DADvocate

Via DrudgeReport come these two headlines:

G.O.P. Sets Aside Work on Immigration (New York Times)

U.S. immigration overhaul impossible: Senate leader (Reuters)

The second headline misleads the reader as it makes a global reference. The story clarifies:

U.S. congressional leaders are giving up on broad immigration legislation that would legalize millions of illegal immigrants and instead will concentrate on border security ahead of the elections, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said on Wednesday.

"I think it would be next to impossible to pass a comprehensive bill that includes dealing with the diversity of 12 million people here in the next three weeks," the Tennessee Republican told reporters.

The NY Times claims that Republicans will focus more on national security.

As they prepare for a critical pre-election legislative stretch, Congressional Republican leaders have all but abandoned a broad overhaul of immigration laws and instead will concentrate on national security issues they believe play to their political strength.

[---]

“We Republicans believe that we have no choice in the war against terror and the only way to do it is to continue to take them head-on whether it is in Iraq or elsewhere,” said Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the majority leader.

Are the Republicans being pragmatic on immigration issues or are they trying to dodge the issue before the elections in hopes that they won't lose votes due to negative backlash? I tend to think the latter.

During this election, national security issues won't attract any new voters to the Republican Party. Republicans have shown themselves to interpret national security as justifying infringing on civil rights but leaving the southern border wide open. They've used up their mileage on the issue. But the overly liberal stances many Republicans share on illegal immigration will drive away voters.

Why do many Republicans smile so sweetly on illegal immigrants? Could much of the "healthy" economy be due to an addiction to cheap foreign labor? Are Republicans (and Democrats) giving away our country for short term economic and political gains?

P.S. Don't vote for or support John McCain. His position on illegal immigration, his "incumbent protection act" (McCain-Feingold Act), and his insulting remarks concerning American workers clearly show he is not fit to represent the American people.