04/07/2014
Mickey Kaus has some things to say about Jeb Bush’s "act of love" comment.
Jeb Bush’s Cunning Strategy?, Daily Caller, April 6, 2014
Jeb’s Jejune Swoon: Why did Jeb Bush say those provocative, seemingly jejune things about illegal border crossing being “not a felony” but “ an act of love? Obviously it’s what he actually thinks. But, again, why did he say it? Two theories:
1) He’s running in 2016 and thinks he can compensate for giving amnesty to all the illegal border crossers (mainly from Mexico) by cracking down and even deporting visa-overstayers (who aren’t so much from Latin America). It’s a weak attempt to appease immigration hawks–but it’s also a double-pander to many Latinos, who (rightly) resent politicians who talk about building a Southern fence while ignoring the visa-overstay problem. Clever! I don’t think the immigration hawks will be fooled, though, since Bush also endorsed the Gang of 8 bill, which legalizes instantly while postponing enforcement until later.
Or …
2) He’s not running, but he’s making space for Marco Rubio. Look at it this way: The GOP establishment is desperate to suppress Tea Party conservatives and also obtain the immigration amnesty they believe will win Latinos and relieve them of the need to do too much rethinking in other areas. The problem for the establishment is lack of candidates. Rubio was a favorite, but he sabotaged himself among core Republican primary voters with his disingenuous, flip-floppy championing of the Gang of 8?s bill. That left Christie–but then Christie got caught in a traffic jam. That left Jeb, probably the establishment’s original choice–but it turns out that Jeb is still a Bush, and even the Bushes are sick of the Bushes. [More]
Possibly Kaus is overthinking here. I think Jeb Bush, like George W., just can’t help himself on this subject;see Jeb Bush — Treason Lobbyist and Dubya Memoir Shows He Never Understood Immigration (Although His Nanny May Have).
But Kaus has this additional comment
The need to rehabilitate Rubio–which means avoiding a big immigration fight, at least in 2015 and 2016–would be one more reason the GOP establishment might feel it’s now-or-never for passing an immigration reform bill. That would help explain the increasingly desperate and sneaky (but possible successful) efforts to keep amnesty alive. …
Perhaps they're coming to realize that they can’t pass amnesty and win elections, and think their only hope is to pass it between elections and hope voters forget.
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