Striking A Balance

Much is said in politics over "wedge issues". During the last election a common topic among the political punditry was how much the issue of gay marriage would split the Democratic Party and aid the president. Poll after poll showed unified opposition to gay marriage among Republicans, with the Democrats split right down the middle over it. Following the election, many have argued in their reviews that handfuls of voters who might have previously voted Democrat supported the president because of the confidence they had in him to deal with the issue. Whether this assertion is valid or not is up for debate, but there is no denying that the issue of gay marriage did divide the Democratic Party in two.

For Republicans, our wedge issue is immigration. With the exception of a small segment of nativists on the far right, Republicans all believe that legal immigration is a cherished tradition and part of American society, and that it is one of the key reasons America is as successful and prosperous as it is today. What we disagree over is what to do in regards to illegal immigration.

I personally have struggled to take a stand on this issue. While on the one hand I strongly believe that we should never allow the law to respect those who do not respect our laws, I also realize that it is impractical to attempt to deport the roughly eleven million illegals that currently live in this country. As I've seen it, the best course of action is not flooding the borders with increased security, the American military, or vigilante groups; but rather to find a way to allow those here illegally to become citizens while at the same time keeping them from cutting in line in front of the millions of legal immigrants who do respect our laws.

Recently Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy have authored a proposal that will in many ways strike the balance I and many Republicans have been looking for. In the proposed bill illegal immigrants could apply for permanent residency if they have gone through six years of legal work, have paid a fine for crossing the border illegally, and agree to submit to a background check. The bill also contains a provision that will speed up the application process for residency to insure that illegals will not be able to cut in line in front of legals.

I like this proposal not only because it prevents this cutting in line, but also because it allows illegals to gain residency and subsequently citizenship while at the same time applying some punitive measures for not coming to this country the right way. The required background check will also insure that those we grant with residency are not a threat to our nation's security.

This bill addresses many, if not all of the concerns that the nation has with immigration, and when apprised of this plan seventy-seven percent of the public supports it. It acutely strikes a balance between our principles that those who break the rules should not be respected by the rules and the need to limit the free flow across our borders that is a threat to national security. In my view, this is a practical plan that members of both parties and the American people can get behind and support.

Hat Tip: Mort Kondracke