After Breitbart News reported on the lack of intellectual diversity in a panel discussion sponsored by the Charles Koch Institute and left-leaning BuzzFeed that pitted five pro-amnesty panelists against the Heritage Foundation, Heritage dropped out of the event entirely and was replaced by iconoclast Daily Caller columnist Mickey Kaus. 

Although Kaus is opposed to the Gang of Eight bill being pushed through Congress, that creating a new balance for the panel: now all six panelists accepted the premise of a “path to citizenship.”

During the discussion, Kaus made it clear that although he does not like or trust the legislation, he is ultimately in favor of amnesty, saying: 

The common ground here is that the 11 million–we’re not going to deport them, I think they’re a good force in American society–I think at some point, I want amnesty, I want them to be legalized, I want them to have full citizenship.

Kaus’s position is the same as it was when he ran for the California Senate a few years ago. The problem isn’t Kaus’s position; it’s the that forum that claimed to have a “diversity of opinion” ultimately had no such thing. 

While supporting the broad idea that illegal immigrants should be given a path to citizenship, Kaus also provided scathing arguments against the comprehensive immigration reform bill, however. He referred to the bill as “phoniness piled on top of phoniness” and correctly point out that many conservatives worry that there is nothing in the bill to keep another large round of immigrants from coming later.

Kaus also pointing out the rift between the GOP establishment and the base.

The Republican elites are terrified of the Republican voters, otherwise they wouldn’t have crafted a bill that was entirely crafted to deceive Republican voters into thinking it’s enforcement bill when really it’s not. 

The BuzzFeed/Koch panel highlights the real lack of diversity in what should be a national dialogue on a crucial issue. Anyone following the immigration debate should be concerned that the public is even seeing the full range of proposals out there but instead are being spoon fed a select few options, all of which seem to take granting citizenship for granted.

There are, of course, any number of alternatives to the Gang of Eight’s bill that grants a path to citizenship for those that are currently illegal immigrants. However, none of those alternatives were represented by Panelists in the BuzzFeed discussion.

For example, one possibility is to grant guest worker status without providing a path to citizenship. This option would provide many of the benefits of that proponents of amnesty say they want–such as enhanced options for both employers and safeguards for employees–without providing any of the downsides such as access to government services. 

While a “guest worker with no path to citizenship” option would meet the needs of many of the conservative or Libertarian advocates of immigration reform, the proposal would not provide what Democrat advocates want; millions of new Democrat voters.

This is one danger of limited government advocates forming a coalition with the institutional left forces that he been pushing comprehensive immigration reform for years; they’re working with people who have a clear political agenda that goes beyond merely helping immigrants.

Photo source: Buzzfeed/YouTube