Promise breakers

It becomes ever more amazing to see the lengths to which proponents of the Bush/Kennedy/McCain immigration “reform” compromise bill will go in their increasingly desperate effort to gain passage.

Consider Thursday’s defeat of an amendment requiring that Congress certify that all current laws on the books regarding border security and immigration are being enforced before any new amnesty-like processes can begin for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country. Offered by Republican Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Jim DeMint of South Carolina, the amendment was defeated 54-42.

Some important names are found among the 54 senators who voted against the amendment, including Democratic presidential candidates Joseph Biden of Delaware, Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.

Among Republican presidential hopefuls, Sam Brownback of Kansas voted against the amendment, and John McCain of Arizona missed the vote.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont also opposed the amendment, as did the Judiciary Committee’s ranking minority member, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

It seems especially peculiar to see men and women who aspire to become the chief enforcer of the law, as well as the two leading members of the committee with jurisdiction over federal courts, opposing a measure that simply required that existing statutes be enforced.

In light of this vote, it is legitimate to now wonder whether there are any other laws these solons would vote to not enforce. Indeed, we wonder whether, in light of this seemingly new precedent, there are any promises these lawmakers have made or will make that can be trusted. True, any law can be repealed, but that’s not the same thing as declining to enforce one that remains on the books. Bankers call such an action defaulting on a loan, and they frequently impose rather unpleasant consequences on consumers who break their promises.