Immigration

The issue that’s splitting the GOP

A civil war has broken out among Republicans, said Peter Wallsten in the Los Angeles Times, and its flashpoint is immigration. On the surface, the conflict is over the massive Senate reform bill that would grant amnesty to 12 million illegal aliens and institute a guest-worker program for 400,000 migrant laborers annually. But the underlying issue is how best 'œto restore the GOP to political dominance.' Led by President Bush, the reformers believe that wooing 'œthe fast-growing Latino voting bloc' with this bill is essential to the party's future. Opposing them are conservatives who say the bill—which radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh calls 'œthe Destroy the Republican Party Act'—rewards criminal behavior, and will alienate white males, who make up the party's most loyal voters. If the GOP pushes through this bill, the anti-immigrant wing of the party warns, demoralized conservatives will be so disgusted they'll stay home on Election Day 2008, and for many elections thereafter.

If Bush has any luck left, he'll lose this battle, said John Podhoretz in the New York Post. He 'œneeds a unified Republican Party going into the fall, which may be the most difficult moment of his presidency.' In September, Gen. David Petraeus will probably report only modest improvements in the situation in Iraq, triggering a furious new effort by Democrats to withdraw the troops and end the war. Bush can fend them off only with unified Republican support in Congress. If he squanders his remaining popularity among conservatives on immigration, he will be left standing alone—and Democrats will stampede over him.

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