IMMIGRATION BILL DIES IN SENATE

Jonathan Weisman writes in The Washington Post today that the immigration bill in the Senate has come to a sudden dead stop. The Senate refused to end debate, thus making the prospect of immigration reform as proposed dead on arrival.

"The most dramatic overhaul of the nation's immigration laws in a generation was trounced this morning by a bipartisan filibuster, with the political right and left overwhelming a coalition of Republicans and Democrats who had been seeking compromise on one of the most difficult social and economic issues facing the country.

"The 46-53 tally fell dramatically short of the 60 votes needed to overcome opponents' dilatory tactics and parliamentary maneuvers that have dogged the bill for weeks.

"The failure marked the second time in a month the bill was pulled from the Senate floor, and this time, Democratic leaders of the Senate indicated it would not be back.

"The vote was a major defeat for President Bush, dealt largely by members of his own party. The president made a last-ditch round of phone calls this morning to senators in an attempt to rescue the bill, but with his poll numbers at record lows, his appeals proved fruitless. Bush has now lost what is likely to be the last, best chance at a major domestic accomplishment for his second term."

This is good news. I am unequivocally against the Senate bill because of the excessive emphasis on enforcement, the proposed building of a hated wall along the Mexican Border, the increased penalties for violating harsh immigration rules.

I want AMNESTY for all of the undocumented immigrants, nothing less. This present bill is too mean, too harsh, too destructive of our undocumented Latinos and other foreign-speaking immigrants who have come to the United States to make a better life for themselves and for their families.