Hutchinson, Webb Amendments Fail

The Hutchinson amendment wasn't expected to pass. It was a dopey "touchback" requirement that all adult illegals return to their home countries in order to get amnesty.

The Senate spends so much time on versions of this idiotic "touchback" requirement, as if the public has a fever and the only cure is more touchback. They keep selling this as that which proves this is not amnesty. If a meaningless annoyance makes it not amnesty, why not just make them juggle oranges and walk on their hands instead?

In any event, the amendment was tabled by a vote of 53-45. Wow, look at those 45 brave souls willing to vote for a meaningless fart of an amendment in order to be on record as being "anti-amnesty." Later the Senate will take up the Kyl-Graham amendment, a less "onerous" version of the Hutchinson amendment, which requires visa-seekers to return home... within three years of applying. And by gum, that amendment is expected to be crucial, because, see, it proves this bill isn't amnesty!

It should be noted that as stupid as that amendment is, if Democrats can somehow find the cajones to defeat that too as "too onerous" on illegals, we could see some Republicans voting against cloture... because then they wouldn't have the "cover" of this bill. It's all so stupid -- no one is impressed that this amendment makes this not-amnesty, but somehow they're all under this delusion that we're just that stupid.

So, at least, if they are stripped of that delusion, the bill's future is dicier.

Webb's amendment would have limited to amnesty to those who can prove they've been living here four years or more, while eliminating the touchback requirement. It was roundly defeated, and Webb claims that he can't support the bill without his pet amendment.

Does that mean he'll actually work to stop it and vote against cloture, or just play the game of voting against the bill when it's guaranteed to pass? Allah isn't optimistic.

And, gee willickers, it turns out that Grand Bargaineer Lindsay Graham won't support his own stupid bill if his new "really, this isn't amnesty; we make them take the bus back to Mexico for a day (but within three years)!" amendment won't pass. Yeah, that's right, Lindsay Graham has deciced the touchback is a critical not-an-amnesty amendment (although it wasn't before) and is talking tough about not voting for the bill if he doesn't get his fig-leaf of cover.

Alternate strategy: Adopt Spanish accents, begin calling liberal Democrats and telling them the Kyl-Graham amendment is far too cruel to be acceptable.

posted by Ace at 02:06 PM

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