"Conservative gets immigration plank"

The Washington Times offers a confusing article:

Pennsylvania Rep. Melissa A. Hart will lead the Republican Party platform subcommittee that will tackle politically sensitive immigration issues, The Washington Times has learned...

"I'm still getting up off the floor. This is great for those of us interested in a more moderate immigration policy," said Craig Nelson, director of Friends of Immigration Law Enforcement.

Mr. Nelson said Mrs. Hart "is much more closely aligned with the American people on immigration than Washington lobbyists representing corporations that profit from the cheap labor provided by excessive immigration - and than those aligned with the Karl Rove and the Wall Street Journal extremists."

Last week several Republicans associated with the platform committee described an effort by the Bush camp to head off any language that might seem "unwelcoming" to immigrants or intolerant of homosexuals...

"Unlike the Democrats' platform, which doesn't at all reflect the positions of their party's candidate [John Kerry], our platform is going to reflect our party's principles and [the policies of] President Bush," said the source close to the committee.

Pressed for specifics on what the immigration plank will say, the source said: "The president's position on these issues is well-known - and is reflected in the platform working document."

The president's position on these issues runs counter to traditional conservative values and it's not shared by the great majority of Americans. If there's a power struggle going on here, hopefully the good guys will win. However, note that the party's platform is non-binding; even if it comes out in favor of immigration enforcement, don't expect the Bush administration to pay any more than lip service to it.

The article also offers this cut-out-and-keep summary of the WSJ:

The Wall Street Journal... long has been calling for no restrictions on immigration. Its editorial page advocates making the United States a nation without borders to let the forces of supply and demand freely determine who enters seeking work.

Immigration2004 · Mon, 08/16/2004 - 10:27 · · Importance: 1