A Boston Tea Party …(Acting Like Politicians)

Rumors are swirling this week that any potential immigration bill before the election is pretty much dead. The House is planning on holding public forums around the country this summer before delving into conference meetings with the Senate. The pundits are suggesting the Republicans are delaying any chance of compromise until after the fall elections. It seems no Republican House member wants to be looked upon as being weak on border security while facing reelection.

Pardon me if I think something smells here. I have a natural distrust of ALL politicians born from Republicans spending like Democrats, a so-called conservative nominating Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court, a Senate full of Republicans who sided with the Democrats on a border bill, and most of all public officials who are more concerned with having a career in Washington rather than governing in a manner that places their country then constituents above said career.

When the Tom Tancredo and JD Hayworth say they want border security established and maintained before dealing with and guest-worker program, I hope they mean it whether it is before an election or after. I hate to be a doubting Thomas but history tells us politicians often vote in a different way than they truly believe as an election nears. Just this week we saw many Democratic Senators who obviously want us to pull out of Iraq voting against a fellow Democratic plan because they did not want to be viewed as weak on terror as the fall election nears. It should certainly shock no one that under the security of a non-election year votes can be swayed.

It is my hunch less than a quarter of our current Washington political class votes without considering the next election results. House members ought not to be trying to pull one over on us. Border security does not lose its importance five months from now. It would make me more comfortable if House Republicans would announce that any immigration compromise is dead now and forever as long as the Senate and President fail to prove to all of America that the border is secure first. If they do not I will spend the remainder of the summer less optimistic that politicians are not just acting like politicians. For now I will sleep with one eye open.