Hornet's Nest

Bush getting ready to stick his hand back in. LATimes (07.24.05):

"Worried that the tone of the immigration debate is pushing Latinos away from the Republican Party, the White House is working with political strategists to create a broad coalition of business groups and immigrant advocates to back a plan President Bush could promote in Congress and to minority voters in the 2006 elections. The push is being planned to coincide with next year's campaigns for the House and Senate, in which Latino voters could be crucial in several states. It is part of a broader White House strategy to forge a long-lasting majority by drawing more minority voters." Immigration Rising on Bush's To-Do List

The lure of the Latino vote is just too compelling. But it's not just for political purposes. Part of the plan would involve some version of a guest-worker program, an idea "favored by many Latinos and by businesses, many of them major GOP donors that depend on a steady flow of workers from Mexico and other countries." This means the Administration will have to square off with the "vocal bloc of cultural conservatives in the GOP — some in the House leadership — who argue that undocumented workers present a security threat and take some jobs that could be filled by Americans." "Some Republican strategists worry that the more extreme voices in this camp are alienating Latino voters with anti-immigrant language...." Their concern is well-founded. "(T)he administration effort is running into problems even as it begins: Several key business groups are hesitant to join the new coalition, questioning whether the administration can separate itself from the anti-immigration wing of the GOP that is promoting restrictive policies. And the party's leading voices favoring stricter limits on immigration, such as Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), remain undaunted — pledging to intensify their efforts." Guys like Tancredo may be the least of the Administration's worries. They're already bracing themselves for the "echo chamber of conservative talk radio...." Those guys will be a huge pain-in-the-ass. Have fun dealing with 'em.