Immigration Reform: Bush's Last Stand?

What seemed unthinkable just a short while ago has now become a very real possibility: Republicans could lose one or both houses of Congress. The person with the most to lose is President Bush. A Democrat House would mean hearings: on NSA wiretapping, torture, WMD's...well, the list seems endless, doesn't it. That an impeachable offense might arise in at least one of them seems fairly likely. If the Senate were lost as well, the Bush administration would be spending all its time testifying on Capitol Hill.

Various constitutional crises would crop up regularly as executive privilege claims would be proferred and contested. Even if Bush's term were to run out before the issues were settled, the election of a Democrat as President in 2008 would put Bush and his administration at risk for criminal investigation and prosecution. A slew of pardons would no doubt be issued in January '09, and perhaps a new controversy will arise as to whether a president can pardon himself.

With the personal stakes so high in the upcoming mid-term elections, should we fear that extra-legal means might be employed to assure a Republican victory? Possibilities would include a faked terrorist attack to altered ballot results using the non-auditable electronic Diebold voting machines. I don't think this is as far-fetched as it sounds. We all accept that fraud was likely in Illinois in 1960 and that fraud propelled LBJ to his first Senate victory. In 2006, it's not just a lost election that's at stake for George W. Bush, but his very Presidency if not his personal freedom, that's at risk. So pulling a few strings here and there must be awfully tempting.

But all this might be avoided if W. were to adopt as his own a widely popular position: strict controls on immigration without a guest worker program. Even though he has been the biggest front-man for the shortsighted business interests clamoring for cheap labor from across the border, he can do a complete 180 today and salvage this fall's elections. It's too late for his business backers to abandon him now - a Democratic congress would be too much of a disaster for them in other ways. Perhaps it is too late for his administration sycophants to switch gears, so here's some quick talking points to help with the transition:

• The American people are the hardest working people in the world. Our brave young men and women in the armed forces should convince anyone that people who can withstand 9 humiliating weeks in boot camp and 9 excruciatingly hot and dangerous months in Iraq can and will do any job and do it well.
• While we may be a nation of immigrants, we insist on assimilation into our society and acceptance of an 'American' identity. High levels of immigration do not allow our Hispanic brothers and sisters to assimilate as our ancestors did so well. We need to give our legal residents a fair chance to become full members of our community by stopping the unending flow of new immigrants.
• The promise of America has always been a middle class life for all who work hard and play by the rules. But millions of undocumented workers make this impossible for many who have to compete with low wage workers for employment. We need to vastly reduce the number of illegal immigrants within our borders to keep the American dream alive.
• We have seen a drop in the number of students graduating from college each year with science and engineering degrees. We cannot remain a great nation while our most important asset - the human capital of succeeding generations - declines. In order to ensure a rewarding career to those of our young people with the drive and determination to succeed in high-tech careers, we must limit the number of visas we grant to industry for hiring overseas workers.

Got it boys? - now get crackin' - your boss's job could depend on it! This may not be all the points you'll want to raise - but it's a start. If you need more help, you know where to reach me!