Frist To Bring 700 Mile Border Security Fence For Up-And-Down Vote

It's not everything. And 700 miles isn't all that long. But it's something.

And the conservative base's preferred policy -- security first, and only after the border is secured any debate about amnesty or a "path to citizenship" -- seems to have been heard by the Senate leadership.

Frist's blog/press release site:

"Border security is the essential first step of any effort to enact immigration reform. Only when we have convinced the American people of our commitment to securing our borders will we be able reach a consensus on comprehensive immigration reform. Tonight, I filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the Secure Fence Act of 2006 which will authorize the construction of physical barriers and deploy state-of-the-art technology to secure our border.�

The Secure Fence Act of 2006:

· Authorizes over 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing along the southwest border with prioritized placement at critical, highly populated areas and requiring an evaluation of infrastructure needs along the northern border;

· Mandates that DHS achieve and maintain operational control over the entire border through a “virtual fence� that deploys cameras, ground sensors, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and integrated surveillance technology...

You revolted; they backed down. Democracy works. They're afraid of you, and that's a pretty good thing. From Harriet Miers to immigration to spending reform, the conservative base has whipsawed the wayward GOP back into something at least resembling conservative positions.

I guarantee you you won't have that kind of influence with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

I don't know if this will pass. I do know that this is popular with the American people, and any who take a stand against this are putting their electoral fortunes at risk.

I hope John McCain opposes it. I really do. Let the mask be pulled from his face and let the American public see him as the out-of-touch, liberal-leaning politically grandstanding and morally preening peacock he is.

Via Kausfiles, which notes that the New York Times and rest of the mainstream "respectable" media has been saying for weeks that any immigration legislation was dead, dead, dead, and the crazy rightwing Washington Times has been one of the few newspapers saying "It's not quite dead yet."

posted by Ace at 12:49 PM

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