Chops and Hillary

I agree with Hillary. Hillary Clinton. Yes, you heard me right: New York's junior senator has staked out a position on an important issue that is, in my opionion, completely correct. And with my speculation that immigration may be an important issue in 2008, her newly elaborated position may help her win the sensible center.

Michael Goodwin of the NY Daily News reports (hat tip to Drudge):

A fence or a wall? She's for it.

A two-step process, where our borders are secured before the 11 million illegal immigrants already here begin to get legalized? She's for that, too.

The sudden crackdown by Washington on employers who hire illegal immigrants? She welcomes it...

"A country that cannot control its borders is failing at one of its fundamental obligations," she said of America's "broken system." She also said that "we do need an earned path to citizenship" for illegal immigrants here.

We need a balanced approach to this issue. It's clearly an issue, not something politically invented, and the solutions should be obvious. Building a fence is not xenophobic, it's sensible. Letting hard-working immigrants who love America enough to risk coming here illegally gain citizenship is not bleeding-heart, it's sensible. Forcing employers to obey the laws is not draconian, it's sensible.

For a host of other reasons, I do not want to have another President Clinton. But on this issue, at least, she's identified the correct solution to a serious problem.