Here’s a former administration official explaining the intensity of the White House’s push for amnesty:
“There’s no question that this is his last opportunity to do something that is fairly popular across America, and maybe wash away some of the bad taste from Iraq,” the former official said. “He really has just this one chance. … He doesn’t care much what his base thinks.” [emphasis added]
They really seem to believe that opposition is confined to a noisy minority of wingnuts. It’s one thing to push something you know is unpopular because you think it’s right — but this is a truly disturbing sign of self-delusion.