politics & pundits

After the Democrats’ debates, liberal editorial pages exploded, imploring them “to wake up! You’re in a bubble.”

In The Washington Post, Jeh Johnson, President Barack Obama’s director of homeland security, wrote: “We cannot, as some Democratic candidates for president now propose, publicly embrace a policy to not deport those who enter or remain in this country illegally unless they commit a crime. That is tantamount to declaring publicly that our borders are open to all.”

The New York Times’ Bret Stephens wrote: “Health insurance for north of 11 million undocumented immigrants? Every candidate raises a hand for that one, in what was surely the evening’s best moment for the Trump campaign.”

In New York magazine Andrew Sullivan pointed out: “The Democrats’ new position – everyone in the world can become an American if they walk over the border and never commit a crime – is political suicide.”

In the polls, an NPR/Marist survey found just 33% of voters think giving free health care to illegal immigrants is a good idea, and only 27% believe that decriminalizing illegal border crossings is a good idea.

Democrats used to be immigration hawks. President Bill Clinton’s 1995 State of the Union address: “All Americans … are rightfully disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. The jobs they hold might be held by citizens or legal immigrants. The public services they use impose burdens on our taxpayers.”

Since 1995, Democrats denied support for open borders, but are achieving the same results by consistently rewarding illegal immigration, advocating mass legalization, dismantling enforcement and preventing collaborating with federal enforcement.

Confident in their own moral superiority, Democrats have only become more radical, embracing ideas unimaginable even 5 years ago. Congressional leftists are unwavering in their support for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an idea supported by 43% of Democrats.

Yet 80% of the public answered “yes” to Harvard-Harris Poll question: “Should cities that arrest illegal immigrants be required to turn them over to immigration authorities?”

All 10 of the presidential candidates at a recent debate supported free health care for undocumented migrants, something we don’t even provide for our own citizens. Is this the game plan to defeat Trump?

Democrats say, “Go after the employers!” and then unanimously vote against a Republican bill that called for employer sanctions, universal E-Verify, ending extended family migration, etc.

Continued chaos at the border is great political optics for Democrats’ moral outrage. But how much longer will the public buy their pretense at compassion?

Jonette Christian is a liberal commentator in the Portland, Maine, Press Herald.