Immigration Day

Sorry for the delay, adjusting to a new schedule.

So the battered and bruised immigration bill has another day in the Senate, and they'll try to move debate forward and then work through a pile of amendments before a final vote. Chances of passage are slim, if you ask me. But it's nice to know that the Republicans are bringing in the most genteel of supporters to help craft this legislation:

Conservative talk radio's impact on the immigration debate reached new heights last week, with one host effectively writing an amendment for when the Senate returns to the imperiled bill this week [...]

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., the key conservative negotiator behind the compromise bill, told reporters Friday that California-based radio host Hugh Hewitt "had several ideas" that "we are trying to include" in amendments to be offered in an upcoming series of crucial votes.

Hewitt, a conservative who has criticized many aspects of the bill, had Kyl as a guest on Thursday and asked: "Does the bill provide for any separate treatment of aliens, illegal aliens from countries of special concern?"

Kyl replied: "It's going to, as a result of your lobbying efforts to me."

Hugh Hewitt, a guy with about as much logic as Baghdad Bob when it comes to denying the realities of America, is writing immigration legislation in this country. We'll see if it finds a positive hearing on the Hill.

This bill is going to result in such draconian measures for immigrants that even the AFL-CIO has turned against it. And the temporary worker program should be completely eliminated. Trent Lott has said that, if we dont pass anything now, we'd have to wait until 2009, and "who knows who'll be President then." It's a gamble I may be willing to take.

UPDATE: They just voted to proceed on the bill, but there will be plenty of poison pills along the way.