Gonzo Goes Gonzo On The GOP

As much as I think former Bush-era AG Alberto Gonzales should be spending time behind bars rather than penning WaPo op-eds, the jackass actually calls out congressional Republicans for not enacting Bush's immigration plan and scuttling it again under Obama and joins the growing chorus of "knock it off you morons" on the whole 14th Amendment nonsense.

President George W. Bush pushed for comprehensive immigration reform, but Republican members of Congress refused to join him. Although President Obama and the present congressional leadership have used their majority to enact sweeping health-care and financial reform, they seem to lack the will to try to pass comprehensive immigration legislation. Even my apolitical and saintly 78-year-old mother wonders whether the Democrats are keeping this issue on the table for political reasons, hoping that Republicans will propose enforcement measures that alienate Hispanic voters.

Most recently, some politicians and concerned citizens have expressed a desire to amend the 14th Amendment of our Constitution, which says in Section 1, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." Proponents want to discourage undocumented mothers from crossing our borders to give birth to children derogatorily referred to as "anchor babies," who by law are American citizens. Such a change is difficult to carry out, as it should be, requiring a new amendment ratified by three-quarters of the states.

I do not support such an amendment. Based on principles from my tenure as a judge, I think constitutional amendments should be reserved for extraordinary circumstances that we cannot address effectively through legislation or regulation. Because most undocumented workers come here to provide for themselves and their families, a constitutional amendment will not solve our immigration crisis. People will certainly continue to cross our borders to find a better life, irrespective of the possibilities of U.S. citizenship.

As the nation's former chief law enforcement officer and a citizen who believes in the rule of law, I cannot condone anyone coming into this country illegally. However, as a father who wants the best for my own children, I understand why these parents risk coming to America -- especially when there is little fear of prosecution. If we want to stop this practice, we should pass and enforce comprehensive immigration legislation rather than amend our Constitution. 

Which is what Democrats have been saying all along.  It seems the nation's first Hispanic AG, himself the child of immigrants, thinks that scapegoating immigrants in general is a bad long-term strategy for the GOP and for America.  Imagine that.

Two questions:  One, what does Gonzo think of the Muslim-bashing among the GOP's luminaries?  Certainly a "man of the law" like him sees Obama's position as the correct one, yes?

Second, how fast is Gonzo going to get thrown under the bus by the racists in the GOP?  My guess is going to be "before the end of the day" especially with calling out Republicans in Congress for scrapping Bush's immigration legislation.

I'll check back on this later on.