Senators Graham, McCain Check With Ted Kennedy Before Voting On Amendment!

Grand bargain? Or grand capitulation to the Sage of Chappequiddick? You make the call:

The late-night vote was on an amendment that would require illegal aliens who get legal status to have a minimum level of health insurance. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who is the chamber’s most liberal member, was — not surprisingly — opposed.

Writes Mr. Dinan: “Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona both went to check with Mr. Kennedy before casting their votes to match his. Soon after, (Arizona Republican Sen. Jon) Kyl also switched his vote to match Mr. Kennedy’s.”

The amendment was defeated.

Message to Lindsey and Johnny: It's not smart to let Ted Kennedy take the wheel!

New Strategy: The Amnesty Coalition is looking to strip out all previous amendments from the bill, in hopes of once again restoring that "grand bargain" alliance.

But this would mean the guest worker program would not only be un-sunsetted, but rise from its post-amendment 200,000 per year to its original 400,000 per year, no? Which is what the liberal pro-labor Democrats hate! (And I'm not really a fan my darn self, because I'm a bigot.)

It would also mean the eradication of Ted Kennedy's weak-sister compromise amendment on blocking amnesty from hardenend criminals (a compromise he offered in order to defeat Cornyn's much-tougher provision).

Can the bill pass while pissing off liberals (union busting! wage depressing!) and conservatives (amnesty for drunk drivers, killers!) at the same time?

Here's the nutty thing: It just might. All priorities are subordinate to the most important issue of our time: bringing people out of the shadows.

posted by Ace at 02:31 PM

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