Linda, 

My proposal to Rich Nadler of “assimilation first” was basically the same offer made to you in our FrontPage exchange (October 2007). 

In the first draft of my NRO piece I wrote:

Would you [Nadler] agree to a real comprehensive immigration-assimilation reform package that would include (besides serious border enforcement which you say you favor) a mandate, first for a serious assimilation agenda: ending bi-lingual education, outlawing immigrant dual citizenship . . .

Regrettably, the “assimilation first” was edited out in the final version. Hence, your understandable and somewhat excitable response. I’m obviously aware of your good work on these crucial issues and I have no doubt that you would be delighted to see a pro-assimilation agenda adopted by Congress. However, my October 2007 proposal to you was that Congress adopt an assimilation first approach and enact the measures that we both strongly favor before discussing any increase in immigration, guest workers, or legalization of people who are here illegally. On this crucial point you disagreed in our October 2007 exchange.

Just a quick reminder, my final proposal to you for a compromise in our October 2007 exchange listed below.

Permit me to go even further in the effort to get a compromise agreement . . . Would you accept any of the four assimilation pre-conditions I listed [ending bi-lingual education, dual citizenship, etc] or any other assimilation pre-condition before increasing immigration? At that point, we would have an agreement in principle (the principle that increased immigration must be tied to successful assimilation) and the possibility of conservative compromise.

You did not response to this and you had responded negatively to my original offer of assimilation first before proceeding with guest workers, legalization, etc.  So your core opposition to assimilation first remains.  

By the way, you say “I’m not sure where John Fonte has been on these issues [affirmative action, dual citizenship] over the years.” You must have forgotten I wrote a rather extensive historical Policy Brief for you and CEO awhile back, “The Tragedy of Civil Rights: How Equal Opportunity Became Equal Results,” Center for Equal Opportunity, December 1996.

And in case you are “not sure” where I stand on dual citizenship, assimilation, multilingual voting, etc., check out my writing on the Hudson website.