Immigration Bill Dies Again

President Bush made the slip of the tongue that confirms what many already thought of the bill.

But in describing the measure Tuesday morning, an apparent slip of the tongue suggested otherwise -- providing fodder for the talk-radio crowd that loathes the bill and wants it defeated in the Senate.

"You know, I've heard all the rhetoric -- you've heard it, too -- about how this is amnesty. Amnesty means that you've got to pay a price for having been here illegally, and this bill does that," Bush said, according to the official White House transcript.

It's not just the talk radio crowd that hates the bill, but tens of millions of folks out there if you believe that the polling. And the folks who hate the bill aren't just those who think it is nothing more than amnesty. It includes the folks who think the bill doesn't go far enough.

Senators who have been voting on the various measures, amendments, and votes to end debate often have absolutely no idea what they are voting on, as witnessed by the nonsensical ravings of Sen. Voinovich (R-OH). Sen. Voinovich couldn't figure out what he'd already voted on, what the position was, or any other details of the bill, including the guest worker plan.

Mrs. Lawhawk wondered just how he could be so ill-informed about the issues. Where was his staff to present a crib sheet on what he voted on? Good questions, but I think the problem is that none of the proponents of this mess had any idea of all the problems with the bill and simply hoped that action would speak for itself and claiming that opponents were racists, bigots, or idiots would be sufficient.

All of this sets the perfect backdrop for what happened just a short time ago. The immigration bill died yet again. Down in flames might be an apt analogy, but this is the bill of the living dead - it keeps managing to come back to life despite the overwhelming failures and inadequacies to deal with the issues at hand - securing the border and putting in place a methodology of handling the millions of illegal aliens already in the US (whether you call it a guest worker program or amnesty depends on your point of view).

The latest move to end debate (cloture) failed to pass, which means that the bill is once again about to die in the Senate (that is unless Bush, Reid, Kennedy, McCain or others don't try to revive it yet again). Leave it to Sen. Kennedy (D-Chivas) to throw a couple of Nazi references in to those opposing the bill.

Kennedy was the biggest proponent of the last amnesty in 1986, and swore back then that the last amnesty would solve the problems of illegal immigration. He's back this time offering up the same exact rhetoric, and anyone who knows the history should realize that it's the Chivas talking, and not the facts. Browbeating someone into believing that amnesty will solve the immigration problem isn't a solution. It's a recipe for voter backlash in the next election.

None of this is an excuse for the ugly behavior by some opposed to the bill. See here for more.

But for all the work that Congress has managed, they think they deserve a pay raise of $4,400 (which would also bring pay raises to the Vice President and Supreme Court justices). Right. Like they deserve it? The fact is that Congress is overpaid, and should probably be paid to stay away from their jobs instead of writing laws that have the unending capacity to undermine the US Constitution and the rights of US citizens - as witnessed by the immigration bill mess, the ongoing proposals to bring back the fairness doctrine (which is neither fair nor constitutional), or extending civil rights to terrorists.

Others blogging the immigration mess: Ed Morrissey, Michelle Malkin (who has been all over the immigration issue since day 1), and Jammie Wearing Fool.

UPDATE:
For all those who are pissed at the current immigration bill and the inability to build a security fence along the border, Ace has a real interesting post - what it could actually cost to build a real fence, with real technology, and real effectiveness.

Where does he get the numbers and information from? Israel.

The cost comes to about $2 million per mile, or about $6 billion and change for the entire southern border. Throw in some inflation, and you're talking $7 billion or so. Build the fence over a period of three years.

Sit back and wait two years - see how effective it is, and then take up whatever amnesty/guest worker program the usual suspects are pushing. Not only do you get real border control, but you'd be able to see the effectiveness of the program as you go along.

Also, note Sen. DeMint's (R-SC) comments:

“When the U.S. Senate brought the Amnesty bill back up this week, they declared war on the American people. This act created a crisis of confidence in their government. Thankfully, the American people won today,” said Senator DeMint. “This is remarkable because it shows that Americans are engaged and they care deeply about their country. They care enough for their country to get mad and to fight for it, and that’s the most important thing of all. Americans made phone calls and sent letters, and convinced the Senate to stop this bill.”

“The Senate rejected this bill and the heavy-handed tactics used to ram it through. Americans do not want more of the same – amnesty and broken promises on the border. Americans want legislation to be written in public – not in secret – and they want Congress to engage in an open and fair debate.”

“There is a better way forward without this bill. The President has said that the border security measures can be implemented over the next 18 months, and they can be done under current law. Now the Administration needs to prove it and stop holding border security hostage for amnesty.”

“Once we have secured the border and restored trust with the American people, we can begin to take additional steps.”

UPDATE:
The full roll call vote can be found here. Gateway Pundit has more.

UPDATE:
Don Surber (and here), among others, notes that this was never about slamming legal immigrants, but making sure that we hold everyone to the same standards and do not let illegal aliens jump the line.

UPDATE:
Hot Air has interesting analysis of how the votes were actually cast - which Senators waited until the last possible moment or who actually changed their votes when it became clear that the cloture would not pass. Jack M at Ace puts the votes to a map.

UPDATE:
Baldilocks notes that of the hundreds of miles required to be built under last year's Secure Borders Act, only 18 miles has been constructed. You've got to love the foot dragging all over this issue on the implementation of security phase, but the quick time march to get the amnesty portion through. Why? Why indeed.

Sen. Brownback, who's been running for President, may have seen his already weak chances torpedoed by his flip flop vote on the cloture. He initially voted yes to end debate, and once the vote showed that the vote would fail, he switched his vote to No. Meet Senator Switchback. Ouch.

AJ Strata is dismayed at the failure to get an immigration bill done. I'm sorry but this bill was so flawed that it could not be allowed to pass. It would not improve national security one bit over the situation we already have on the books, and would create yet more incentives for illegal aliens to enter the US illegally so as to take advantage of the next amnesty when *that* happens.

Others blogging: Macranger, Michael van der Galien, Webloggin, Iowavoice, Suitably Flip, Cold Fury.

UPDATE:
Instapundit offers up the following sensible advice, which means that Congress will promptly ignore it in favor of their current operating procedure when it comes to this issue:

(1) Make the process open, transparent, and timely, with hearings, drafts on the Internet, and no last-minute bills that no one has read;

(2) Earn people's trust, don't demand it, and treat enforcement like it matters;

(3) Respect people who follow the law, and make legal immigration easier, cheaper, and simpler, rather than the Kafkaesque nightmare it is now;

(4) Don't feel you have to be "comprehensive" -- address the problems you can deal with first. The trust needed to deal with other problems will come later, after you've shown some success and some good faith.

Considering the way that the amnesty proponents called those against this bill racist and worse, I doubt they'll even get past step 2.