Sensenbrenner too cute on immigration

"The illegal alien rally held in Milwaukee today was an impressive show of force."

That was how Rep. F. Jim Sensenbrenner began his response to a remarkable rally in Milwaukee Thursday which attracted upwards of 15,000 people to speak up for a fair, humane immigration policy.

There were people from all walks of life and many races who marched together to show their solidarity on the issue.

Sensenbrenner dismisses it as an "illegal alien rally."

Cute, really cute. Just what you'd expect from Sensenbrenner.

But what is he suggesting?

That the march and rally consisted of 15,000 illegal aliens?

That the march was illegal?

That the event expressed support for illegal aliens? If that's what he meant, there's some basis for it. But he didn't say what he said accidentally. He chose his words carefully, to describe the event -- one of the biggest and most impressive such rallies in Milwaukee in recent memory -- as "an illegal alien rally."

Immigration is an issue that is coming to the fore just in time for the mid-term elections. It's one in which President Bush, who actually knows something about the issue because of his Texas roots, has offered a far more reasonable proposal. But the Republican right, personified by Sensenbrenner, is hell-bent on putting people in jail instead of into jobs.

Sensenbrenner got his mean-spirited bill through the House, but cooler heads may prevail in the Senate. Let's hope so.

If you'd like to know more about the issue, today's national papers are a good place to start:

Washington Post: Immigration debate shaped by 08 election.

NY Times: Bush is facing a difficult path on immigration.

The Nation: Immigrants' wall of death.Latin American leaders say thousands of immigrants will die if the U.S. Congress passes the Sensenbrenner immigration bill.

Afterthought: I doubt you will ever again see "Sensenbrenner" and "cute" in the same phrase or sentence on this blog.

More reaction: Grumps finds F.Jim's logic a little illogical.