Immigration = Bad Politics For Democrats This Year?

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Immigration = Bad Politics For Democrats This Year?

Posted By Jim Nintzel on Wed, May 19, 2010 at 1:56 PM

William Galston warns Democrats to stay away from immigration this year in The New Republic:

I believe in comprehensive immigration reform—so much so that I helped organize a bipartisan task force on the matter. (Here is the report.) I understand that most Americans have qualms about taking harshly punitive measures against illegal immigrants. And there is little doubt that a party seen as anti-immigrant will eventually lose the support of an increasingly diverse population, and especially of young people, as the fate of the post-Pete Wilson Republican Party in California demonstrates.

But I still have no idea why some leading Democrats, such as Chuck Schumer, think that pushing this issue right now will be helpful in November. If they believe that recent events in Arizona have created a public groundswell for a more liberal response, they’re just wrong.