Supporters of a new law were thrilled Friday with the news that two prominent conservative thinkers, talk show host Sean Hannity and columnist Charles Krauthammer, both expressed support for legalizing illegal immigrants.
Hannity used the movement’s chosen phrase, calling for a “pathway to citizenship,” saying he had “evolved” on the matter, while Krauthammer, in his Friday Post column, described the GOP’s hard-line stance on illegal immigration as the single policy shift required to bring Hispanics back to the party…
The biggest questions swirled around Boehner and his always unpredictable Republican caucus, which remains heavily influenced by tea-party conservatives.
A House GOP leadership aide said Friday that many rank-and-file members seemed to be “getting it,” and that Hannity’s statement was “giving cover to those who might ordinarily want to do it but wouldn’t or couldn’t.” Still, the aide said, “we’re talking about a massive piece of legislation, and those are difficult to do.”
