Friday, November 21, 2014

The proper Republican response to Obama's executive action on immigration

Even prior to yesterday's announcement by President Obama of the executive actions he will be authorizing with respect to illegal immigration there were a number of responses being bandied about. Impeach him; no, a porridge that's way too hot. Embargo his nominees: this one has a lot of traction, but is still on its face a tit-for-tat action. Pass funding bills piecemeal, each with a rider killing the amnesty attached; same tit-for-tat action. Workable, but it carries the same risk as the other of attaching the perfume of petulant Obama action to those involved.

No, when a dumb-ass charges you wildly, you aid him in his quest, stepping aside slightly, taking a grip useful to you both on him, and helpfully accelerating his skull into the wall behind you. As Pat Buchanan points out rather obviously,

But with this amnesty Obama takes custody of and responsibility for the entire illegal population. He is the patron saint of illegal aliens. And for what they do, he will be held accountable, as was Jimmy Carter for the Marielitos Castro sent and Carter welcomed.

Thus, the proper Republican response - Republicans which now control both houses of Congress - is this: well, alrighty then! Handled!

But-but-but...what about our "broken immigration system"? Oh, that. Sure.
The moment a new President is elected who understands and embraces the legislative process involving both the legislative and executive branches of government, one who understands what "faithfully execute" given law means, why, absolutely. We'll take another look at taking up immigration legislation then.

Until then, though, for the remainder of Obama's term, immigration is now and will continue to be "Obama's broken immigration system". Illegal immigrants who wanted more won't get it: sorry, see Obama. Communities whose resources may be more heavily consumed more openly now: sorry, see Obama.

Frankly, it's hard to see how Obama's actions of yesterday will change the actual status quo very much anyway, for anyone involved. Instead, in exchange for shooting a cynical wad pandering to, let's face it, mostly Hispanics, Obama has become the new prime mover of the entire issue. His only options remaining now are, or should be, to be left to live with what he has wrought or, if he's really stupid, for him to escalate further.

There's too much else to do on tax and regulatory reform for Republicans to spend any more time mired in Obama's Alinsky games, especially now that he has graciously assumed unilateral ownership of the issue.

Be generous, Republicans, be kind. Allow President Obama free and unfettered flight into the wall behind you.

5 comments:

  1. Yes, I think this is the best approach. #Obamagration

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  2. Great point, Keith. Anything that the Repubs do as tit-for-tat will be portrayed by the media as the real problem -- the underlying issue of O's overreach will be buried. It'll be all about the mean Tea Baggers punishing widows and orphans because they're mean and hate Obama and hate "people not like them".

    IOW, the Dems and their media enablers will apply stoner logic to the issue:

    Stoners live for the moment. They are all about feelings, not facts. They possess a detached sense of cause and effect. I recall one specific episode when I came home and tore into my stoner roommate for not having his share of the rent. His solution to his lack of rent was simple. See, the real problem wasn't his lack of money, but my reaction to it. I was far too stressed about the situation. What we should do, to solve the rent problem, was grab a couple of drinks at the Cafe Formosa on Santa Monica and then head over to Crazy Girls, a local gentleman's club. After that excursion, I would calm down and stop harshing his gig over the unpaid rent.

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  3. Well said, very well said.

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  4. And since it makes sense the nitwits in Congress will, of course, not do this.
    GOP: Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory since the Kennedy Administration.

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