OpinionJournal - Is Cannon Fodder?

Frankly, I hope he is.

The Cannon at issue here is Representative Chris Cannon (RINO-UT). Not only has he been a pro-immigrant man all the way down the line (he even praised Utah's disastrous decision to grant driver's licenses to holders of Mexican matriculas consulares), but he has also earned a nasty reputation for corruption and backbiting against conservative Republicans. Thus the conservative wing in Utah has been wanting to knock him off his high horse--and out of the House--for years. And now they just might do it.

And The Wall $treet Journal is unhappy about that--because they have never understood the need for a secure border. I quote:

When John McCain talks about securing the border first, you know the politics of the debate are shifting. That means supporters of a rational approach that goes beyond mere fence-building and enforcement have to be realistic about what is possible this year--especially should Rep. Cannon lose.

For "rational approach," read "let them in and let them vote." Sorry, but I can't accept that. Not so long as I know that the real intent of illegal aliens is to re-make the country their way, not mine. Again I quote:

So far, the White House and Republican National Committee are behind the curve. Last Friday, the RNC circulated a memo by Matthew Dowd, a strategist who worked on both of President Bush's two campaigns. "The comprehensive approach that emphasizes both security and compassion is unifying, not polarizing. It is supported by Republicans, independents and Democrats," the memo said. "Voters don't consider granting legal status to those already here amnesty."

That may be true,...

No, it isn't. That statement is, at best, a colossal misunderstanding of where voters actually stand--and at worst, a bald-faced piece of desinformatsiya. Either way, this is worthy of the Fishwrap Axis--what Rush Limbaugh calls the Drive-by Media. It is not worthy of The Wall Street Journal.

And at last, I quote:

The longer the stalemate continues, the more both President Bush and the GOP Congress may eventually view what Rep. Pence calls his "rational middle ground" as a useful strategy. The Pence bill is too heavy on discredited enforcement methods for my taste, but the more urgent political priority is to pass something this year. In policy terms, doing nothing would only make the immigration problem worse and push the debate into the overheated environment of a presidential campaign, which could result in even worse legislation.

Music to my ears. Because what looks bad to The Wall $treet Journal is actually the only thing that can save America to be the Shining City on a Hill that it was meant to be.