With approval of the Democratic Congress falling below that of President Bush, Speaker Nancy Pelosi seems to think the solution is to appeal to her party’s base, “working hard to make sure that the fiery liberal wing of the Democratic Party remembers that she is one of them. She is also going out of her way to reassure opponents of the war that she is on their side.”

Despite increasing signs of initial success of the surge, the Speaker has joined her party’s leader in the Senate, Nevada’s Harry Reid in reaching the conclusion that the president’s new policy has failed.” (Via Instapundit.) It seems they have based this conclusion not on reports from Iraq — or the opinions of military experts, but on the anger of their party’s base.

“Democrats have decided not to wait” for General Petraeus’s September report on the state of the surge and instead intend to press ahead with votes to end the war. They’re not even giving the surge a chance to succeed. And they accuse conservatives of being narrow-minded. They’re the ones who’ve determined the outcome of an operation which has only just begun.

And anyway, didn’t we just go through this a few weeks ago?

This is amazing. Instead of doing their job and working on legislation which can actually win approval by both Houses — and be signed into law by the president, they are working to embarrass the president and please their increasingly angry base. I doubt that’ll improve their sagging ratings.

With the immigration bill defeated, let us hope that my party can return to its principles, promote reasonable conservative policies and so rally the base because the first six months of a Democratic majority have shown a party more eager to posture, pontificate and investigate than legislate. And I don’t think the American people want a government which kowtows to the extreme elements which have come to dominate the Democratic Party of Pelosi and Reid.

A very hearty and sincere thank you to Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) for being clear that she opposed the Kennedy-McCain-Bush-Graham Amnesty legislation from the start and consistently.    A less than hearty but still sincere thank you to Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) one of the “NO Amnesty Eight” who rose to the occasion this morning to help drive a stake in the heart of this monstrous legislative attempt to undermine America’s border security and put citizenship up for sale.

If you are a fellow North Carolinian, give a call to Sens. Dole and Burr to thank them for standing up for you today.

**Afternoon Update** — It is great to have a Congresswoman like Sue Myrick!  I used to live in Jim Moran (D-VA) who was completely useless.  Myrick is great, especially on immigration!  Here is her statement on the Amnesty Crash-N-Burn.

Today, the US Senate voted down the immigration/amnesty bill 53-46.  Prior to the vote, Rep. Myrick signed onto Secure Borders FIRST (For Integrity, Reform, Safety and anti-Terrorism) Act of 2007, which was introduced in the House today by Reps. King (R-NY) and Smith (R-TX).  This legislation would take real concrete steps to secure our borders and put an end to illegal immigration. 

“The Secure Borders FIRST Act is what Congress should pass before we consider anything else.  I have said it before, and I will say it again…if we don’t secure the borders and enforce our laws, nothing else we enact will work,” said Rep. Myrick.  “The common sense policy of ‘enforcement first’ is what the American people want, and that’s why I support this bill”.

The Secure Borders FIRST Act mandates that DHS gain operational control of all our borders within the next six years, authorizes additional border-security personnel, requires expedited removal for any illegal aliens apprehended within 100 miles of the border within two weeks of entry, and makes alien street gang members deportable and inadmissible. The bill also includes strong worksite-enforcement provisions and requires tamper-resistant biometric social security cards to minimize fraud.   

Regarding the defeat of the Senate amnesty bill, Rep. Myrick stated: “The American people killed this bill.  They want secure borders and they want our laws enforced.  It is that simple; until we know these things are done, amnesty bills will continue to fail.”

FINAL ROLL CALL ON CLOTURE

The one sane Senator left from the state of South Carolina sums up my feelings after this political disaster given to us by President Bush, John McCain, Harry Reid and Lucy Lindsey Graham.

“When the U.S. Senate brought the Amnesty bill back up this week, they declared war on the American people. This act created a crisis of confidence in their government. Thankfully, the American people won today,” said Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC).

“This is remarkable because it shows that Americans are engaged and they care deeply about their country. They care enough for their country to get mad and to fight for it, and that’s the most important thing of all. Americans made phone calls and sent letters, and convinced the Senate to stop this bill.”

“The Senate rejected this bill and the heavy-handed tactics used to ram it through.   Americans do not want more of the same – amnesty and broken promises on the border.   Americans want legislation to be written in public – not in secret – and they want Congress to engage in an open and fair debate.”

“There is a better way forward without this bill. The President has said that the border security measures can be implemented over the next 18 months, and they can be done under current law.  Now the Administration needs to prove it and stop holding border security hostage for amnesty.”

“Once we have secured the border and restored trust with the American people, we can begin to take additional steps.”

For today, at least… We, The People have reclaimed our role.  There is much more work to do in order to fully restore our place in this Republic.

In closing…. I hereby nominate Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) for Senate Minority Leader!

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Why is it that the most common sense approach to grappling with the immigration problem that I’ve seen comes from a RedState blogger… and not a Senator or the teeming Senate staff that buzz around writing “clay pigeons” in the dark of night?  Maybe it is because sometimes (if not all the time) We, The People “get it”.

We Want Latinos In The GOP – St. Louis Conservative at RedState.com

While I agree that this bill is not a good one and shouldn’t become law, we need to tone down the rhetoric and instead propose our own, principled bill that will work. I propose:

1. Secure the border and institute tamper proof employer emforcement provisions with REAL ID.

2. Offer a period for illegals to come forward and declare that they are here. Those with no criminal background and solid work history can apply for a probationary visa. If they elect to pursue citizenship, they can reapply for their visa when it expires without going home. There would then be a significant time period and several hurdles to pass through to eventually become citizens. Those who don’t elect to pursue citizenship can receive a probationary visa (if they are law-abiding and are gainfully employed), but it is temporary and they must “touch back” every few years or so. Further, make English the national language and make learning it a requirement for a green card or citizenship.

3. Introduce a merit system that encourages high-skilled and highly-educated immigration and puts those immigrants on a fast track.

4. Institute a guest worker program for low-skilled labor needs such as agriculture.

It’s funny to me that the same people who say that people who are against this bill are “anti-Hispanic” also say that these Hispanics are here doing jobs “Americans won’t do”. That, to me, is the height of racism, for by that statement, they basically say that these are crappy jobs and we need second-class citizens (the Hispanics) to do them. I LIKE Hispanic people, and I want them to come here and be upwardly mobile, not relegated to cleaning bathrooms all their life. Yet that is what this bill encourages. It’s not right, and it doesn’t benefit Hispanics in the long term.

Well, this can’t possibly work — it is common sense and simple.  No wonder no one in Washington, DC came up with it!

St. Louis Conservative argues his approach is good policy because it is good politics — bringing Hispanics into the GOP.  Frankly, I could care less about the political argument.  I think St. Louis Con’s approach is good — because it is the right thing to do!

**Amnesty Watch GP programming note**  I’ll be waiting stranded punished on a US Airways flight back to Charlotte this morning.  So I won’t be able to catch up on the cloture vote until it is probably over.   Please use this space to keep each other up-to-date on the vote.   And someone please tell me how Sen. Richard John Kerry Burr votes!

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

If I were not working on two short papers and revising my dissertation concept paper for school, I might have more to say on the Immigration Debate in the Senate–and other matters. But, before I go to bed, I do want to offer a few thoughts on the process of trying to pass this ball and explain (a bit) my opposition.

As I said earlier (in an update to one of Bruce’s posts), I don’t oppose the bill with his vehemence. But, while I think it offers a few good reforms, I oppose the bill in its present form, primary for the reason I articulated in my post on its apparent defeat earlier this month. The bill is a mess and should be divided up into his component parts, with the first component being a bill to close and secure the border. Until that happens, se shouldn’t even consider “amnesty” or its equivalent.

The latest debate confirms what a mess this proposal is. Captain Ed noted that members only got the bill at about 2PM on Wednesday and now “have to decide whether they want to close off debate on a 400-page bill that they’ve had for less than 24 hours to review.” And it appears that there are errors in the actual bill, while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seemed determined to have his massive “Clay Pigeon” Amendment debated “without the Republicans seeing the language.” When Senate “Republicans objected to waiving the reading of the bill. . . [,] the Senate Clerk had nothing to read.” (H/t: Captain Ed.)

Simply put, on a subject of this magnitude, backers of the legislation should have made available a reliable version of the legislation, long before the debate even began, allowing Senators time to return to their respective states to discuss its provisions with their constituents.

I’m not as irate as some are at those who voted Tuesday to bring the bill back to the floor. Maybe some of the Senators who voted in favor of debating this controversial bill thought its flaws could be mitigated by amendment. Because there are some good aspects to this bill.

But, to end debate with some good amendments defeated and others not to be considered on their own merits, means considering too complicated a bill in too compressed a time frame.

The bill’s good components notwithstanding, I hope Senators will have the sense to vote against cloture on this bill. It’s too important an issue for such a hurried piece of legislation.

-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com