The second time around wasn't the charm for the immigration bill. The senate picked up debate again this week, after it died three weeks ago. President Bush made a trip to congress to push for the bill, and made last-minute calls to some Republican senators this morning. Several top Democrats made their own case for the compromise bill. But, as the tally on C-SPAN2 told me this morning, it just wasn't enough. Many conservatives want to focus on securing the border before offering citizenship to immigrants who are in the country illegally. And, some see a path to citizenship as amnesty, and don't want it in any final bill. Beyond what it means for immigration and border security in the country, the vote is a poke in the eye to President Bush from senators in his own party. And the animosity that's filtered across the country in the last few months could bleed into next year's congressional and presidential elections. We'll grab Ron Elving and hash this all out with him. Questions? Opinions on the demise of the bill? Let us know...
Blog of the Nation
Somthing stinks in Washington... more now than ever. To see President Bush pushing this bill so hard down our throats then to see Senator Harry Reed pushing even harder by using this lame "clay pidgon" procedure scares the ba-gee-bees out of me. This past few weeks have been a devistatingly dissappointing display of leadership in our government. This entire debate was disigned to further exploit cheap labor for the interests of big business and to completly disregard the will of the American worker.
The line should read "Immigrants do jobs that Americans wont do... cheaper".
Thank God that our system is not totally broken because the people once again have spoken... I pray we as a counrty keep paying attention in the future... Trust me the administration is not done yet.
Immigration, a very difficult problem. From the beginning of recorded history populations have moved in mass, whether they were wanted or not.
In the present case with Mexico, politically it seems as if there is only one solution, and that is first make the border secure enough so that the influx is reduced to at trickle. Then, after a couple of years, address the question of what to do with existing undocumented aliens.
They are here. There is no way we are going to send back the millions that are here. They need to have a route to citizenship. That might be politically possible if we have first secured the border. But first things first.
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