On immigration I would be with those — like Charles Krauthammer — who say “secure the border first,” and secure it for real, and then let’s have the discussion on guest worker programs and all the rest, in a context where setting rules and restrictions is not simply a bad joke. I appreciate President Bush’s heartfelt passion about the United States being a nation of immigrants, and I believe that it clearly is a special strength of America and one that it is important to maintain. The problem is an enormous doubt out there that this administration — like others in the past and possibly others in the future — is serious about enforcing existing immigration law. Added, since 2001, is a consciousness of the risk of terrorists entering the U.S. through the Mexican border, and this has kindled feelings to a flash-point on the issue.

The worst part of President Bush’s speech last night was this, hands-down:

Training thousands of new Border Patrol agents and bringing the most advanced technology to the border will take time. Yet the need to secure our border is urgent. So I’m announcing several immediate steps to strengthen border enforcement during this period of transition:
One way to help during this transition is to use the National Guard. So, in coordination with governors, up to 6,000 Guard members will be deployed to our southern border.

What made the need to secure the border “urgent” as of May 15th, 2006, shortly after 8pm Eastern Time? Has it not been equally urgent for the past 5 years? For those who doubt that there is a sincere intention to effectively secure the border with Mexico, that line fell to the floor like a gigantic dumbbell.

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