Suit against Arizona law will hurt Dems this fall

The Hill:

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and other GOP leaders are coming under pressure from the Republican grass roots to make Arizona’s immigration law a national campaign issue.

GOP and conservative activists see the lawsuit the administration is considering against Arizona’s tough new law as a tool to spike turnout by Republicans and independents at the polls.

A Rasmussen poll released Friday found that 56 percent of U.S. voters would oppose a suit against Arizona’s law, which empowers law enforcement to check the identification of suspected illegal immigrants during routine policing activities.

“If we’re talking about gaining the Senate or the House, I think the Obama administration lawsuit will pour lighter fluid on the issue and it will burn Democratic candidates,” said Jason Rose, a Republican political consultant based in Arizona.

Republicans also believe the lawsuit, which a White House official on Monday said remained under consideration, could be used as a wedge issue between the president and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Arizona’s tough new law is popular across the country and in Nevada; a Mason-Dixon poll from earlier this month showed 57 percent of Silver State residents would support a similar measure.

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This is a grass roots issue and has never been driven by Republicans in Washington. It probably will not be so driven this fall. It is an issue that people feel in their gut. Contrary to what many in the media suggest, the immigration issue is not anti Hispanic. Hispanics who are already citizens have nothing to fear from the enforcement of immigration laws. Democrats may demagogue the issue and try to scare them, but that is not what enforcement is about. Republicans in Washington could help themselves by reinforcing that point.

Since the Democrats are on the wrong side of this issue, they are the ones who need to be concerned about alienating the majority of voters.