Jeb Bush – just as wrong on immigration as his brother

Have been involved in a number of things that have taken away from blogging on a regular basis – and there is always lots to comment on:

George W Bush redeux – his brother, Jeb:

A bipartisan blueprint for immigration reform
The U.S. needs to create a system that responds to labor market needs, provides more effective enforcement and offers a fair way to deal with those living here illegally.

Compassionate Conservatism has done nothing except grow the size of government.  While there were some issues with which I would stand shoulder to shoulder with George on, this was not one of them and I am glad to say that one of those small but multitudinous sparks that help to melt the Congressional phone lines was mine.

Immigration has long been America’s secret weapon. The United States has attracted an inordinate share of talented and hardworking immigrants, who are enticed here by the world’s best universities, the most innovative companies, a vibrant labor market and a welcoming culture. Many leaders in allied nations were educated in the United States, a diplomatic asset that no other country can match. And the contributions of immigrants — 40% of the science and engineering PhDs in the U.S. are foreign-born, for example — have helped maintain the scientific and technological leadership that is the foundation of our national security.

This is true – and it has brought the brightest and best to our shores – but under the Rule of Law.

But the United States has been making life much tougher for many immigrants. Long processing delays and arbitrary quota backlogs keep out many would-be immigrants, or leave them in an uncertain temporary status for years. Background and other security checks are taking far too long in many cases. Other countries are taking advantage of these mistakes, competing for immigrants by opening their universities to foreign students and providing a faster track to permanent residency and citizenship.

There has been nothing arbitrary about the issue – it is your fellow politicians that have made it so (and made it far uglier in comparison to those illegal aliens who merely walk ashore).

The persistent problem of illegal immigration has also soured many Americans on the benefits of an open system. The presence of nearly 12 million illegal immigrants has diminished respect for the law, weakened labor rights, strained our relations with Mexico and other nations and unfairly burdened public education and social services in many states.

Here is the question – why has "respect for the law" diminished? 

Rather simple – why should the citizens respect it when those that have been chosen to govern lead that diminishment by example.  Too many elected and appointed officials have chosen to turn blind eyes to the enforcement of it (either from political or ideological calculi).

…and offer a fair and orderly way to allow many of those currently living here illegally to earn the right to remain legally.

And with this, I will work for any of his competitors should he choose to run for a national office.

By choosing to do the "easiest" thing, they have chosen expediency over what is right.  Once again (as was done in 1986), Jeb Bush shows that his ardor for our sovereignty lags – our borders are not our own.  He decries the diminishment for respect of the law – and this stance of his reverses that

how?

And that is why he, and all others, do the country no good by continuing to legalize those that have broken our laws.  Why should they be able to choose which laws to obey or not while the rest of us cannot?