Jeff Flake: “as children we are taught the phrase ``sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.'' I can tell…”

“as children we are taught the phrase ``sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.'' I can tell my colleagues that the same rule does not apply to politics. The easiest way to kill an initiative is to apply an unpopular label to it, whether it fits or not. Opponents of meaningful education reform know they can kill it by calling it ``vouchers.'' Those who do not want Social Security reform can poison the well by calling it ``privatization.'' It is easy to repeal the ``death tax,'' but it is more difficult to get rid of the ``estate tax.'' In a similar vein, critics of the President's immigration reform plan are trying desperately to kill it by attaching the dreaded ``amnesty'' label to it. These critics would do well to heed another childhood axiom that applies very much to politics: ``You can't throw mud without getting it all over yourselves.'' Under the President's immigration initiative, which largely mirrors the legislation that I have introduced along with the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and Senator McCain, those who are here illegally would have the opportunity to stay as temporary workers provided they pay a fine and have no criminal record. Those seeking to become U.S. citizens would not be given preference over those going through the legal, orderly process in their own countries.…”