Immigration Divides Conservatives from Republicans

Craig Shirley feels betrayed, and, as usual, he's worth quoting at length:

The immigration “compromise” bill before Congress presents conservatives with a stark choice: In order to save its ideology, should the conservative movement declare its independence from the Bush administration and the GOP? The arguments for doing so are compelling.

The immigration bill, most conservatives believe, is a sellout of everything they hold dear—the rule of law, justice, freedom and sovereignty. But rather than listen to the grass-roots American people, the GOP elites are instead listening intently to the voice of their master, corporate America.

The GOP’s arrogance is doubly insulting because they know how the grass roots feels, or at least they should. All they have to do is listen to radio hosts Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, or read any of a dozen right-leaning columnists, websites and blogs, to know what conservatives think about this bill. . . .

The arguments for at least a trial separation are legion, from steel tariffs to federal mandates to states’ educational systems, to the prescription drug program, the biggest entitlement since the Great Society, to the corruption of Congress and Enron and the GOP K Street walkers, whose main job is to convince GOP lawmakers to do un-Republican things. Arrogance, ignorance, the unseemly pursuit of power over principles and the betrayal of conservatism are the hallmarks of the current GOP.

Related: Senator Jim Demint (R-SC) lists a series of amendments to redeem the bill.