A ‘No Fear’ policy

Let’s look at tonight’s address but replace “immigration” with “X”:

America needs to conduct this debate on X in a reasoned and respectful tone. Feelings run deep on this issue, and as we work it out, all of us need to keep some things in mind. We cannot build a unified country by inciting people to anger, or playing on anyone’s fears, or exploiting the issue of X for political gain. We must always remember that real lives will be affected by our debates and decisions, and that every human being has dignity and value no matter what their citizenship papers say. White House transcript

This statement from Bush is one of the many reasons why I would summarize this speech thusly: unenforceable politicizing bullshit.

What makes this charade almost funny is that Republicans seem to be more troubled than Democrats by what Bush had to say. The consensus on Fox News’s O’Reilly Factor (Where do I apply to get those 20 min of my life back?) was that there is no consensus. The Democratic response: we are willing to work with you.

As if this situation could not be getting any weirder…