Salon: When the right filibusters its own ideals to death

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http://www.salon.com/news/immigration_reform/?story=/politics/war_room/2010/09/22/tea_party_dream_act



You may have missed it, but after railing against defense cuts and runaway spending, Senate Republicans united on Tuesday afternoon to kill a plan that would have strengthened the military and saved taxpayers billions.

For the fifth time in a decade, the Dream Act died in the Senate. It's one of those rare policy ideas that would benefit both the military and the budget -- and it's one that Tea Party-type deficit-hawk/hawk-hawks should have rallied behind. It was even a boon for states' rights. Yet, it became the latest victim of xenophobia and partisan politics.

The Dream Act (short for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) was designed to solve one of the most heart-wrenching injustices in our immigration system. Some 2.1 million undocumented immigrants were brought to the United States, through no fault of their own, as children. And despite having spent their entire lives here, their parents' illegal status prevents them from obtaining legal residency. The Dream Act would give these children a chance to "earn" their green cards, allowing them to apply for temporary legal status; then, if they maintain "good moral character" (at a minimum, keep a clean criminal record), graduate from high school, and either complete two years of college or military service, they'd obtain permanent residence.

Of course, those who would smear infants as "anchor babies" were never likely to be moved by these injustices. But a compelling case can be made that the Dream Act actually reflects many of the values that Tea Partiers and Republicans claim to hold dear.

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