Bush: Democrats' secret weapon?

The Wall Street Journal editorial board warns that the immigration debate threatens to make the GOP a minority party. They're right. It splits the Republicans right down the middle, demoralizes the base in advance of 2008, and is prompting a conservative counter-mobilization that could make Latinos a Democratic constituency for years to come.

Ironically, the issue was not pushed to the top of the legislative agenda by Democrats. As John B. Judis points out, Democrats have struggled to push through legislation that splits Republicans and forces a Bush veto (for now, at least, GOP party loyalty is generally too strong to overcome a filibuster).

Instead, Bush has been doing the Democrats' work for them. In 2005-2006, he tried to push the unpopular concept of Social Security private accounts, which scared off GOP moderates and eventually died. Now he's pushing an awkward immigration compromise that alienates conservatives without exciting anyone besides David Broder.

The combination of Bush's lame duck status and the configuration of the House, Senate, and presidency means that it's very difficult to pass important new legislation and keep your coalition intact. The President is finding this out at great political cost.

Correction 6/28 6:58 AM: In this Congress, Pelosi and Reid have passed two bills that Bush was forced to veto (an Iraq war funding bill and stem cell legislation), not zero. This error is corrected above.

Comments

[reliapundit - the astute blogger]

while not technically pushed by the Dem leadership in Congress, the possibility if the bill's passage - and hence Bus's extraordinary efforts to pass it - are ONLY occurring because of and are direct result of the Democrat majority in Congress.

Bush knew he would never have had any chance at all if the GOP held Congress. He only pushed it after the Dems took over.

Much like Clinton needed the GOP to pass NAFTA.

[Jabba the Tutt]

The Bush Family business is politics and they are incompetent as politicians. I believe Bush43 has destroyed the Bush name as a political brand. He was supposed to be a different kind of Bush, one who didn't raise taxes, didn't stab in base in the back, didn't sign quota bills, idiotic American's with Disabilities Acts to keep Trial Lawyers in full employemnt and overly regulatory Clean Air Acts.

Bush41 gave us Clinton for 8 years, but Clinton gave us a GOP Congress for 12. What's Bush43 going to give us?

He's caving on idiotic global warming, he's supporting more regulation with CAFE standards, he's caving left and right on the war, allowing Iran to kill Americans, destabilized Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine. Bush's entire Presidency is the Iraq War and he's dicking around with an immigration bill that is so insane, that no one understands why he's doing it. This sets off conspiracy theories about the North American Union, because no other goal seems worth the damage he's doing to himself, his party and his country (if he considers America his country). See how easy it's become?

[K T Cat]

It speaks volumes for the American political process that Bush43, as horribly flawed as he is, is light years better than John Kerry.

[james wilson]

We are hearing this often now--split in two, monority party and so on. To the contrary, the subject went on a bender and is lying in bed, hungover and ferociously ill, contemplating that trip to the toilet bowl yet putting off that temporary inevitability by the second. But, as a fellow once said, it is in the worst of circumstances that the best chance of change appears.
Robert Conquest tells us that anything not explicity right-wing will sooner or later become left wing. How much evidence do we need?
Principle is a passion for truth, not expediencey. Expediencey strips away principle. We already have one party to do that, and enthusiastically.
The Republican conservative genius was formed in the political wilderness, and formed well. Ruling has corrupted it, with the help of the Bush family. But it could have been any number of others. Regrettably, homo politicus requires a strong and steady figure at the top to retain principle, or we do the Conquest hookey-pookey under a limbo bar until something breaks. Something broke.