Right Wing News reports on the inside story of what’s going on with Bush-Kennedy
First off, it does look like the Senate immigration bill is coming back. The conventional wisdom seems to be that it’s going to be brought up right before the July 4th break, so that the Senate Republican leadership can try to use that as leverage to get votes (In other words, “vote for the bill or we’ll have to waste your vacation time until you do”).
This is despite the fact that the conservative leaders of the anti-amnesty movement are refusing to cooperate, and won’t give Mitch McConnell a list of amendments that they want considered. My source tells me that the reason for this is that the game has now been rigged. McConnell is essentially promising to bring the amendments up in exchange for cloture votes, but Trent Lott is publicly saying that they will strip any problematic amendments out in committee.
In other words, if the bill gets through the Senate and the House, the Democrats and the open borders Republicans will work together when the bills have to be reconciled in committee to strip out any amendments that the “grand bargainers” don’t like. Therefore, at this point, it doesn’t matter what amendments pass, because any tough enforcement provisions that slip through will be rendered toothless when the bills are reconciled.
The Washington Times, meanwhile, reports on conservatives coming together against the Bush-Kennedy amnesty bill
The debate over President Bush’s immigration bill and opposition to it as an “amnesty” proposal have invigorated otherwise dispirited conservative interest groups and forged an anti-Bush unity on the right not seen since the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers.
Hopeful signs have materialized for conservative leaders who have opposed the drive by the president, top Senate Republicans and leading Democrats to give legal status to illegal aliens while giving what critics deride as lip service to border security.
Michelle Malkin and Noam Askew point out Senator Craig’s position in all of this
Also according to the Roll Call story mentioned below, Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) says that he no longer supports the filibuster against the bill:
“They’ve had ample opportunity,” Craig said of the Republican dissenters who successfully rallied a majority of their Conference to block the bill last week. Craig added that he supports McConnell’s efforts to goad the conservatives into capitulating, saying that over the years “when I was in a minority position I was given fair fun, but I was never given carte blanche to kill something.”
Senator, this isn’t about who gets to win, or who has to capitulate, or whose definition of amnesty is ultimately chosen… it’s about simple concepts like fix and secure the border, enforce the laws we have now, and don’t reward law breaking. This bill does none of it. Why are you and the Dems and the President so surprised and so angry at >US< when it is >YOU< that doesn’t get it?
Happy Flag day to you all.
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