A thorn even on the one rose petal
You could call the bifurcation a difference between the "haves" and the "have nots," in John Edwards' parlance!President Bush's hopes of securing a comprehensive immigration overhaul have brightened considerably in the new Democratic-controlled Congress, but resistance from organized labor - one of the Democratic Party's most loyal constituencies - could complicate those efforts.
The AFL-CIO, which represents 53 unions with more than 9 million members, is ratcheting up opposition to a temporary guest worker program, a key element of Bush's immigration plan. At the same time, two powerful unions in a breakaway labor coalition, Change to Win, have tended to support the provision.
I'd hoped immigration might actually be a good thing a Democratic-controlled Congress might get done. We'll see how slavishly devoted Nancy Pelosi is to John Sweeney.
This part amuses me:
The outlook is a bit more fluid in the House, which under Republican control never seriously debated a comprehensive measure. But Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., the incoming chairwoman of the House immigration subcommittee, said she is optimistic that House members eventually can find accord on legalization, guest workers, and other contentious provisions.The history of immigration bills is largely one of unintended consequences."We're at the beginning here," she said. "I believe that if we stop yelling at each other and just methodically work our way through the outstanding questions, that we can come up with a practical solution."
Posted by Evan @ 01/07/07 10:17 PM
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