May 18, 2006
IN A WEEK THEY'LL BE FETCHING THE NEWSPAPER AND YOUR SLIPPERS:
Senate Backs Fence, Guest-Worker Curbs: Immigration Bill Gaining Conservative Support (Jonathan Weisman, May 18, 2006, Washington Post)
The Senate voted yesterday to build 370 miles of triple-layered fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border and to block access to a new guest-worker program by lawbreaking illegal immigrants, even those guilty of misdemeanors or ignoring a deportation order.On a 83 to 16 vote, the Senate backed an amendment by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to fortify 70 miles of existing fences near San Diego and parts of Arizona and to build 300 miles of additional fencing through the Arizona desert. The amendment would also order the immediate construction of 500 miles of vehicle barriers along frontier lands identified as prime entry points for smugglers and illegal immigrants.
Senators approved another provision, 50 to 48, declaring that illegal immigrants seeking a guest-worker permit could not petition for legalization on their own, and instead must be sponsored by an employer.
The votes on the fence and the guest-worker restrictions gave new momentum to the Senate bill among conservatives, but they may further strain a coalition of immigrant rights and civil rights groups that have given Democrats political cover to back the Senate measure.
Which 60%+ of the people support they get, irrespective of the ideologues on either side. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 18, 2006 8:20 AM
Interesting watching the goalpost moving by some pundits/bloggers. I.E. "I'd be happy with the fence" is now "the fence is nice but I'm not happy with the guest worker part". Then there is the fretting that if the Senate bill gets close enough to the House bill a compromise bill will actually occur (as opposed to dying in committee and being able to complain further).
As with any legislation there will be those happy that 60% of what they want is achieved while others will be upset that 100% of what they wanted wasn't achieved.
Posted by: AWW at May 18, 2006 9:00 AMGovernance is getting to 60 and accepting that you won.
Posted by: oj at May 18, 2006 9:55 AM"When registered voters were asked which party they hoped would control the House and Senate after the midterm election, 51% picked the Democrats and 38% the GOP."
Still supporting your cause with poll numbers OJ?
NC3,
Has it ever occurred to you that all the yapping you, me, OJ, and everyone else does on any given issue argued over the media/Internet is to the sole benefit of one person...George W Bush.
And that by the time you truly figure that out, the GOP will have increased seats in Congress on Nov. 7.
Posted by: Brad S at May 18, 2006 10:54 AMKKK:
Yes, those numbers are higher than normal for the GOP among registereds.
Posted by: oj at May 18, 2006 10:57 AMThe polls these days are really wierd. For example, a strong majority thinks that the nation is on the wrong track, despite the economy. On the other hand, a strong majority thinks that their local community is on the right track. This is, in other words, exactly the wrong year to be trying to nationalize the congressional elections, which is the Democratic strategy.
People might not be happy with the national direction, but there's no big upswelling of anger directed at the local congresscritter.
Posted by: David Cohen at May 18, 2006 11:03 AMDavid,
They're all in Phoenix or Vegas, worried about their silly neighbors on ARMs who may be vacating a lot of homes, and tearing down their own property values in the process. Housing bubble, ya know.
Never mind the fact that 100k move to Phoenix and 75K move to Vegas every year, that housing bubble will be the death of the economy. And don't tell them otherwise.
Posted by: Brad S at May 18, 2006 11:12 AM