JohnButts@JBMedia - Reports:
For a party that has lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections, the GOP sure seems eager to banish people from its potential candidate ranks. First Senator Marco Rubio was expelled from impolite conservative company, then Rep Paul Ryan came in for abuse, and now former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is being whipped for breaking from the anti-immigration orthodoxy on the right. In a Sunday interview Mr. Bush said the act of illegally entering America is sometimes "an act of love" done out of a commitment to feed and clothe family members.
This is merely another way of way of putting his brother George W. Bush's line from the 2000 campaign that "family values don't stop at the Rio Grande." You know the GOP's immigration allergy has become excessive when even expressions of sympathy are criticized.
Related Video: <iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="512" height="288" src="http://live.wsj.com/public/page/embed-C9AC0019_1626_45B2_BC11_28DBD24E2615.html"></iframe>
Political Diary editor Jason Riley on whether former Florida Governor Jeb Bush will run for President in 2016.
Here's what Mr. Bush said in fuller context: "Someone who comes to our country because they couldn't come
legally, they come to our country because their families—the dad who loved their children was worried that their children didn't have food on the table. And they wanted to make sure their family was intact, and they crossed the border because they had no other means to work to be able to provide for their family. Yes, they broke the law, but it's not a felony." He's right about the non-felony, though Senator Ted Cruz immediately jumped in to say the rule of law matters. Thanks for clearing that one up, Senator, but Mr. Bush got there first, saying that one reason to pass immigration reform is to "restore people's confidence" in the law. "For example,
legally, they come to our country because their families—the dad who loved their children was worried that their children didn't have food on the table. And they wanted to make sure their family was intact, and they crossed the border because they had no other means to work to be able to provide for their family. Yes, they broke the law, but it's not a felony." He's right about the non-felony, though Senator Ted Cruz immediately jumped in to say the rule of law matters. Thanks for clearing that one up, Senator, but Mr. Bush got there first, saying that one reason to pass immigration reform is to "restore people's confidence" in the law. "For example,
40% of illegal immigrants come with legal visas and they overstay their bounds. A great country ought to know where those folks are and politely ask them to leave," he said. "There are means by which we can control our border better than we have. And there should be penalties for breaking the law." Failure to reform immigration, he added, "ends up trapping these people when they could make a great contribution for their own families but also for us."
Mr. Bush urged everyone to drop "the harsh political rhetoric" and recognize that immigrants "can make a contribution to our country if we organize ourselves in a better way." Assimilation is essential to that
Mr. Bush urged everyone to drop "the harsh political rhetoric" and recognize that immigrants "can make a contribution to our country if we organize ourselves in a better way." Assimilation is essential to that
effort, he said, and should include teaching civics in public school and requiring English.
Not too long ago that would have been called Reagan orthodoxy. Mr. Bush says he'll decide on whether to run for President by the end of the year, but if he does run he's already got a better immigration message than the
self-defeating "self-deportation" crowd that cost the GOP so dearly in 2012.
self-defeating "self-deportation" crowd that cost the GOP so dearly in 2012.
