I would substitute "cowards" with "opportunists" because I don't think a single one of them ever thinks "I wish there were no illegals in this country but I don't want to rock the boat." They don't get illegal votes but they do get cheap labor, perks, favors and their closet skeletons and political activists kept at bay.

Establishment politicians from both sides of the aisle are so elite that the thought of having to interact with, let alone serve a layperson, disgusts them.