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I write this as an \u201copen borders\/free residency\u201d conservative<\/a>. That is: Other than law enforcement and national security (both of which are important and need to be taken seriously!) I don\u2019t think we should stop people from coming here and working here. I take it for granted that welfare should be off limits and that people who become citizens should be required to speak English and pass serious civics tests. The fact that we can\u2019t trust liberals to do things that we should all take for granted is the best argument, to my mind, for limiting immigration at this point in time.<\/p>\n I realize most of my readers disagree with me, and while I\u2019m sad about that, this post is not intended to persuade you. I just wanted to point out that, when I rant about the GOP\u2019s betrayal of conservatives in favor of so-called \u201cimmigration reform,\u201d I\u2019m not doing so because I hate the idea of immigration. I\u2019m ranting because this is an obvious scam.<\/p>\n Why, in the midst of all that is going on in our fight with Obama and our fight for an unencumbered economy that can recover some of its prosperity, is the GOP in Congress gunning for \u201cimmigration reform.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Roll Call<\/a>:<\/p>\n House Republicans are poised to decide the fate of an immigration overhaul at their retreat in two weeks, according to lawmakers leaving a meeting with leadership on Wednesday.<\/i><\/p>\n After the House overwhelmingly passed the omnibus spending bill Wednesday, Republican leadership held a meeting in the basement of the Capitol with freshmen lawmakers to discuss a wide range of issues.<\/i><\/p>\n Present at the meeting \u2014 which is held about every two weeks \u2014 was\u00a0Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio, Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California, GOP Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, and about 25 freshman Republicans.<\/i><\/p>\n According to lawmakers, GOP leaders are preparing to use the Republican retreat in Cambridge, Md., as the debate ground for an immigration overhaul.<\/i><\/p>\n [\u2026]<\/i><\/p>\n Andy Barr of Kentucky\u00a0pointed out that immigration \u201cwill be one of many\u201d topics at the retreat. Barr said Obamacare and the Republican jobs agenda would both be \u201ctopics that everybody knows we\u2019ll be dealing with.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n But what Republicans do \u2014 or don\u2019t do \u2014 on immigration seems to be at the forefront.<\/i><\/p>\n This is a major story over at RedState<\/a>, for which I am thankful. Their main question needs an answer:\u00a0 Why is the GOP leadership prioritizing \u201cimmigration\u00a0 reform\u201d?<\/p>\n As House Republicans prepare for their aptly-named \u201cGOP Retreat\u201d at the end of the month, they are planning to make immigration the centerpiece of their legislative strategy.\u00a0 [\u2026] \u00a0They will offer a lot of window dressing about enforcement and all the things the GOP base wants to hear.\u00a0 But ask yourself this question: why the urgency?<\/i><\/p>\n According to a new <\/i>Gallup poll<\/i><\/a>, immigration ranks among the lowest priority issues in the minds of voters.\u00a0 Only 3% listed it as a top issue, whereas most people felt the economy, jobs, and healthcare (Obamacare) were much more important.\u00a0 More strikingly, the largest plurality of respondents listed dissatisfaction with government as the most pressing issue.<\/i><\/p>\n And therein lies the key to understanding the wide gulf between the priorities of the Country Class and those of the Ruling Class.\u00a0 No issue accentuates this schism more than immigration.\u00a0 If you walk the corridors of the elite institutions and firms in Washington, there is nothing more important than granting amnesty to illegals.\u00a0 Yet, when you step outside the beltway, it becomes obvious that nobody cares about the issue, and to the extent they do most people are on the other side.\u00a0\u00a0 In fact, the dyslexic and wrongheaded focus on immigration amidst a healthcare crisis is precisely why people view the Ruling Class as the biggest policy problem.<\/i><\/p>\n I don\u2019t understand this situation. It is as if GOP Senators and Representatives have become convinced that it is their civic duty to help the Democrats build up a permanent majority. What could possibly motivate them to do this?<\/p>\n