Gingrich is right on immigration…

There is a rule in baseball that I like to use to describe the concept of the statute of limitations.  The rule has to do with batting out-of-order.  If a batter comes to the plate and is not the hitter supposed to be up to bat and the other team notices, then he is sent back to the bench and the correct hitter is sent to the plate to finish the at bat.  If there are balls and strikes the correct hitter has to live with the count and finish what the wrong hitter started.  If no one notices or says anything until the batter gets to first, but is caught at that point, he is called “out” and the correct batter comes up to hit and the out counts and there ya go.  But, if the wrong hitter gets to first and the next batter gets to the plate and the pitcher throws him even one pitch then the guy on first stays and is considered the correct hitter.  There is a time and place to catch the bad guy and if you don’t you have to live with the consequences.  As an umpire, batting out-of-order stuff is a nightmare on the field.  You have to think through every single situation, figure out who belongs at the plate now and what do you do if the guy on first is still on first when his legitimate time at bat comes around and all with both team head coaches giving you their opinion.  Not a great spot to be in and a jackpot you did not create.  There are enough arguments in baseball that you deserve.  You blow a play at the plate or have a bad day calling balls and strikes you get an earful and well….you deserve it.  But, when the crap storm is because you have to sort out a mess you had nothing to do with well those are the days the job doesn’t pay enough.  And, what really makes it annoying is the rule book is available to the coaches, too.  Gingrich is getting a complete load of crap over his comments about not deporting an illegal alien who has been here for 20 or 25 years and has legitimate ties to the country.  He has not said give amnesty.  He has said legitimize his residency and get him on the books.  No vote.  No benefits not earned through citizenship.  Just get him on the books.  The government has had myriad opportunities to deport illegal aliens.  They didn’t.  They don’t. They said, “Stay put.”  The feds said, “Do the job you are doing and stay out of trouble and we will look into other more serious problems.”  So, he did.  It is too late now for playing the game under different rules.  There is enough to do to catch the illegal aliens crossing the border every day and send them back home.  The rules aren’t different and the illegal aliens that crossed 20 years ago and set up shop did so under the rules they were given at the time.  Just because you hit out-of-order doesn’t mean you are always out-of-order. If the other team pitches to the next guy you are safe.  That’s fair play and Gingrich is describing it correctly.  If you are trying to break into our country now we will catch you and send you back.  If you take advantage by getting benefits you didn’t earn, got to first base as it were, we will punish you and deport you. We will call you out and send you back to the bench. But let’s face it, if you have lived here for 20 plus years and have lived by the laws of our country since you came here, we pitched to the next hitter.  It is time for us to get the next guy out.  Literally.