Conferencing on Immigration

Mac Ranger puts it quite succinctly:

The fact is that the Bill DOES address border security. Ok, so it doesn't have Apache Helecopters flying about with tanks blazing or a Great Wall of Mexico. But the beginnings are there and yes I would like it beefier too - but it's a start.

Don't forget that - it's a START - not the DESTINATION. This stupid assed rhetoric about "screw Bush" and "staying home on election" day is just that - stupid. Once again, not every Conservative that voted for Bush sees this issue as others do, such as Michelle Malkin and Bill O'Reilly. We can agree to disagree. But I'll be damned if I give up the House or Senate or both to the Democrats over it.

As bad as the GOP has been on the immigration issue, have the Democrats done any better? Would they do any better? Their leadership are even bigger proponents of open borders than the GOPers.

As for how this will shake out, consider the following:

1) There will be a guest worker program despite the braying from the far right.
2) The numbers involved in any such guest worker program will be far lower than any on the far left will want.
3) There will be a fence - at least on some significant portion of the border where the current situation is completely untenable.
4) Some form of amnesty will be provided - because Congress as a whole cannot deal with the issue in any other manner.
5) There will be increased border patrol action - the question is whether such action will be sustained and deal with the revolving door border control we currently see.

The Senate version will now have to be reconciled with the version adopted in the House. The final version that will be sent up to the President will look nothing like the versions passed by either the House or the Senate. That's the point of the conference committee - to hash out the differences and find some happy medium that a majority will find acceptable.

It will be interesting to see whether the provision requiring the Department of the Interior and National Parks Service to reopen the Statue of Liberty will survive the process. I think it will - and people will again be able to walk up to the crown to see what they've been missing for the last 4+ years.