Deal Down The death of the grand immigration compromise.

NRO ^ | June 29, 2009 | Jim Geraghty

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

In a truly roundabout way, the immigration deal was sunk by John McCain. .... Reid and bill backers found themselves one vote short of the 50 needed to dismiss Baucus’s amendment. There were two senators missing: Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota, still recovering from brain surgery, and McCain, out of town at a fundraising event.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

Before this happened, I was wondering if one of the pro-amnesty POTUS hopefuls (McCain,Hillary,Obama,Biden,Edwards) would be absent when really needed.

I don't quite understand the 50 vote requirement. The motion to table the Baucus amentment failed 52-45.

However it happened, it's ironic that McCain's delusion that he is not 2008 roadkill played a key part in the failure of amnesty. God moves in mysterious, and sometimes ironically appropriate, ways.

[picard]

McCain's delusion that he is not 2008 roadkill

He has as much chance of becoming President as that sissy boy Edwards. He'll even be lucky to remain a Senator.

[Snoopers-868th]

My understanding is it did not fail. The bills that were tabled failed—they were dead. Bacus bill was not dead and they had to open regular business and debate that amendment. My guess is that opening regular business to debate would have brought on filibuster or it may have been outside of the purview of the Clay Pigeon procedure.

[Greg F]

McCain, out of town at a fundraising event.

So McCain blew his small chance at getting the nomination by supporting the amnesty and then blew the opportunity to pass the amnesty by being absent for a vote on one of the amendments to it. Wrong and incompetent. Just what America needs. Run a primary challenge against this guy Arizona.

[Steve_Stifler]

The article mentions the unavailability of Senator Johnson helped doom the immigration bill. Just made me wonder exactly how South Dakotans are viewing their lack of representation in Washington during critical moments like the immigration debate. Sen. Thune was out leading the charge against it while Johnson . . . ? Has anyone even seen or interviewed the guy since he went to the undisclosed rehab center?

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>My understanding is it did not fail.<<

Agree. I said “The motion to table the Baucus amentment failed.”

>>My guess is that opening regular business to debate would have brought on filibuster or it may have been outside of the purview of the Clay Pigeon procedure.<<

That sounds right.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Demand a border fence! Build it NOW!! Beef up the border patrol and close our borders!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Toll free to the US Senate:

1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)

Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!

[Farmer Dean]

Is Tim Johnson ever going to make a public appearence so we can judge his recovery?Or is he in a vegatative state and the Dems are just holding his seat?

[bcsco]

This is a ping list promoting Immigration Enforcement and Congressional Reform.
If you wish to be added or removed from this ping list, please contact me.

McCain inadvertently torpedoes the (his!) Immigration Bill? Oh, this is too rich.

[Cicero]

There’s a fascinating throw-away comment toward the end of the article by an unnamed staffer:

“Usually all it takes to stop the leadership from backing a bill is for [moderate Maine Senators Olympia ]Snowe or [Susan] Collins to sneeze. On this one, more than half the conference opposes it and the leadership throws us under the bus.”

Hmm. How many bills went down by one vote because the “leadership” didn’t twist any arms? Why is destroying our country by complete scorn for enforcing the law or protecting our borders so much more important than any other bill that has come up in the past six years? More important than extending the tax cuts? More important than drilling for Alaskan oil? More important than easing regulations on refineries and offshore drilling? More important than . . . you get the picture.

Pretty ugly.

[henkster]

Wow. Bismarck is proven right again.

“There are two things you should never watch being made: Sausage and laws.”

[KarlInOhio]

“There are two things you should never watch being made: Sausage and laws.”

I feel better about watching sausages. Many fewer rats' anuses are used in it.

[henkster]

Rats’ anuses used in it, or rats’ anuses making it?

[expatpat]

Perhaps the real hidden agenda of Karl Rove was to get a national ID card and stop voter fraud by the ‘rats.

[3niner]

Why is destroying our country by complete scorn for enforcing the law or protecting our borders so much more important than any other bill that has come up in the past six years?

My guess is that a LOT of politicians have been bribed. No doubt most of them were bribed legally, after all politicians have always made sure that there are ways for people to give them money.

Still, the only thing that makes sense is to follow the money. When there's such a big disconnect between what their constituents want, and what they are doing, there must be a lot of money involved.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

>>Perhaps the real hidden agenda of Karl Rove was to get a national ID card and stop voter fraud by the ‘rats.<<

Why do we need new legislation for that? They already passed the Real ID act.

Karl?

[Cicero]

I’m not sure if it would help to get rid of ten million dead Democrat voters and collect a hundred million new immigrant voters for them instead.

If Bush had really, really pushed voter ID and cleaning up the polls the way he tried to push amnesty, he could have done it that way. Instead, he never even tried.

[indcons]

Thanks for the ping to a fascinating read.