Two of the most vocal men in politics — Democratic Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Republican Americans for Tax Reform head Grover Norquist — discussed immigration reform Monday at an event for The Atlantic. But if you were expecting a profanity-laced tirade (at least on the part of Emanuel) think again — the duo actually agreed on this one.
“I work with all of the nice Republicans in the House and Senate to encourage them to do what Reagan did,” Norquist explained. “This is the Reagan Republican view — this is not compromise, this is not moving to the left or something.”
Norquist said he thought Republicans against immigration reform were ones yelled into it by talk radio.
“I get a kick out of the people who wonder if we should be pro-immigrant,” Norquist said. “That’s like asking in the United States whether McDonald’s should sell hamburgers, it’s been our success all the way through.”
With the Senate already passing a bill, it’s the House’s turn to pick up the issue. And while Democrats probably wouldn’t be able to convince House Republicans to vote yes, Emanuel said, they could “create a space” so legislation could come to a vote.
“You allow people to allow a vote to happen even though they’re opposed to it and that part is not a public conversation,” Emanuel explained.
Throughout the discussion, the two barely chided each other. Though when Norquist prefaced a statement about Canada with, “the one to the north,” Emanuel pounced.
“The Republicans need to be instructed of that — we know that already,” Emanuel cracked.
At the end, Emanuel jokingly asked the room filled with story-starved reporters for some secrecy.
“Do not tell anybody that we were here together,” he said. “It won’t work back home for me and it won’t work for you in Washington,” he told Norquist, before the two shook hands.
