So, during last week’s McCain blogger conference call, while some of (ahem) were chattering about cat-fights and small varmint guns, some news happened. Policy news! Blogger Ed Morrissey asked the Senator about the administration’s request to keep the collection of illegal immigrants’ back taxes out of the requirements they must meet before applying for citizenship. (The administration says collecting the taxes costs more than the revenue they’d generate.) McCain told the bloggers that he’d get the back taxes provision back in the bill, and he did.
Seems smart, right? He demonstrates he’s tough on illegals and serious about minding the government store — and it shows immigration bill critics he’s still sticking to core principles while at the same time reaching out to them.
Except, now that very provision threatens to derail the entire thing, as any legislation dealing with revenue has to originate in the House, where conservative members are eager to flex their muscles and make the compromise go away. The back taxes mandate would give them a procedural means to do just that.
Isn’t that the kind of rookie mistake, I dunno, Obama would make? McCain’s been campaigning hard on being the most experienced GOP candidate in the top tier; a back taxes provision is exactly what undermined the immigration conference last time around.
The blogosphere’s been hating on McCain’s immigration policy for so long, you have to wonder how they’ll react to him being the one to undo it* providing one means to undo it. He needs the support but I’m sure that’s not how he planned on getting it. That NEXT conference call should be interesting.
Would it also give the conservative blogosphere, in one fell swoop, more real-life policy influence than the Kossacks, et. al have lately been able to muster? Discuss.
*UPDATE: The Hill story Morrissey references in his post — and by extension my post –may be exaggerating the efficacy of the “blue slip” the House could use to undermine the bill: If the House conservatives make noise, McCain can take the back taxes provision out of the Senate bill — and let someone in the House put it in. We can go back to calling McCain putting it in smart, but not as smart (or too clever by half) as the conservative bloggers would like.