Another "Conservative" For Amnesty

Unsurprisingly, David Brooks is on Team Amnesty. He lays out his reasons why the GOP should support it and needless to say they are wanting.

After all, the Senate bill fulfills the four biggest conservative objectives. Conservatives say they want economic growth. The Senate immigration bill is the biggest pro-growth item on the agenda today. Based on estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, the Senate bill would increase the gross domestic product by 3.3 percent by 2023 and by 5.4 percent by 2033. A separate study by the American Action Forum found that it would increase per capita income by $1,700 after 10 years.

Ah yes, the CBO. The same people who predicted economic growth thanks to the so-called "stimulus" of 2009. That didn't work out so well. And then there's the CBO and ObamaCare.

If you're going to appeal to authority, try one that hasn't been so wrong recently.

According to government estimates, the Senate bill would reduce federal deficits by up to $850 billion over the next 20 years.

Again, see the problem with relying on the CBO above and this.

Conservatives say they want to reduce illegal immigration. The Senate bill spends huge amounts of money to secure the border. According to the C.B.O., the bill would reduce illegal immigration by somewhere between 33 percent to 50 percent.

Again with the CBO. But look at the underlying assumption in that point...spend lots of government and you'll get the results you expect. That's not something conservatives believe.

But if Team Amnesty is so sure that their "border surge" will work, why not agree to legalization? It's almost as if they know that the money will never be spent and if it is, they don't trust it will actually work. Amnesty supporters have seen this "legalization first, security never" game before. You guys go first this time.

Conservatives say they want to avoid a European-style demographic collapse. But without more immigrants, and the higher fertility rates they bring, that is exactly what the U.S. faces. Plus, this bill radically increases the number of high-skilled immigrants. It takes millions of long-term resident families out of the shadows so they can lead more mainstream lives.

Conservatives also want to avoid a European-style system where immigration overwhelms their country. Even the Europeans are admitting that hasn't worked out so well.

Brooks dismisses concerns that giving Obama the power to implement immigration reform will lead to him waiving security provisions.

Then it gets weird.

The second conservative complaint is that the bill would flood the country with more low-skilled workers, driving down wages. This is an argument borrowed from the reactionary left, and it shows. In the first place, the recent research suggests that increased immigration drives down wages far less than expected. Low-skilled immigrants don’t directly compete with the native-born. They do entry-level work, create wealth and push natives into better jobs.

"Increased immigration drives down wages far less than expected". Wait. He admits it will drive down wages, we're just arguing how much? How is this an acceptable position?

This notion of a perfect labor market with no restrictions or barriers isn't a conservative notion, it's a libertarian one (they also pare it with deconstructing the welfare state). Ace laid out the conservative case for prioritizing Americans over foreigners quite well. David Brooks would do well to read it.

Then comes the cherry on the Sundae of Stupidity.

efore Asians, Hispanics and all the other groups can be won with economic plans, they need to feel respected and understood by the G.O.P. They need to feel that Republicans respect their ethnic and cultural identity. If Republicans reject immigration reform, that will be a giant sign of disrespect, and nothing else Republicans say will even be heard.

Respect? What exactly is respectful about people who come here illegally? Embracing amnesty means embracing policies that hurt Americans in order to provide benefits to people from other countries who have broken our laws.

Amnesty is bad policy and politics but worst of all, it's immoral.

posted by DrewM. at 11:23 AM

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