The Times editorial page has always pushed for amnesty for illegal immigrants in highly personal terms, attacking opponents as nativist zealots or just plain [1]racists [1]. A Friday editorial, "Immigration: It's [2]Time [2]," suggests the paper isn't so great with facts, either. After the standard insults of Republicans comes this howler:
The American people have been far out front of the politicians on this issue, overwhelmingly supporting comprehensive reform. Washington can still catch up. There's still time. And the country is waiting.
Are the American people really "overwhelmingly supporting comprehensive reform" of immigration, especially in a down economy? The latest NYT poll shows the public hasn't really given it much thought lately, with a whopping 1% of respondents [3]rating immigration as the "most important problem facing the country today" in the paper's recent poll. And the favorable numbers the Times claimed for immigration reform in a misleading May [4] 2007 [4]poll (the last time people were focused on the issue) were torn apart [5]by Slate's Mickey Kaus.
Sorry NYT - better find a more reliable "American people" to help you push amnesty.