Editorial: Next up, immigration

Remember how little kids would take their football, or basketball, or baseball bat, or whatever, and go home because they weren't winning?

Republicans are threatening to act that way because they lost the health-care reform fight, and the likelihood of Congress tackling immigration this year has become remote as a result. That's too bad; this issue is much too important to get caught up in partisan pettiness.

But one of the most stalwart proponents of immigration reform in the past has been reduced to being a milquetoast on the issue because he faces a strong election challenge from the right. That's Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.).

Any thoughts that McCain might again reach across the aisle, as he once did with the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D., Mass.), to find consensus on new immigration rules disappeared when he stood grinning behind Sarah Palin 10 days ago, as she attempted to convince fellow tea-partiers that he was one of them.

Even with that staged assist from his former running mate in the 2008 presidential race, McCain might not have enough "cred" with right-wingers to beat former U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth, who calls himself the "consistent conservative."

That being the case, McCain ought to stand by his guns and work for immigration reform now. There is a bipartisan proposal that he could support, fashioned by Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.). Graham admits that after the health-care reform loss, he can't get Republicans to sign on. But if McCain stood up, it might move some others.

The Schumer/Graham proposal includes "four pillars." Biometric Social Security cards would be required to ensure that illegal workers cannot get jobs. Border security and interior enforcement would be strengthened. A new process to admit temporary workers would be created. And there would be a path to legal residence for the millions of illegal aliens.

President Obama claims he still wants to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year. He delivered that message via big screens to an estimated 200,000 people who attended a reform rally on the National Mall two weeks ago. The event got little media coverage with the health-care vote looming.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) recently told Newark's Star-Ledger editorial board that he thinks immigration reform is doable this year, but not until after the November elections. "I think there are a bunch of people who are retiring who would cast votes [because] their heart and their intellect tell them it is the right thing to do, but their politics might have told them no," he said.

Yes, politics too often gets in the way of what's right. Even recent violence at South Philadelphia High School has links to how America treats immigrants. It's time to pass reform and prove this nation still has open arms.