FAIR Activist Betting Clinton Will Keep Congressional Democrats in Check
by Chad Groening
January 3, 2007
(AgapePress) - - An immigration reform activist believes Hillary Clinton's political aspirations could mean she will use her influence to keep the Democrat-controlled Congress from doing anything drastic with regard to U.S. immigration policy. When the Democrats won control of Congress this past November, the conventional wisdom among secure borders advocates was that President Bush would finally get his wish -- an amnesty plan for millions of illegal aliens. But Susan Tully, national field director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), does not think that will necessarily be the case because many freshmen Democrats in Congress oppose amnesty. However, that is not the only reason why she believes amnesty legislation will not be immediately forthcoming.
There is another factor in play, Tully notes. "I'm putting my money right now on Hillary Clinton keeping the Democrats from doing anything too radical over the next two years," she says, "because this woman wants to be elected president."
Of course, the FAIR spokeswoman points out, everything would change after 2008, particularly if Senator Clinton were elected. "If she's president, they still maintain the House and Senate majority on the Democratic side," the immigration reform advocate contends. "Then you will see amnesty and everything," she adds, "but I think until then Hillary Clinton will be the controlling factor in the Democratic Party."
Prior to the next presidential elections, Mrs. Clinton will not want to anger conservatives or do anything to catalyze strong conservative voter turnout, Tully speculates. "I believe that Hillary Clinton very much wants to be a presidential candidate for 2008," the activist observes, "and she's a very powerful person on the Democratic side in terms of keeping her party under control."
Tully says her guess is that Senator Clinton is going to try very hard to keep the Democrats "under wraps" when it comes to legislating amnesty or enacting any other kind of radical liberal policies. FAIR's national field director insists that Clinton is unlikely "to do anything that would infuriate the conservative base" or that would cause them to turn out en masse in 2008.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
