issue. Put it all together and some Democratic strategists see the chance to bury the GOP's relationship with Hispanics for a generation.
For a person who watched California Democrats hide under rocks rather than defend immigrants from Gov. Pete Wilson's odious Prop. 187 in the 90s, their momentary clear-sighted comprehension of a moment when doing good will also be doing well is mind boggling.
It's always nice when that hopey-changy thing actually seems to be working as I think it ought to.
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