We’ve now seen the introduction of the bipartisan senate principles on immigration reform. As Sen. McCain (R-AZ) said, it looks broadly similar to the Kennedy bill back in 2006. But from what we saw today it seems like the intra-party fight on the GOP side might come down to something they’re calling the ‘Southwestern Commission’. It’s a body made up of the governors and attorneys general of the Southwestern border states and perhaps representatives of community groups from those states. Read More
TPM Reader EL, a Scout leader, checks in:
RE David’s headline on the proposed BSA policy change, the summary “BSA Punting Issue To Local Chapters” is true, but incomplete. It would be equally true, and perhaps more fair, to say that “BSA Liberates 75% of Scouting to do the right thing.”
The headline: “Father of Newtown victim heckled at hearing.” Read More
Unidentified 22 year old man takes loaded AR-15 to local Kroger grocery store in Charlottesville to make a point about his second amendment rights.
Charlottesville police say the man who showed up at a Kroger grocery store with a loaded gun wanted to make a point. On Sunday, an unidentified 22-year-old man carried a loaded AR-15 into the Kroger store on Emmet Street and Hydraulic Road, sparking not only a scare for customers and employees but also a 2nd Amendment debate.
Speaking for myself, I’m a big supporter of immigration reform. But let’s not let support for doing the right thing set us at war with the English language. Of course, it’s amnesty.
As they adage goes, elections have consequences. And nowhere more clearly than in the current politics of immigration reform. It’s probably not right to say that opinions in the GOP have changed on the issue. It’s more that people who supported reform mid-decade but gave way after a party revolt are now back to it after the 2012 election in which Republicans were seen as paying a steep price for hostility to immigration and, relatedly, the rising national Hispanic community. Read More
Senate fast-tracking the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act to a vote late this or early next week.
For Republicans tying to climb back on the immigration reform bandwagon they abandoned 5 years ago, explaining how the new reform proposal is not amnesty is a matter of careful word choice, polished talking points, and a heaping portion of denial.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Obama: “If he is a skeet shooter, why have we not heard of this? Why have we not seen photos?”