No, Mickey Kaus Really is a Moron, Part XCVI

Mickey is in a state of confusion and disorder. He has been arguing for the past year or so that, contra what appears obvious to everyone else on the planet, immigration is a bigger problem for the Democrats than the Republicans. Mickey correctly noted that yes, there are some conflicts within the Democratic coalition regarding immigration policy, but failed to note that these disagreements paled in comparison to those within the Republican Party, which faces a rather intense conflict between pro-business pro-immigration elements and social conservative anti-immigration elements.

Now, it appears that the Republicans have decided not to pursue immigration as a campaign issue this year, favoring instead the old standby of terrorism and national security. This leaves Mickey in rather a quandry; if it’s such a great issue for the Republicans, then why aren’t they running on it? Now, a more introspective sort might pause and consider how he had come to such a conclusion (“Wow. I really am a shallow hack”), but not Mickey. Rather, the answer appears to be, and I kid you not, that President Bush really WANTS a Democratic congress.

But if a Democratic House really would pass a McCain-Kennedy style immigration bill, maybe President Bush isn’t as horrified at the prospect of Speaker Pelosi as he seems. He’d achieve at least one major part of his second-term domestic agenda. Legacy time! That might be worth a few Conyers-led hearings. …

I have to hand it to you, Mickey. That’s some analysis. It makes Kevin Drum’s “double bank shot” theory of politics look positively modest.

Incidentally, the more appeasement minded of our commentariat has suggested that we ought to give up the War on Kaus. To those who doubt, I offer the sage words of Dave Noon:

If you don’t take the war to Mickey Kaus, Mickey Kaus will follow you home and you’ll have to fight him in the streets of Lexington.