Immigration

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times has a recent column that makes a passing favorable reference to Hillary Clinton's about-face on driver's licenses for illegal aliens.

Dowd remarks that if Clinton had continued to support Gov. Spitzer's licensing plan, it could have cost her the election. Dowd seems to appreciate Clinton's political saavy here. (Spitzer has also dropped the plan in the face of loud, if not necessarily widespread, opposition.)

Making licenses available to all people who are driving cars strikes me as sensible. But Dowd's column is evidence that sensible immigration policies are now perceived as political suicide. Also political suicide: sensible Social Security policies; sensible national health care policies; sensible energy policies; sensible environmental policies; sensible budgetary policies; sensible foreign policies. Am I missing anything?