The people who need to be convinced of comprehensive immigration reform — which must include a path to legal status for illegal immigrants — are angry about illegal immigration. Trying to paper over that won't help, and might actually hurt.

Better to confront it directly: Yes, there's illegal immigration, and yes, illegal immigrants should have to pay fees and learn English, but no, it's not good for American workers or the American economy to have 12 million illegal immigrants living in the shadows, and no, deporting 12 million people is not a realistic option. Put differently, there are two fundamental facts here: Yes, there are illegal immigrants, and yes, we need to find a way to make them legal residents.

I think that's the right balance. But it's far too sane and pragmatic a proposal to appeal to today's Republicans.