Spitzer in the Face of Law - The Editors



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November 2, 2007 6:00 A.M.

Spitzer in the Face of Law

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At Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate, Hillary Clinton finally gave her primary opponents something to work with. Asked about New York governor Eliot Spitzer’s plan to give drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, Clinton articulated a — how shall we put it? — nuanced position on the issue.

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She said, “What Governor Spitzer is trying to do is fill the vacuum” left by the federal government’s failure to pass an amnesty for illegal immigrants — aka “comprehensive” immigration reform — last June. When, later in the debate, Chris Dodd expressed his opposition to Spitzer’s plan, Clinton jumped back in with “I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do it.” Clinton pointed out that the plan calls for “three different licenses — one that provides identification for actually going onto airplanes and other kinds of security issues, another which is an ordinary driver’s license, and then a special card that identifies the people who would be on the road.” Dodd replied, “That’s a bureaucratic nightmare.” Debate moderator Tim Russert tried to get Clinton to stop equivocating, at which point she accused him of playing “gotcha.”

In the end, all this got a little too convoluted even for Clinton: Thursday, she announced that she fully supports Spitzer’s plan.

We find ourselves in agreement with Senator Dodd (gulp). Spitzer, a Democrat, is an imperious man who does his best to rule by fiat. Last September, he issued an executive order declaring illegal immigrants eligible for drivers licenses — a move that prompted immediate and intense opposition from a majority of New York’s county clerks, and from prominent state politicians in both parties. The public wasn’t crazy about Spitzer’s idea either: One poll found 72 percent of New York State voters against the proposal.

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