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Occasionally I get some pretty interesting emails. This one came today from a former staffer on the Hill who still works in DC:

I was having a drink last night with a friend who works in the office of a congresswoman. Apparently the friend’s boss is in an uproar with the Speaker over this new immigration deal.

Their congresswoman has been pretty strong in support of loosening the immigration laws and she is EXTREAMELY opposed to the war in Iraq. She doesn’t like the sound of the new legislation that was hammered out in the Senate for immigration (she thinks it takes too long and is still too harsh), but she’s already getting pressure from the Speaker’s office to support it.

It’s not the immigration bill that’s got her pissed though, it’s the fact that the Speaker’s office told her that Pelosi has pledged to the White House that she will help get the conference bill done in exchange for the President’s commitment to stop vetoing the short-term funding packages for the war effort.

Now I don’t know how credible the information is… alcohol and late night braggadocio sessions don’t always produce the most truthful of conversations, but if this is the case I’ve lost just about my last bit of respect for this president and the White House.

Then I saw this and this and it makes me think that the e-mailer might be right on. The immigration deal will get done first and then it will be quickly followed by the president acquiescing and signing the next war funding package. All we’re seeing right now is a little bit of political theater.

It makes sense on a political level because at this point in Bush’s very lame duck second term he needs a win. He’s always been a believer in amnesty and open borders, so…

I just find it unconscionable that he might be willing to trade the safety and security of our service people for the glory of what he hopes will be his own legacy.