Common Folk Using Common Sense

This is looking less and less like legislation to protect America and more and more like a cheap circus.

Senate Democratic and Republican leaders announced on Thursday that they had agreed on a way to revive a comprehensive immigration bill that was pulled off the Senate floor seven days ago.

The majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, and the minority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said they expected the bill to return to the floor before the Fourth of July recess.

Under the agreement reached on Thursday, the Senate will consider about 22 amendments, half from Republicans and half from Democrats.

Earlier in the day, trying to start the bill moving again in the Senate, Mr. Bush called for an immediate burst of $4.4 billion in spending to show that the government was committed to “securing this border once and for all.”

Senator Johnny Isakson, Republican of Georgia, described the call for $4.4 billion as “a good start.” But Mr. Isakson said Mr. Bush needed to do more to secure the border and to show that he was serious about enforcing immigration laws.

The move to offer the “downpayment of blood money” on border and interior enforcement is nothing more than a lame attempt to quell a revolt by Americans bombarding senators with angry phone calls, e-mails and faxes. Our message: We’ve got no faith that you’ll actually enforce the law or increase border security.

Some conservative critics of the bill, however, fumed that the $4.4 billion is little more than a way to buy votes. “This is a blatant attempt by senators to extort votes so they can fast-track an amnesty plan,” said Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., chairman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus.

And comments by RINO senators on Thursday suggested that they were feeling the heat from conservative critics of the bill, who object to provisions offering legal status. The Republican whip, Trent Lott of Mississippi, who supports the bill, said: “Talk radio is running America. We have to deal with that problem.”

Huh? What does “we have to deal with that problem” mean, Heir Lott? Are you making a threat here? Do you dare raise the ire even further of conservative talk radio and the conservative blogosphere?

At some point, Mr. Lott said from his Gestapo Headquarters, Senate Republican leaders may try to rein in “younger guys who are huffing and puffing against the bill.” No, Comrade Lott, we’re huffing and puffing about this ugly Trojan Horse you keep demanding we let in the gate. Dummy.

Is extortion an impeachable offense?

A senior citizens’ group issued a study estimating more than 2 million illegal immigrants could gain nearly $1 trillion in Social Security benefits by 2040 if the bill becomes law. “We’re unequivocally certain that it’s going to have a devastating effect on the solvency of Social Security, which is already estimated to go bankrupt in 2041,” said Shannon Benton, executive director of TREA Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group that claims a membership of 1.2 million people.

Everything about this bill stunk before, and these bribes merely make the “new and improved” bill stink that much worse. Washington, are you even listening to the voters anymore?

Democrat, Republican, immigration, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Johnny Isakson, border security, amnesty, Trent Lott

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