Ever more on the plate

The discovery of water on the moon — exciting as it is — was actually not the most dramatic news of the weekend. The details and implications are fascinating, but it was actually when I saw that the Obama administration is pledging to push for immigration reform next year that I nearly fell out of my chair.

This is not a joke. If you missed it, please update yourself on the White House plan to drive conservative Democrats absolutely nutty and deepen the growing divide among Democrats in advance of next year's midterm elections, when the party is expected to get slammed.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a speech Friday that immigration reform is critical to our national security. "Let me emphasize this: We will never have fully effective law enforcement or national security as long as so many millions remain in the shadows," she said. Napolitano insisted the Obama administration has put border security first, with "fundamental" changes not only at the border but with enforcement of employers hiring illegal immigrants and that now is the time to work toward establishing legal status reforms.

Apparently, with unemployment at 10.2 percent, energy reform initiatives foundering, healthcare reform teetering on the brink, two wars and a monster deficit to deal with, the president really means it when he says he doesn't believe the agenda is too crowded.

Centrist and conservative Democrats are counting the days until healthcare reform is off the table, and they want an agenda focused solely on job creation and economic relief. They don't want votes on cap-and-trade and they don't want votes on immigration reform. The White House, eager to please liberal Democrats who are fuming over the war in Afghanistan, union issues, gay-rights issues and now abortion, is picking one hell of a fight by bringing immigration reform up before the midterms.

Do they really mean what they are saying?


WHAT WILL PALIN'S PUBLICITY TOUR DO FOR HER? FOR THE GOP? Ask A.B. returns Monday, Nov. 23. Please join my weekly video Q&A by sending your questions and comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thank you.