A Sleeping Giant Awakes

29 March 2006 |permalink | email article

The politics of illegal immigration, reflected in last Saturdayís peaceful march by 500,000 in Los Angeles - born as an eleven-family Spanish pueblo - in reaction to a harsh Republican-passed House bill in December, has triggered a national firestorm, action in the Senate and a test of President Bushís remaining power.

On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, almost certainly affected by televised images of tens of thousands of Latinos, together with union and religious demonstrators waving banners and flags, found a bipartisan compromise. It sent a more lenient bill to the full Senate that would create a temporary worker program and a process for legalizing the nationís illegal immigrants -but arguably not granting amnesty.

Late Tuesday it appeared that Republican conservatives, fearing a huge loss of the crucial Latino vote in this yearís mid-term elections, might strike a compromise which would prop up a slumping W. His major problem remains Iraq which incredibly still lacks a functioning government and is in a predictable sectarian civil war. Unfiltered news still trumps White House optimism and Rummy spin.

It is quite possible, however, that strident opponents of illegal immigration, such as Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), egged on by conservative talk radio hosts and Lou Dobbs, CNNís pompous, one-man answer to FOX News, may cause enough commotion to force the delay of any GOP decision on the issue until next year. Too risky now?

A survey of legal immigrants by the respected Florida-based Latino pollster Sergio Bendixen, a Democrat, finds that 67% of legal immigrants from Latin America, Asia, Europe and Africa believe anti-immigrant sentiment is growing in the U.S., and 64% feel that sentiment is fueled by racism. The pollster thinks the White House is more concerned about Tancredo that the Democrats.

The immigration issue has suddenly impacted on the California gubernatorial election. In an adroit and timely response after the Los Angeles eruption, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. îI am an immigrant,î he said, calling for a comprehensive new law that respects immigrants and protects the nation.

His two Democratic opponents were not as quick on the draw. LA Weekly columnist and blogger Bill Bradley quoted state Controller Steve Westlyís press secretary as opposing the House bill because ìit criminalizes undocumented workers.î

Bradley cited a transcript in which Univision reporter Pablo Espinoza asked state Treasurer Phil Angelides about the infamous HR 4437 which House GOP leaders in the last 24 hours have soured on as a realistic solution. Angelides said he didnít know about it.

While Angelides has overwhelming support among elected California Democrats my hunch is Westly may win the June primary.

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