This huge grassroots victory demonstrates that good government is possible and common sense can prevail – if you’re willing to work for it:
A immigration bill to legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully failed a crucial vote Thursday. Senate majority leader Harry Reid withdrew the bill afterwards — spelling its defeat for the year.
Despite what the left will say, loudly over the next few days, Americans are not opposed to immigration. The defeat of this bill has everything to do with bad government. You can’t cut the American people out of this discussion. You can’t re-weave the fabric of our society without our participation. You can’t limit our ability to work and provide for our families by flooding the market with the cheap labor desired by your donors. You can’t undermine our security – not now. You quite simply can not govern like this and get away with it.
It’s my sincere hope that the lessons learned from this failed measure will result in meaningful immigration reform that’s good for Americans, provides a sensible path to citizenship for those who play by the rules, and institutes a reasonable guest worker program for those who may not have come here legally but are otherwise acting in good faith. This bill did not do that.
Bloggers React:
Michelle Malkin
As annoying as Reid’s refrain was, he is right: This was the president’s bill. This was the monstrous sham that President Bush tried to ram through the Senate with his pal Teddy Kennedy–subverting the committee process, attempting to cram it in before the Memorial Day holiday, rushing to limit debate, and then complaining about delays. This was the bill President Bush sent conservative-bashing bureaucrats like DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff to peddle on CNN. This was the bill President Bush championed while deriding critics as fearful bigots and running away from building the fence he promised to build.
Don Surber
Let the Republican Revolution begin!
Insomnomaniac
And predictably, instead of giving credit to the PEOPLE of this country who shouted from the rooftops that WE DIDN’T WANT IT, the whiners in D.C. (Bush included) are blaming Rush Limbaugh and talk radio.
GayConservative.org
Bush needs to give us a real proposed bill with true conservative American interpretation.
American Pundit
It’s over – Democrats have withdrawn the amnesty bill from the Senate floor. They say it will be gone back to in the future, but for now it’s dead. Reid gives the Senate some pity-party talk, going as far as saying his feelings are hurt. He basically says that he was shocked that the Democrats, in control of the Senate, couldn’t get enough votes.
Captain’s Quarter’s
Last update, I think. Harry Reid talked about how he gave the bill lots and lots of time, but the Republicans wanted too many amendments and too much time from the busy legislative schedule. Hmm. Funny about that. Isn’t this the same Democratic leadership that took 108 days just to pass a spending bill for our troops in Iraq? How many weeks is that? I’ll help — over 15 weeks. That’s 7 times longer than Reid wanted to give a historic overhaul of our immigration system.
Ace of Spades HQ
O poor Harry Reid
Unable to pull this coup
please kiss my beautiful round American ass, douchebag
GayPatriot
Be proud America, you have rallied in the face of the obstinate political elites in Washington who have forgotten us. A defeat for President Bush? Yup, who cares. Biggest loser: John McCain. Pack it up, bro… you are done. Thanks to everyone who got involved and called their Senators in the past few weeks.
Hugh Hewitt
As far as the putative Republican crack-up is concerned, allow me to offer a dissenting theory. I have never seen the Republican Party more united than in its hatred for this bill. On one side you have George Bush, Lindsey Graham, Trent Lott and John McCain. On the other side, you have virtually every other Republican in America save the Wall Street Journal editorial board. 30 million people united against roughly 13 individuals – when you think about it, that’s pretty good unity.
NewsBusters
ABC’s Charles Gibson fretted Thursday night over the likely impending demise of the “landmark” immigration deal as George Stephanopoulos blamed conservatives and on NBC Chip Reid faulted “extremes on the left and the right.”
The Jawa Report
Congress’s shameful attempt to ram down our throats an unpopular bill legalizing tens of millions of borderjumpers and adding them to the welfare rolls and public dole, has been defeated.
Right Wing News
I also asked my source why he thought so many Republicans had been supporting such an incredibly unpopular bill. He gave three reasons: First off, there was what he referred to as the “Rovian School of thought,” which says that passing this bill would capture the Hispanic vote for the GOP for decades to come. Next up, there’s the “Chamber of Commerce” vote. He says these Republicans were heavily influenced by business groups that want cheap labor no matter what the cost is for the rest of the country. Then there was the last group, the smallest group in his opinion, who were willing to sign onto a terrible bill just so they could say they were part of a big reform that had bipartisan support.
Mac’s Mind
Yet even so this bill had far more problems than it offered solutions. But I believe that what may come out of this disaster will be a far more realistic and doable bill, and not one that was drawn up in haste.
Digger’s Realm
This bill was the worst piece of legislation to come down the Senate pipe in years and the fact that it was hidden under covers and then revealed so quickly in order to try and screw over the American people is evidence enough of that.
