"Americans Will Do These Jobs"

Rich Lowry of National Review has written a fascinating column about the jobs which supporters of a U.S. "guest worker" program for Mexican workers insist that Americans won't do. Lowry provides a variety of statistics counteracting that argument and concludes that "There is indeed a niche for low-skill labor in America. The question is simply whether it should be filled by illegal or temporary Mexican workers, or instead by legal immigrants and Americans."

As I've written here before, I very strongly support and admire President Bush, but the issue of illegal immigration, amnesty/guest worker programs, and securing the borders in general has been his Achilles' heel. Lowry concludes with this significant point, with which I concur:

"In his second term, President Bush has become a master of the reverse-wedge issue — hot-button issues that divide his political base and get it to feast on itself with charges of sexism, xenophobia and racism. The first was Harriet Miers; then there was the Dubai ports deal; and now comes his guest-worker proposal, making for a trifecta of political self-immolation. There is still time for Bush to make an escape from this latest budding political disaster, but it has to begin with the affirmation that there are no jobs Americans won't do."