Based on the most conservative estimates, there are over 10 million illegal immigrants in this country, but we all reasonably suspect that the number is considerably much higher.  In spite of the vitriol spewed by the marginal Lou Dobbs sector of our society, a compassionate majority of Americans understand that, with only a few exceptions, these immigrants were drawn to this country by the American dream, that they hard-working, and that they contribute immensely to our society’s economic and cultural enrichment.  Retro-active immunity for these people, which we refer to as amnesty, has become more critical in this age of War on Terror.

Following 911 and the implementation of the Patriot Act, the already difficult life of the average undocumented or illegal immigrant living in this country has become a living Hell.  Driver license renewal has become impossible in many states and the inability to drive results in most cases in drastic narrowing of employment opportunities.  The lack of this important form of identification also closes the doors to countless services the average person in this nation takes for granted.  Job site raids, detention, deportation and the breaking up of families have all risen.  Once again, the politics of fear by the current administration have led to the penalizing of the innocent for the crimes of the unpunished and unpursued.  Our War on Terror has become a Reign of Terror on a US underclass that already had many difficult challenges to battle.

Outrage over the Telco amnesty – I meant, retro-active immunity – is in my view entirely justified.  Indeed I am one of the angry ones.  These f***ers broke the law even though they had too many highly compensated lawyers not to know what they were doing, regardless of what the administration told them, and they deserve to be punished.  It is difficult to argue that our illegal immigrants did not know that they also broke and continue to break the law, yet we have no trouble understanding that even as this argument serves as an excuse for Lou Dobbs to promote hatred and expulsion, it is an insufficient argument for us to deny them the clemency we are ready to grant them once the Democrats control our government.  Therefore, let us not lie to ourselves.  Clemency for our immigrants involves the same deviation from principle as does clemency for the Telcos.

Of course there is constitutional principle at stake, but principle must adapt to the real world and not the other way around lest principle itself becomes out of touch and even dangerous.  We can argue the principles and express our anger all we want at TPM, that is TPM’s purpose and that is why we come here.  However, in the real world, there is compromise.  In the real world there are real stakes to this election and consequences in the lives of real people.  So let us argue and debate and continue the struggle for our precious Fourth Ammendment, but please, please, for the sake of so many people in this country and around the world counting on us, send money to Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, support them, and vote for them.  If we must punish the party, we shall organize and do so on our next primary season, not on this general election against the Republicans and John McCain.  Thank you.