May 21 2007
Senate Defeat Of Immigration Bill Now Less Likely
In a classic briar patch move the opposition to the Immigration Bill in the Senate delayed the final votes until after Memorial Day. Someone must of have said “don’t delay this, we need to get this throug” and the opponents believed them. Interestingly enough, this will allow tempers to chill and those overreacting to cement some rejection by the majority of Americans who back the Bill’s provisions. When the new polling is done and they show most people fine with a guest worker program (again) those challenging the Bill will lose the element of surprise and heightened emotion. A weekend of chillin’ with the families will reduce the noise level to a few hardliners and the Bill will pass. And it will also pass the House because House Reps need Bush’s clout to get their pet programs into Bills under the Dem Congress. He will horse-trade to get the 70 Reps he needs to give Pelosi her cover by promising to flex his bully pulpit. Pelosi will negotiate too so she can get something of import passed and enough Reps to cover her with the liberal fringe.. So don’t think the House will stop the Bill either.
Once what little heat from the right dies down to the low level grumbles the Bill will move. And Bush will have his signature domestic issue for his second term (tax cuts, prescription drugs through medicare/medicaid, education reform and stem cell limits being his other successes). Bush is incredibly masterful at politics. He is so far advanced few people grasp and understand how much he has accomplished and his sophistication in dealing with rogue legislatures.
I’ve refrained from the dialogue on this for the last couple days while I read everything I could read on the subject. The more I read, the more confused I get because people on both sides of the argument are making a lot of good points. Both of my Senators have come out in favor of it while my Congressman is opposed to it. Depending on how much debate is allowed, the final bill could be significantly different than the draft document that FE linked to. My biggest concern is that, if a bill finally passes, it will (a) be so watered down that it won’t accomplish anything, or (b) the positive aspects of it (from a conservative POV) won’t be enforced. I hate to sound cynical, because I’m generally a glass-half-full type of person. Maybe, for the first time in recent memory, the pols will end up doing what’s right instead of what politically expedient and beneficial, but I’m not holding my breath.
AJ: shame on my lack of spelling skills; a decade of email and WORD with “spellcheck” basically ruined what little skills I did have..
McLean; yes, lived at 1020 Dead Run Drive for two years; went to Langley HS during that time.
My younger brother went to Churchill ES, I think; on top of the hill there, does that sound right?
I haven’t been even thru there in a decade, at least..
I just had to pass this on. Here\’s a link to the whole thing
http://coastalcompanion.blogspot.com/
Dale, I too went to Langley! We should chat over email some more.
Remember History teacher “Herr Stuhl” as we called him?
Man was an unrepentent Nazi!
He was trying to tell us about the fact that the Teutonic Knights frightened off some invaders, during some distant period of German History; and I piped up and said “it wasn’t them, they caught a glimpse of one of Hitler’s ancestors, got scared, and fled…”!
Ah, that went over like a lead balloon, I was PNG in his glass after that, he ignored me…
Dale,
I was an ALP’er so I had Arnie Goldsmith for History and Government.
AJStrata
Dale,
I was an ALP’er so I had Arnie Goldsmith for History and Government.
AJStrata
AJ: I don’t remember Arnie Goldsmith; I only went to Langley for one year, even though we lived at Dead Run Drive for two years; I didn’t like Langley, and after my Junior year (75); I begged my parents to let me go back to my old High School (which no longer exists) up in McVeytown, PA; about six miles from our family farm near Lewistown, PA;so my parents let me live up at the farm, and go to school my senior year up there; I graduated in 76!, and we took our Senior School trip too……Washington DC!
Anyway, I had a Dr. Arthur Goldschmidt as my Poly Sci teacher in Penn State, in 81; but I don’t think that’s the same guy.
In fact, Stuhl is the only teacher I remember the name of, from Langley.
I had a nice Chemistry teacher, and a nice lady with salt & pepper hair and glasses, who taught my Mythology class.
Now that I think of it, I think my Trig teacher’s name was Alan Platt?
Does that ring a bell?