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Proponents of Trade Promotion Authority legislation say built-in “safeguards” will allow Congress to protect American workers from the adverse impacts of immigration provisions in trade deals. But they know these safeguards are mere window dressing when a president refuses to be bound by the law and has latitude under a “living agreement” such as the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) to change the deal without further congressional approval.

President Obama’s plan for dealing with border surge aliens, which emphasizes the relocation and care of illegal border crossers over their immediate deportation, has Democrats and Republicans in Congress scrambling to develop legislation before the summer recess. But their differing plans make legislative action unlikely and give Obama cover for not doing what he should do - deport the aliens required under current law.

Vice President and potential presidential candidate Joe Biden gave a speech last week in which he said the 11 million illegal aliens in the United States “are already Americans.” Famous for pandering to audiences and, uh, stretching the truth, Biden also has been a champion for causes irrespective of whether they are consistent with U.S. laws or the Constitution. So if he’s misguided enough to think illegal aliens are citizens, perhaps one day Biden will dispense with the formalities of an election and declare he’s already president. Or at least the comic-in-chief.

As Speaker John Boehner and House Republicans gear up for an internal debate over whether to address immigration in 2014, a new Gallup poll lends support to those who want to delay consideration. The poll found that only three percent of Americans think immigration is the top problem Congress must tackle this year. So why does Boehner consider immigration to be so urgent?