New York Times Editorial - It's Bush's turn

It's Bush's turn

The New York Times

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2006

If President George W. Bush wants serious immigration reform as badly as he says he does, he had better step up soon to get his party united behind him. Otherwise the best hope in a generation to fix the immigration system will end up as legislative road kill, steamrollered by partisanship and pecked at by crows cawing, "No amnesty!"

The bill that so badly needs rescuing was being hailed in the Senate only Thursday as a near-miracle of bipartisan good sense and good will. A gaggle of senators from both parties held a giddy news conference to announce a "huge breakthrough": a compromise on a vastly ambitious bill to tighten the borders, create a guest worker program, and open a path to citizenship for most of the up to 12 million illegal immigrants now in the United States.

Hours later, the deal was off the table, derailed by procedural bickering that went into the night and continued on Friday.
It was a crushing blow for those who had hoped for a workable immigration bill this year. Those who have been urging the comprehensive, tough-but-humane approach have been heartened as the chances for success seemed to grow stronger over many months.

As senators go home on recess, and immigrants and their allies ready for what are expected to be immense marches around the country on Monday, it now falls to Bush to keep the pressure on.

He has so far been the bearer of well-meaning mush, saying many right things about secure borders and guest workers and compassion, but with a calculated vagueness that is becoming maddening. He must insist that lawmakers get behind a comprehensive solution, and that filibusters and poisonous amendments not be allowed to crush the possibility of real reform.