Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), taking the latest in his series of twisting and turning positions on immigration reform -- which he was against before he was for, which he is now against this year but for next year -- has fallen into the kind of trap I warned about in my latest column, GOP ObamaCare delusions.
Here is the GOP delusion of the day. Yesterday it was ObamaCare; today it is immigration. The Speaker tried to blame his refusal to support immigration reform this year on President Obama.
Does the Speaker believe Hispanics, or anyone outside the far-right, anti-immigration cult, will believe this? Of course, Boehner changed course yet again because during the latest GOP retreat, the right, angered at his earlier shift toward immigration reform, demanded Boehner change again, this time away from reform.
It is insulting to Hispanic voters to peddle this polluted line to them and claim that the Speaker's retreat is because of the president. They know it is not true. The Speaker's retreat is because of the Speaker, demanded by the right, and Hispanics know this. And everyone else knows this.
This is a double delusion. Delusion No. 1 for the day is this bogus attempt to blame the president. Delusion No. 2 is for Republicans not to realize that by sabotaging immigration this year and saying Boehner will reconsider it after the election, the Speaker is shouting this from the rooftops to Hispanic voters: Vote heavily in 2014! Vote Democratic in 2014! Vote heavily and Democratic in 2014 because your future depends on it!
And it does, which is why the Hispanic wave will turn out in force for Democrats after this invitation from the Republican Speaker.