Lets start with a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who called and emailed and faxed these Senators relentlessly.
The fight is not over by a long shot. First Reid is promising to bring this back, then again, he rarely keeps his promises, so who knows. Secondly, we still need to stay on our representatives to get them to SECURE THE BORDERS and to ENFORCE OUR CURRENT LAWS.
Here is Fred Thompson's reaction to todays victory for America.
Now, straight to the reactons on the web from the MSM and bloggers.
The Hill:
46-53, immigration bill goes down in defeat
The comprehensive immigration reform bill that has dodged attacks from the left and right for weeks, survived “poison pill” amendments, and was once pulled from the Senate schedule failed its most important test Thursday. Passage of the legislation now appears unlikely.
The bipartisan coalition that had shepherded the measure through so many obstacles failed to get the 60 votes necessary to end debate. The final vote was 46-53
Sen. Jim DeMint's words were right on target:
Republican foes of the measure argued that the American public was broadly united in opposition to the bill and had made its views known by flooding Congress with phone calls and e-mails.
“What part of ‘no’ don’t we understand?,” asked Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who said the immigration fight had “reengaged the American people.”
Wapo next:
Senate Hands Down a Major Defeat on Immigration Bill
The most dramatic overhaul of the nation's immigration laws in a generation was trounced this morning by a bipartisan filibuster, with the political right and left overwhelming a coalition of Republicans and Democrats who had been seeking compromise on one of the most difficult social and economic issues facing the country.
The 46-53 tally fell dramatically short of the 60 votes needed to overcome opponents' dilatory tactics and parliamentary maneuvers that have dogged the bill for weeks.
The failure marked the second time in a month the bill was pulled from the Senate floor, and this time, Democratic leaders of the Senate indicated it would not be back.
This must have been prewritten and the tally added later because Baghdad Reid said on the floor, after the vote, he would try to bring it back.... he is obviously a slowwwwwww learner and must love getting spanked publicly.
CNN:
Another Republican opponent of the bill, Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, said the vote sent a crystal clear message "that the American people want us to start with enforcement, both at the border and at the workplace, and don't want promises. They want action, they want results, they want proof, because they've heard all the promises before."
Sessions said there would be "no permanent hard feelings over this among the people who wanted to pass a bill they thought would help America."
Backers of the bill, Sessions said, were simply "trying to work a compromise to pass something" and called on members "next time" to pass legislation that "will work."
The controversial bill won support and derision from both sides of the political aisle. Those voting in favor included 12 Republicans. Sixteen Democrats voted against it and 18 senators switched their votes from an earlier vote on the bill on Tuesday.
Those who voted "no" included three Democratic freshman -- Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana and Virginia Sen. Jim Webb -- who won close races last year against conservative Republicans.
ABC News:
Immigration Reform Bill Dies in Senate
"This immigration bill has become a war between the American people and their government," said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., one of the bill's chief opponents. "This vote today is really not about immigration. It's about whether or not we're going to listen to the American people and realize that we need to proceed more carefully in a more sensitive manner and appear to be listening to the concerns of the American people."
Captain Ed asks "What Now"? and he is right, we still have quite a bit of work to be done.
So what should happen now? The problems of immigration did not disappear with the failure of the cloture vote a few moments ago. Congress needs to act to resolve them -- but they need to do so in a manner that respects the processes of representative democracy, and in a manner that builds the confidence of Americans rather than fuel their cynicism.
They need to address border security and visa-program problems immediately. Congress has left these problems simmering for over 21 years. Their failure to address the issue over two decades has demonstrated that Washington does not consider those issues a very high priority, and the Senate's insistence on tying them to normalization underscores that. Poll after poll shows that Americans don't believe Congress when it says it will do something -- and so Congress needs to demonstrate their competence first before we take a flyer on creating another vast bureaucratic nightmare.
24th State has some suggestions also:
1) Fix the Backlog: Hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants who have played by the rules are waiting to emigrate to the US, but lack the background checks to do so. The Bush Administration should put resources into
2) Increase Legal Immigration: We are a nation of immigrants - the hope of the world. Let's work to improve the flow of legal immigration to this country, allowing those who want to assimilate, to take our values and make them their own, come here for a better life. If Republicans are smart, they will work to improve in small measures the ability of legal immigrants to come here.
3) Secure the Borders: Build the fence. Improve security. Beef up the Border Patrol. Stop allowing Mexican drug runners and paramilitary to shoot at our agents with impunity. A nation that cannot control its borders, cannot survive.
4) Crack down on Business employing illegal aliens. We know who they are, and it's not particularly hard to find them, if there is a will. Find the most egregious abusers, and raid them, the same way the government does every time it wants to be seen as tough on enforcement. Build the systems to verify Social Security numbers.
5) Reach out to the immigrants that are here legally and assimilate them. Make English a requirement. Work to improve the lives of the people are here and get them to understand that being American is not a geographical statement, but a values-based statement.
6) Deport those who preach sedition and revolution. If you want to reclaim California and Arizona for Mexico, you don't belong in my country.
7) Find criminals and deport them.
7) Hold the Mexican government accountable. Let's not allow Mexican diplomats the satisfaction of helping Mexican citizens sue the Border Patrol for trying to stop illegal immigration. Someone needs to sit down our southern friends and say, "No More Nonsense."
Macsmind:
Let’s not feel sad, this bill was a disaster and in the end the people’s will reined:
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: Is celebrating.
THIS, my friends and LCs, is when the Empire DANCES!
And, we might add, so does the humping robot.
We’ll be putting up the Roll of Shame™ naming the 46 that need to be out of a job at the earliest opportunity later.
For now, however, we’ve got some Happy Dancing™ to do. Nekkid, in the rain…
YEEE-HAWWWW!
Wapo points out how McCain's stance on this issue, despite the American peoples opposition to this bad bill, has hurt him politically, and since I am now in ARIZONA, as a voter let me assure you, IT HAS.
And even they concede that, this time, it's costing him dearly.
"From a political perspective, having a candidate that takes on all the tough issues is not always the most politically expedient thing to do," said David Roederer, the chairman of McCain's campaign in Iowa. Asked what he would like to see happen on immigration, Roederer laughed and said: "Wind the clock back and forget that this issue ever came up?"
That sentiment is common among many of McCain's most ardent supporters, who admire his guts but worry about the political toll the debate is taking on their candidate.
Once seen as the inevitable Republican presidential front-runner, McCain is sinking in the polls, particularly in the all-important early-primary states. On conservative talk radio, he is lumped together with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and derided endlessly. His stance on immigration is making life ever more difficult for his fundraisers. He is expected to again lag behind rivals in money raised when the quarter ends on Saturday.
He can forget about his presidential aspirations. They died with this bill's death, if they weren't dead before it.
Party, do a victory dance, enjoy hearing the bills proponents whine, but REMEMBER, we still have laws not being enforced and we still have borders that need to be secured, so although everyone that worked so hard to see to it that our Senators heard us loud and clear, deserve time to celebrate, there is still alot of work to be done.
Woman Honor Thyself is partying with us!!!!!!
Never say DIE.
A true victory for America my sweet friends.p.s. Harry Reid is “disheartened”. Boo-frikken-Hoo.
Now Now, this wouldn't be a proper "reaction" post if I didn't show you some whining from the left, now would it?
DeMint has his reaction up at his page> (Hat Tip to Michelle Malkin)
June 28th, 2007 - Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) made the following statement after the Senate immigration bill was defeated on a cloture vote of 46-53. This motion to end debate required 60 votes for adoption.
“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 DeMint. “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.”
Stop The ACLU weighs in:
According to Sen. Jeff Sessions the Sgt at Arms of the Senate informed him that the volume of calls coming in to the Capital crashed the phone system. It seems that the Senators are finally listening to America. We do not want this or any other bill that grants amnesty.
Big surprise for me was the fact that Voinovich voted NO. Hallelujah George grew a brain.
The forces in favor of cloture on The Great American Sellout controlled 60 minutes of debate time prior to the beginning of the cloture vote. Of which, the time was evenly split between a Democratic Leader and a Republican Leader, both in favor of cloture. Of that 30 minutes each, they each allotted 5 minutes to the opposition. So those who oppose cloture got 10 minutes to make their case to block cloture. This is democracy? Not hardly Mr. Reid.
NYT decides to chime in:
In the debate leading up to the vote, Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, said, “If we do not invoke cloture, the bill is dead.”
Today’s vote reverses the Senate’s action on Tuesday, when, with a lot of encouragement from President Bush, the Senate voted, 64-35, to keep working on the bill, which would establish a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants now in the country.
The debate just before the vote today was intense, even personal.
“We know what they’re against — we don’t know what they’re for,” Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, said of the bill’s opponents. Perhaps, Mr. Kennedy suggested, the bill’s opponents envision some kind of “gestapo” to round up illegal immigrants. “That’s their alternative?” Mr. Kennedy shouted. “That’s their alternative?”
(Thanks to YID with LID for this first picture)(NOTE to Kennedy: Yes you Baboons ass, that IS the alternative, if they broke the law to come here instead of using procedures specifically set up to welcome them, then it is on them, not us, no matter how you try to spin it, THEY broke our laws, THEY are responsible for the consequences of breaking our laws...how difficult is it for you to understand ENGLISH?)
The White House issues the President's reaction:
THE PRESIDENT: I thank the members of the Senate and members of my administration who worked so hard on the border security and immigration reform bill. I'm sorry the Senate was unable to reach agreement on the bill this morning.
Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people and Congress's failure to act on it is a disappointment. The American people understand the status quo is unacceptable when it comes to our immigration laws. A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn't find a common ground -- it didn't work.
Congress really needs to prove to the American people that it can come together on hard issues. The Congress needs to work on comprehensive energy policy and good health care; make sure health care is affordable without inviting the federal government to run the health care system. We've got to work together to make sure we can balance this federal budget, and not overspend or raise taxes on the American people. We've got a lot of work to do.
When they come back from the summer -- from the July recess, before the summer break begins, we'll be focusing on the appropriations process. And I look forward to working with Congress to balance our budgets and to be wise about how we spend the people's money.
I understand President Bush's disappointment and I believe his heart was in the right place, I simply disagreed with him on this issue, conservatives do not all walk in lockstep and just bcause I disagree with Bush on this does not mean I do not support him and still appreciate him for trying to keep us safe here by taking the fight elsewhere.
186k per second brings us the most ridiculous comment of the day from Michael (Jerkoff) Chertoff.
On the heels of the shamnesty defeat, Michael Chertoff says “I will now have to enforce the law”. Well WTF Chertoff.. isn’t that the job of law enforcement?
And GOOD LORD if it takes the defeat of ridiculous bills to get the government to enforce immigration laws that are already on the books, I say lets defeat some more garbage legislation!
Chertoff goes on to say now we have forced him to tear families apart and we will have to watch as he does so??
Read the rest...
Of all the idiotic comments made so far about the immigration travesty bill being put in the garbage where it belongs, THAT takes the freaking cake!!!!!!
Comment from a reader:
Now that we've defeated the Shamnesty Bill we must fax and email them while the issue is HOT!
Tell them we must secure our borders and enforce our laws right now, TODAY!
OR shall we wait another 21 years and 20+ Million more illegal aliens for another wrongheaded legislation to be shoved down our throats from a closed door "compromise"?
We are paying out over $340 BILLION per year right now for the illegal aliens we have, what will we be paying a year from now, ten years from now? Why on earth should we indirectly pay for all the support of low wage, unskilled workers for big business's bottom line and a new voting base for Liberals? I say no way!!
Strike while the iron is hot folks, let them know we mean business!
Use Numbers USA and GOP USA to write them today!
Go Get'em!
** Numbers USA FREE Fax and Email!**
( Senators AND the President )
http://www.numbersusa.com/actionbuffet
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http://capwiz.com/gopusa/home/
More to come as further reactions come out....
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