This article in Politico highlights the latest House Republican leader who has had to distance himself from outrageous remarks made by Congressman Steve King in his effort to sabotage immigration reform. Having previously compared immigrants to dogs, King is now suggesting that most immigrants are drug smugglers. Nice. In the past two days, Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Kantor and, now, Cong. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, who chairs the committee working on immigration reform,have all had to address King's hatefulness. Goodlatte said King's comments were "not helpful." Indeed. If your goal is to keep the Senate bill from becoming law, King's comments are truly not helpful precisely because they raise the stakes for GOP moderates, and those who wish to ever reclaim the White House: Unless the House does something, Mr. King will be the face of the GOP on immigration and look for the next Republican presidential candidate to get even less of the vote than Mitt Romney did. King is creating wiggle room for Boehner to get immigration reform across the finish line. I hope the media will keep a microphone in front of King at all times, follow him around Iowa during the recess, etc. He may be just what we need to get immigration reform passed.
