While the Senate tried to hammer out an immigration reform bill this week, McCain did manage one memorable moment on the floor when explaining why we could not simply deport all the illegal aliens already here. He said,
"We don't have 12 million pairs of handcuffs."
Wow...that's a good one. People (voters) will undoubtedly see and follow the logic in that zinger!
Personally, if I were McCain I would give my writing staff a raise at this point. By "raise" I mean sneak up behind them, place a sack over their heads, drive them to the local pack-and-ship store, have them boxed up (yes, with bubble wrap) and have them mailed some place nice like...Darfur.
Good grief, it's not that horrifying—I'd send water with them.
Oh yeah, then I would drop out of the race and try to get a real job. Again, this is the scenario as played by John McCain...so my new job would likely be with the government of Mexico...oh wait, he kind of already works there I think.
Moving on...
It has been mentioned that the Secretary of Homeland Security himself—Michael Chertoff—was making the rounds this morning trying to persuade Republican senators to back the Bush immigration bill.
Lobbying with him was Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. Now I'm not suggesting that President Bush sent a virtually unknown man with absolutely no influence as some sort of Hispanic "token" to influence certain legislators but...well, yes actually I am suggesting that is what he did.
Either way, the bill is officially gone. No amnesty this year. No reform this year.
BUT THIS IS A GOOD THING!! It would take a miracle for Congress to get anything passed before the 2008 election and that is the best we in the reform movement can hope for.
Ever since the Dems took control of Congress, VDARE.com has been saying that the best thing we can hope for (other than the passage of a bill that does round-up and deport every illegal alien in the country while simultaneously shutting off the immigration faucet across the board) is for Congress to do nothing.
We need to be patient for now and in 2008 elect politicians who are serious about immigration reform.
(As you know, VDARE.com does not endorse candidates and other such political nonsense but regarding the aforementioned folk we should elect in 2008, I don't think he hails from Arizona.)
This same exact amnesty bill was drafted by the Bush administration and literally slaughtered in the GOP-led House last year only to be resurrected and killed again in the Dem-controlled Senate this year.
A new day is coming with a new leader (possibly a new Congress?) and who knows what that will bring but one thing is certain:
It won't be another stupid Bush Amnesty Bill.
