Licenses for illegals

To hear some people talk, Republicans have shot themselves in the foot with their tough rhetoric on illegal immigration. Such sabre-rattling, this line of thinking goes, will upset many U.S. Hispanics, whose political clout is set to blossom.

Unfortunately for those who subscribe to such a theory, the facts indicate otherwise.

Yes, most Americans might be willing to accept a middle ground on immigration reform that recognizes the labor needs of many businesses while at the same time addresses the strain that illegals place on public services.

But poll after opinion poll show that any compromise that includes amnesty for illegals or doesn't do enough to beef up security on our southern border is likely dead on arrival.

And voters in more than a handful of states have consistently embraced reforms that would deny taxpayer-funded services to those who are in the United States illegally.

To find the latest evidence of how this issue is more likely to cause trouble for Democrats than Republicans, look no further than New York state and the recent debate in Philadelphia among Democratic presidential hopefuls.

In New York, Gov. Eliot Spitzer faced a firestorm of opposition when he recently proposed allowing some illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. Recall that even in California -- home to more illegals than any other state -- a similar proposal proved wildly unpopular and was one of many issues that led to the recall of Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in 2003.

At this point, the Spitzer plan is going forward. So during the Democratic debate this week in Philly, the candidates were asked whether they supported the proposal.

Four of the seven Democrats embraced giving driver's licenses to illegals -- Sen. Barack Obama called it "the right idea." Two, Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Joseph Biden of Delaware, were against the idea. And one, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, said she was ... well, nobody is quite sure what she said.

We'll let the Philadelphia Inquirer pick up the tale: "At first, she appeared to endorse the idea, saying she understood why Spitzer wanted to issue licenses. Then, she seemed to reject it, saying she 'didn't think this was the best thing for any governor to do.' "

Sen. Clinton, of course, is the Democratic front-runner, well ahead in most polls. Unlike her opponents, she now tacks away from the left in anticipation of having to attract the centrist voters she'll need to win the presidency next year.

While the idea of giving driver's licenses to illegal aliens may go over well with the MoveOn.org crowd, it isn't so popular among the population at large. Americans, the Inquirer reported, oppose licenses for illegal immigrants by a 3-to-1 ratio.

Which is precisely why Sen. Clinton tried to tap dance around the issue.