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John Boehner's False Hope
Hi guys, I run an immigration-reform related blog and I thought I'd share my posts with you. As a community we need to vigorously debate this internally so we can sharpen our political and rhetorical skills to deal with the political system. All feedback is warmly appreciated.
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From the Migrant Reporter
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John Boehner saying he is "hopeful" immigration reform passes his chamber is a bit like someone saying they are hopeful they will mow their lawn. Stop hoping Mr. Speaker, and start acting. The greatest trick a weak leader will ever learn is to pretend they are powerless, so people can blame someone else for their failure. Today, there is only one man responsible for America's broken immigration system, and it's the man who has the power to fix it but won't.
During the government shutdown, John Boehner privately gave assurances that he would not permit the United States government to default on its financial obligations. True to his word, 90 minutes before the default deadline, the Speaker violated the Hastert Rule and passed a clean continuing resolution to fund the government and to raise the debt ceiling. So when John Boehner really wants something, he doesn't just wistfully hope about it, he gets it done.
Inside the beltway, John Boehner has a reputation for keeping his word, but as with all beltway reputations, it is a ruse. John Boehner has repeatedly misled Americans about his willingness to tackle immigration reform. He says he wants immigration reform, but he utterly refuses to take the slightest of actions towards making it happen. This is a man who can bring an unprecedented 40 votes on a single subject to the house floor over something he wants. That's because when Boehner says he wants to repeal Obamacare, he means it. When he says he wants immigration reform, he doesn't.
Even without bringing immigration reform to a vote in the house, there are many things the Speaker could have done to prod it along. For example, Boehner could, as he did before the shutdown, present several options to his conference to choose from, and to privately convince them that immigration reform is necessary. But when it comes to immigration, the Speaker says he won't take a position, and will only "facilitate a conversation." Considering the House GOP, any conversations they have about immigration are likely to be about how to block reform efforts and criminalize immigration further.
John Boehner could, as he did with the debt ceiling, privately assure his caucus he won't allow the year to end without passing immigration reform. An ultimatum like that would temper the resistance of the Tea Party suicide-caucus and force them to present a counter-offer.
John Boehner could, as he did with the NSA spying restriction bill, allow the Tea Party suicide-caucus to present its own proposal, some ridiculously spiteful and punitive anti-immigrant bill, and have it defeated on the floor to show them their ideas will fail, setting the stage for a more moderate proposal to emerge.
John Boehner could, as he did at the end of the 112th Congress, punish unruly members such as the vehemently anti-immigrant and gaff-prone Steve King by stripping him of his seat on the immigration sub-committee. A move like that would serve as a warning to immigration hardliners to stop antagonizing and demagoguing America's immigrants.
John Boehner could, as he did with the Violence against Women Act and with the Sandy relief bill, allow the Senate passed bill to pass his chamber with mostly Democrat votes.
Heck, if all John Boehner wanted to do was appear remotely inclined to work on immigration reform, he could meet the Arizona immigrants who traveled by bus for 43 hours and requested only 5 minutes of the Speaker's time.
Boehner refused to meet with them at all. Instead, he is just hopeful. He is hopeful we are idiots who will believe his lies.
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From the Migrant Reporter
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John Boehner saying he is "hopeful" immigration reform passes his chamber is a bit like someone saying they are hopeful they will mow their lawn. Stop hoping Mr. Speaker, and start acting. The greatest trick a weak leader will ever learn is to pretend they are powerless, so people can blame someone else for their failure. Today, there is only one man responsible for America's broken immigration system, and it's the man who has the power to fix it but won't.
During the government shutdown, John Boehner privately gave assurances that he would not permit the United States government to default on its financial obligations. True to his word, 90 minutes before the default deadline, the Speaker violated the Hastert Rule and passed a clean continuing resolution to fund the government and to raise the debt ceiling. So when John Boehner really wants something, he doesn't just wistfully hope about it, he gets it done.
Inside the beltway, John Boehner has a reputation for keeping his word, but as with all beltway reputations, it is a ruse. John Boehner has repeatedly misled Americans about his willingness to tackle immigration reform. He says he wants immigration reform, but he utterly refuses to take the slightest of actions towards making it happen. This is a man who can bring an unprecedented 40 votes on a single subject to the house floor over something he wants. That's because when Boehner says he wants to repeal Obamacare, he means it. When he says he wants immigration reform, he doesn't.
Even without bringing immigration reform to a vote in the house, there are many things the Speaker could have done to prod it along. For example, Boehner could, as he did before the shutdown, present several options to his conference to choose from, and to privately convince them that immigration reform is necessary. But when it comes to immigration, the Speaker says he won't take a position, and will only "facilitate a conversation." Considering the House GOP, any conversations they have about immigration are likely to be about how to block reform efforts and criminalize immigration further.
John Boehner could, as he did with the debt ceiling, privately assure his caucus he won't allow the year to end without passing immigration reform. An ultimatum like that would temper the resistance of the Tea Party suicide-caucus and force them to present a counter-offer.
John Boehner could, as he did with the NSA spying restriction bill, allow the Tea Party suicide-caucus to present its own proposal, some ridiculously spiteful and punitive anti-immigrant bill, and have it defeated on the floor to show them their ideas will fail, setting the stage for a more moderate proposal to emerge.
John Boehner could, as he did at the end of the 112th Congress, punish unruly members such as the vehemently anti-immigrant and gaff-prone Steve King by stripping him of his seat on the immigration sub-committee. A move like that would serve as a warning to immigration hardliners to stop antagonizing and demagoguing America's immigrants.
John Boehner could, as he did with the Violence against Women Act and with the Sandy relief bill, allow the Senate passed bill to pass his chamber with mostly Democrat votes.
Heck, if all John Boehner wanted to do was appear remotely inclined to work on immigration reform, he could meet the Arizona immigrants who traveled by bus for 43 hours and requested only 5 minutes of the Speaker's time.
Boehner refused to meet with them at all. Instead, he is just hopeful. He is hopeful we are idiots who will believe his lies.
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