Much has been made of Nikki Haley’s response to the SOTU and her attack on Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and you and me – the angry voices of the conservative movement.

Here’s part of Governor Haley’s speech:

The foundation that has made America that last, best hope on earth hasn't gone anywhere. It still exists. It is up to us to return to it.

For me, that starts right where it always has: I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants who reminded my brothers, my sister and me every day how blessed we were to live in this country.

Growing up in the rural south, my family didn't look like our neighbors, and we didn't have much. There were times that were tough, but we had each other, and we had the opportunity to do anything, to be anything, as long as we were willing to work for it.

My story is really not much different from millions of other Americans. Immigrants have been coming to our shores for generations to live the dream that is America. They wanted better for their children than for themselves. That remains the dream of all of us, and in this country we have seen time and again that that dream is achievable.

Conflating illegal immigration with immigration.  Sadly, this tonic seems to work on the uninformed.  Nobody in the conservative movement has animus for immigrants.  We understand that we all came from somewhere.  But we, as Nikki Haley’s parents, came here legally.  That’s where Ms. Haley’s speech goes off the rails.  The greatness of our nation, and alas “the foundation that has made America that last, best hope on earth” is not immigration.  The foundation is our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights, or more particularly – the Rule of Law.

Ms. Haley speaks of “the opportunity to do anything, to be anything, as long as we were willing to work for it.”

Are there not people who work hard in other countries?  Did her parents not work hard in India?  You see, it is not coming here and working hard.  It is the protections that one has, that one’s work “can” result in opportunity.  This opportunity exists, though, only if said protections exist.  If we abandon said protections (and the personal responsibility that comes along with them), then we are left with “rules of men” and not the rule of law.

I understand that “Republican political operatives” desire to appeal to immigrants.  Here’s an idea – stand for what our ancestors stood for.  Stop trying to frame a messaging campaign around what you think disparate groups want to hear.  We are the greatest nation on the planet not because of our military might.  We are exceptional – exceptional in that we still adhere to the principles of our Founding.  Or do we?