A Hail Mary pass on immigration

In a way, President Bush had no other choice on immigration: He was losing conservative Republicans, the Democrats had made it clear they would like the issue for the fall election, and the Senate was about to vote. As a Texan, Bush had always kept the immigration issue near and dear to his heart–and he believes a guest-worker program is the right way to deal with illegal immigrants. But he had a problem: Lots of people in this country–particularly in his own party–see a guest-worker program as amnesty. That's a no-no.

So the president addressed the nation to make two things very clear: that enforcement comes before a guest-worker program and that a path to working in this country is not amnesty. Whether it works remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: This was a Hail Mary pass. Deciding to place 6,000 troops along the border is a clear signal that he wants to stop the influx of illegal immigrants, but no one knows if it's too little, too late.

Perhaps, some Republicans tell me, the president should have done this sooner–standing up to the anti-immigration forces in his own party (like Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado). If it were up to Tancredo and his allies, the 11 million or 12 million illegal immigrants now living in this country would become felons, and anyone who tried to help them would become a felon, too. Bush should have immediately called that unacceptable, yet he did not.

As for those Republicans who are running scared, let them. Bush has now given them something they can talk about–increased enforcement. If Americans get that, they're fine with immigrants. They understand that that is what this nation is all about. Have we all forgotten?