Dick Morris is Right - It is Time for Republicans to Lead on Immigration Reform

Dick Morris says Republicans should Own Immigration ReformToo often Republicans play defense on policy issues and allow Democrats (and the willing media accomplices) to control the language and tactics of the debate. Immigration reform has certainly been one of these areas. Democrats put forward a potential solution, and Republicans defend their position while offering little, if any, Republican ideas on the issue. This week, Dick Morris posted an article on his website, DickMorris.com where he challenges Republicans to move to the high ground and take a leadership role in fixing a problem that has long endured. Morris says Republicans should "Own Immigration Reform".

"Rank-and-file Republican voters are in a very different place now than they were then [before blocking the 2007 immigration reform bill]," Morris said. "John McLaughlin’s survey of 500 likely Republican voters taken in February 2013 shows deep and broad support for immigration reform. He found that 66 percent backed it conceptually, and that support swelled to 75 percent when Republicans heard the specifics of the bill from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). So, when the sides are drawn for the intra-party debate upon which the bill’s fate hinges, we can count on the base to back the bill, not to scuttle it."

Texans in the Republican Party have been showing leadership on Immigration reform. During the 2012 state Republican convention, delegates voted overwhelmingly in support of a guest worker program and other immigration reform issues. This was followed shortly by the Republican National Committee's adoption of a guest worker program in its 2012 platform. Despite this, Texas' senators have failed to take a leadership role on immigration reform. It is time for Republicans to lead on this issue and develop a plan we can stand beside that includes strong border security and a sensible solution for those who are in this country now illegally who want to work and pay taxes.

Morris continued, "Now will be the chance for Republican leaders, in Congress and outside, to stand up and persuade their partisans that it is time to pass the bill. And, in the process, they will win a new opportunity to get the Latinos they lost the last time."

But it isn't just about winning the Hispanic vote. It is about doing the right thing for our country. For too long we have avoided dealing with the 11-20 million undocumented aliens in this country. This is a national security problem. And failing to deal with this issue is granting a de facto amnesty to those who are here illegally.

Morris concludes, stating, "... we need Boehner and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus to stand up loudly and strongly for immigration reform and to become the poster boys for the change in the Republican Party. They need to proclaim that the GOP welcomes immigrants, thanks those who have come here to help build our economy and wants them to reinvigorate our capitalist, free enterprise, individual entrepreneurialism. They need to stress that Democratic policies of debt and handouts threaten to recreate the situations in their former nations that caused them to flee to the land of opportunity — America."

Morris may have badly missed on his prediction on the 2012 presidential race. But then again, so did most of us. But he is spot on with this message and Republican leaders, especially John Cornyn and Ted Cruz should take notice. Republicans are moving towards solving these long-standing problems and it is time for leadership to... lead!

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