Monday Roundup: Immigration Defenestration

In a display that I'm sure surprises no one, both members of the Texas delegation to the US Senate are refusing to play ball on immigration reform. According to the Star-Telegram report, Hutchison joined John Cornyn in pledging to vote against Immigration Reform II when it comes to a vote later this week. Cornyn is saying that the bill isn't any good, that it is "deeply flawed." Hutchison, despite lobbying by the White House and the GOP leadership in the Senate, is calling it little more than an amnesty program.

This is another example of the discord that is currently bubbling up among the GOP's Washington A-Team. Hutchison has little to lose from her current position and much to lose if she were to change that position. Sure, business is in favor of the amnesty provisions in the current bill because they help preserve a primary component of their workforce, but Hutchison currently has sufficient clout to overcome their displeasure with her on that kind of issue. She would suffer far greater damage from the socially conservative base of the Republican Party, especially in Texas, who is so paranoid on the issue that even the mention of a discussion on immigration reform that doesn't involve mass, total deportations sends shivers down their collective spine. No matter: the bill is up again in the Senate this week, for what will likely be more rancorous debate.

Speaking of Congressional leadership, Congressman Chet Edwards gave the weekly Democratic radio address this week. He also gave the White House the business on their weeks-long threat to veto increases to Veterans Affairs resources. He makes a good point that the White House only rescinded the threat when it became clear that any veto would be overridden. It became a losing issue for Bush, so Bush backed down. The implication, of course, is that if Congressional Republicans had suddenly lost their wits and rallied 'round the White House's politically untenable position, billions in funds for combat veterans with traumatic brain injuries and amputations would have been obstructed.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times has a spot of news about State Representative Juan Garcia, or specifically, about someone that might run against him. It is a rich tapestry that involves Speaker Tom Craddick's daughter Christi meeting with Todd Hunter, who was once a Democratic state rep and may be considering a run against Garcia as a Republican. It also includes the usual business about Leininger et al. hungrily stomping in the stable, ready to get spending. I don't know how it will shake out, but I can't imagine the primary field for that seat on the GOP side won't be robust.

In more state news, Governor Perry is about to embark on another one of his tours, this time talking about how disappointed he is in the legislature. It may not be this summer, but Perry just might be disappointed enough to call a special session. Maybe.

Tim Russert took Giuliani's excuse for quitting the Iraq Study Group to the woodshed this morning, with predictable results: apparently, Giuliani's professed excuse of how he wanted to avoid politicizing the ISG's work is, uh, not true. So that might be uncomfortable for him in the next week or so.

If you're into this sort of thing, the Washington Post has an ongoing series on the Cheney Vice Presidency. Today's story is called "Pushing The Envelope On Presidential Power," and it confirms many of your long-held suspicions about how the White House works on things like torture and Guantanamo Bay.

In case you needed a good source of irony with your breakfast, how about Bill O'Reilly complaining about bias in the media? I don't really have anything to say — res ipsa loquitor.

Lastly today, I was disheartened to learn late last week that Lady Bird Johnson had fallen ill and was hospitalized. Reports over the weekend indicated that tests continue but that, according to a family friend, "everything is good." The Johnson legacy in Texas and American politics is prominent and well-storied. Our thoughts are with Mrs. Johnson and her family.