Say what you will about the Arizona law, but without it, Senate Democrats would still be dragging their feet on immigration reform.
The Senate Democratic leadership last Thursday rushed to present the outline of a comprehensive plan that, even without Republican support, is plagued with pages of concessions to those more interested in punishing immigrants than in incorporating them as tax-paying members of society.
Nevertheless, the proposal is the only game in town and, together with a bill introduced in the House by Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), it could jump-start debate on a contentious issue that, if not for the petty politicking of some gutless elected officials, could have been resolved a long time ago.
But let's be clear: This proposal doesn't mean that immigration reform is any closer to passage this year.
"On substance, we are troubled by the expansion of problematic enforcement measures, including the biometric Social Security card and the lack of restoration of due process," Chung-Wha Hong, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said of the proposal.
But Hong said that despite misgivings, her group supports the proposal's "inclusion of a path to citizenship for the undocumented and promising provisions on family immigration, detention and worker protections."
The outline for the bill was presented by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, fighting for his political survival in Nevada, a state with a large Hispanic population, along with Sens. Dick Durbin (Ill.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Bob Menendez (N.J.).
"The time for talking and posturing is over," said Clarissa Martínez De Castro, of the National Council of la Raza. "The President needs to bring Democrats and Republicans together to work on a solution that will appeal to our highest ideals as Americans, not our worst fears."
That, of course, is easier said than done.
For one, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the only Republican supporting an immigration bill in the Senate, is turning his back on it after working for months on a bipartisan proposal with Schumer. Meanwhile, John McCain and Jon Kyl, former proponents of reform, have decided to play political games and sell immigrants - and the country's best interests - down the river. Both Arizona senators support the racist SB 1070.
What is even less promising for immigration reform is President Obama's appalling lack of leadership.
After telling reporters last Wednesday that there may "not be an appetite" in Congress to get immigration done this year, the next day the President went out of his way to praise the senators' proposal. Calling it "a very important step," he went on to say, "what has become increasingly clear is that we can no longer wait to fix our broken immigration system, which Democrats and Republicans alike agree doesn't work."
Will the real Obama please stand up?
Even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) seems exasperated by Obama's failure to get involved. "If there is going to be any movement in this regard, it will require presidential leadership," she said.
Hong advised the President and Congress that "sitting on the sidelines will not provide you political cover.
"The 200,000 folks who gathered on the Mall in March - whose numbers have surely multiplied in the wake of Arizona - will see to that."
He already said there may be no appetite for a reform this year. He doesn't believe in it, countless other politicians don't believe in it and there is no reason to believe it will happen anytime soon.
