Why We Need An Immigration Bill, Even An Imperfect One

Fred Barnes says it in the Weekly Standard:

The last time the public was this engaged in a policy issue was 1994, when President Clinton's health care plan was being debated. But there was a critical
difference then. Once the idea took hold that there was no health care crisis in
America--there still isn't--health care reform began to fade. It turned out to
be postponable.

Immigration reform is not. There really is an immigration crisis. In fact, the very Republicans who want an immigration bill limited to enforcement are largely responsible for having brought to the attention of all Americans the fact that a crisis exists and must be dealt with urgently. For them to prevent a bill now would be political suicide. It would all but guarantee Democratic capture of the House on November 7. "We're in control," says Republican senator Mel Martinez of Florida. "We're in charge. And if we don't produce, it would be a terrible failure. It would be handing the other side a win." A big win.

Read the whole thing. Especially if you think it's better to have no bill at all than one that has more or less in it than you think should be there.