Did St. Barack vote for cloture, to end debate on a bill that was drafted in secret and not subject to the usual hearings?

If so, how can this vote be squared with the New Messiah's calls for more open government, for a more open legislative process?

While a few Democrats like Sens. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Matt Baucus of Montana voted against reconsidering the controversial legislation, the vast majority of Democrats and enough Republicans banded together to push the vote beyond the 60 needed to take up the bill again.

It is mostly the Democrats who favor amnesty. Their Hate America agenda takes precedence over their supposed pro-workingman agenda.

Someone explain to me how a flood of low-wage immigrants is beneficial to the American working class.

This is where I look to see who and how they voted.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00228

If your big labor, then check your Senator.
If your big business, check your Senator.

It's unfortunate this "immigration bill", is a lie for "illegal/amnesty."

If your sick of being told, "you don't understand", then contact your Senator.

RNC Bruce,

It must make you crazy that your dear leader Dubya has made this legislation a "priroarity."

Between immigration, Iraq, GonzoGate, Darth "4th Branch" Cheney. your chances in '08 probably won't do as well as you predicted for '06.

Bravo.

The bill is an indemnification to the civil liberties of a growing nation. Government = People. A positive plus for the future of this great nation. America...

S. Sherman,

You fit right in with the wingnuts who post here.

Why do you keep avoiding the fact that this legislation would be dead if Dubya hadn't gone to the Hill and pushed it?

It is mostly the Democrats who favor amnesty. Their Hate America agenda takes precedence over their supposed pro-workingman agenda.
Posted by: S. Sherman | June 26, 2007 1:25 PM

While I differ with democrats on this issue...I have to say that it would take a bonehead to make a statement like this. Your frickin republican president supports this? Put down the pom-poms and deal with the issues.

Bruce-

This was a vote to PROCEED to debate the immigration bill.

The cloture was end debate on the motion to debate the entire bill.

Without cloture the debate on the immigration bill would not take place.

You've got it backwards yet again.

Who is kidding who? The likes of Kennedy, Reid, etc., just want to perpetuate the democratic party for years into the future. It will no longer be a two party system because most of the ILLEGAL immigrants will vote democratic. Simple solution, fine or jail employers who hire them and see how fast the problem with them will go away. Ray Gorak

Hmmm, so only a couple of Democratic sentors voted no, to end cloture. Most Republican senators voted no. So, Leftwing Loons, please tell me how this is ONLY a Bush and Republican effort? And I know some Lefties are against this immigration bill, but the vast majority of you are for it. Hey, that puts you Bush haters on the same side as President Bush!!! Think about that, some Bush haters are on the same side of an issue as the man they hate most in this world, well maybe slightly less than Cheney.
If you need some cyanide to relieve the convulsions of being on the same side as Bush, by all means seek some out!

As is par for the course, the two resident Swamp wingnuts (Bruce, Sherman) blame the Dems for this bill while failing to mention that it is their REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT who is pushing this bill.

"Stupid is, as stupid does"

Bill is a bit convoluted, but what is wrong with offering a place in line for hard working immigrants to eventually get a green card?
Current immigration policy would never allow for most of the illegals to ever gain this status legally. Either fix immigration law and quotas to allow hard working, otherwise law abiding immigrants an opportunity to get in line for a green card and pay taxes or continue to have hundreds every day come in below our radar.

The bill that wouldn't die- Where is the wall that WE all have already paid for? Oh there it is- it is back in the bill, our benevolent congress has included $4.4B to "give" us the wall again! thank you! thank you! thank you! Enough politics and melodramatic handwringing "they are wonderful hardworking people.." smoke and mirrors rhetoric. WE ALL work too hard to have this scam pulled on us! Our government owes us.. 1. Enforce existing laws. 2. Spend our money the way it was intended. THEN if their is time left in their 30 week year, OUR government can spend their time with rediculous bills like this.

what exactly is a "priroarity?" I know of priorities...is this something different?

I support the immigration bill.

My arguments are:

1.The bill contains provisions of putting an end to illegal immigration: employer will be forced to check status of employee, law enforcment agencies will be able to go directly after people who overstayed visas (who are a lot right now) and law-breakers will never be allowed in the country (which currently can return after 2 or 5 yrs).

2. current immigrants will be accounted for and they will contribute to the budget. Also being legal means they will not have to accept lower wages. This will result in an overall increase in living/economic standars.

3.foreign policy - USA will demonstrate it is resolute to taking a stand to one of the biggest problems in the world today in a time that it needs as much international clout as possible.

I will never vote for anyone who voted for amnesty for illegal aliens.

I'll be happy to accord Pres. Bush his share of the blame for this bill, along with the majority of Senate Democrats such as Teddy "the Swimmer" Kennedy, Land-deal Harry Reid and St. Barack.

St. Barack DID vote for cloture, which is by definition the cutting off of debate. On a bill that was drafted in secret, on a bill that the Senate Dem leadership censored hearings on, on a bill the Senate Dem leadership will only allow selected amendments to. The procedure by which this bill is coming to the floor violates every rule of fairness and openness St. Barack has endorsed.

But we all know that Obama's a "say one thing but do another" hypocrite on this as well as many other issues.

What's the problem, do we not realize that they came here illegal! They want you to feel sorry for them because their families get seperated once they are caught. They knew this before they started having children in the U.S. Why not just let everyone one from all over enter the state? They will change their minds once a ship from Africa arrives!

I'm sick and tired of hearing that these illegals are "only doing jobs that Americans won't do. Why don't we stop sending out all these welfare checks, food stamps and housing subsidies because "jobs that Americans won't do and a welfare state should not co-exist!!

Our government just thumbed their noses at approximately 80% of the American people. They aren't out of touch with us, they just DON"T CARE about anything but power and they only represent the top 20% of Americans who can help them keep it, along with the millions of illegals whom they think will vote for them. With Independence Day just around the corner, I hope we will all do as some are suggesting and go down to the court house tomorrow to register as an Independant.

Wow! So much for democracy in America. 80% of US citizens opposes this bill, yet the Senate is still trying to push this thing through! Whatever happened to representation?

I'm really scared for the U.S. This current administration and Congress (Both Republicans and Democrats) is looking like a Soviet block puppet state of some sort. All they care about are themselves and their "power base".

LET'S WAKE UP AMERICA AND TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK!!!!

Travis,

A "Priroarity" is a word to be found after "Nucular" in the Diction of Dubya.

A dictionary that keeps on giving.

The bill is one great big lie. Illegal aliens will continue to come at an even faster pace. There will be very little policing of employers. There will be only a token part of a wall built. We do not have the ability or the will to actually enforce the restrictions in the bill.

Doug,
Why do you keep avoiding the fact that this legislation would be dead if Dubya hadn't gone to the Hill and pushed it?

Keep avoiding? I have said it repeatedly. Bush is dead wrong on this.

But why do you keep avoiding the fact that it is mostly Democrats who support it?

Even in the unlikely event this bill passes the Senate, it is still in for a lot of trouble in the House of Representatives. The Senate passed at least two prior bills of the same sort over the last three years. They all died in the House of Representatives. That is where the real battle will be.

I can almost guarantee, however, that even if the bill makes it out of the House and Senate, and even if the President signs it into law - there will a large, popular backlash. There will be a subsequent move to have the law repealed and to have those who voted for it removed from office. We might even see yet another political party rise up from popular discontent with Congress and the President. There have already been significant defections among politicians and voters from the two party system. It should be very interesting to see what then next six months bring.

John E:

The Democratic Party doesn't get to swerve to miss the bullet on this one. Democrats are behind this bill too. Harry Reid is the official sponsor, and Teddy Kennedy is one of the authors. So, yes, Duh'ya pushed it, but the Democrats are rootin' for it too.

Everybody's dirty this time. A pox on both their houses.

S. Sherman,

This bill was dead until Dubya went to Capitol Hill and ressurected it from the political graveyard.

That is a fact.

Good work:

Take a moment to look at the United States and its recent history - without wearing your rose colored glasses.

We had a law like this before, and it failed. Back in 1986 Congress passed, and the President signed, an "amnesty" bill with a path for citizenship for about 4 million illegal aliens. Many, but not all, of them signed up for the program. That bill had a provision obliging the U.S. government to police the border to interdict further illegal immigration.

It failed. In fact, it failed so miserably that we now have 12 to 20 million illegal aliens now in the country. Even according to Democrat and former N.Y.C. Mayor Ed Koch, the 1986 law encouraged more illegal immigration, and did nothing to solve the problem.

I suppose if nothing had been tried or failed, one might be as optimistic as you are about the bill’s prospect of solving our problems. Now, however, a lot of people have no faith in the government's ability to enforce its own laws, or to bring the matter under control. This is why many believe more laws are not the answer. Perhaps, in a few years, if the federal government actually demonstrates its commitment to enforcing our immigration laws – instead of just talking about enforcement – the American public might favor such a law. But I don’t think the majority are there yet.

It's your democratic senator that wrote the bill.

Doogie, sorry the bill was not dead and was not only revived because Bush went to Capitol Hill. I'm not saying it didn't play a role, but if Bush is as weak as all you folks keep saying he is and the folks have been e-mailing and calling their senators to vote against this bill, then what happened? Really, you and your brethren keep saying how weak Bush is and how washed up the GOP is. Now, you're saying Bush is strong enough to revive it by appearing at Capitol Hill. So, which is it?
While Bush is for it, the fact is that the Democratic Senate contingent is nearly unanimously behind it. Otherwise, and Dems are in charge of the Senate, this bill would be truly dead!
In other words, it's your party and your two Illinois senators who are behind it!

Doug,
This bill was dead until Dubya went to Capitol Hill and ressurected it from the political graveyard.

Yes, I think I have agreed to that 3 times now. However, it was mostly Democrats who voted for it, a fact that you seem reluctant to come to grips with.

The Dems are stabbing their working class constituency - particularly their black constituency - in the back

Yes, I think I have agreed to that 3 times now. However, it was mostly Democrats who voted for it, a fact that you seem reluctant to come to grips with.

The Dems are stabbing their working class constituency - particularly their black constituency - in the back

Posted by: S. Sherman | June 26, 2007 11:18 PM

Sherman...I can come to grips with the fact that I hold a different opinion on immigration than that of the democrats. However, to make this a democratic "only" problem carries no weight. I know you have agreed 3 times now but each time you come back laying the blame at the feet of the democrats. He is the POTUS for crying out loud. Put down the pom-poms and say this is an issue ALL of us need to resolve.