I think the immigration reform bill is finally, officially, roadkill.  Bout damn time.

Try not to gloat.  After all, it really took a lot of phone calls, faxes, pitch forks, rending of garments, and gnashing of teeth to finally get the Senate to listen.  And in the end, all we managed to do was prevent them from making a bad problem worse.  In Washington they consider that progress.  That's someting I suppose, but the original problem still exists. 

How long before the DC brain trust figures out we already have laws on the books addressing the problem, the enforcement of which hasn't yet been tried?  Had they one scintella of credibility in enforcing the old law, we would have a new law.  

LBJ had a saying I just loved which has some application here; "don't pee on my leg and try to convince me it's raining."

Dean Barnett at Hugh Hewitt has a great analysis on the political winners and losers, this snippet regarding his Bushness is particularly on point:

I’ve admired this president for a long time, but I’ve reached a point where I’ve had it up to here (my hand is at my forehead) with this administration’s chronic obtuseness and arrogance. The top priority right now for the administration should be the war. And yet the president spent what little political capital he had trying to shove this atrocious immigration bill down the country’s throat. This whole gambit was the logical equivalent of Abraham Lincoln in February of 1864 seeking out the non-war related issue that would most effectively divide his base


The Republicans were painted into a nasty lose / lose corner on this one, which explains why the Democrat dissenters got almost no attention in the debate.  They were screwed either way; alienating their base now, or hispanic voters later.  This only goes to show that political expediency can actually coincide with doing the right thing. 

As to its effect on the GOP primary he did all the candidates a big favor, except McCain of course, but his relevence isn't, although no one has told him.  I am pretty sure we can't attrbute it to selflessness but Bush certainly made it easy for none of the other candidates to support him and his toilet dwelling poll numbers.  Keep an eye on the nutroots sites for claims of a Rovian plot, something along the lines of "Bush is doing as bad a job as possible on purpose, so bad even another Republican looks good by comparison" or such nonsense. 

Last summer, August 25 in fact, fall I wrote:

Eight years is an eternity in politics and by 2008 we will all be ready for a change. Knowing that, all candidates, regardless of party, will have to distance themselves from Bush to some extent. Obviously it will be much easier for the Dems whose biggest challenge will be not to over reach, a tall order. My guess is that the Republican who straddles that line most gracefully will be the next nominee, and even taller order. to RTWT McCain: Maybe For Thee, But Not For Me

Now?  Not so much.  His performance in this fiasco Bush all but eliminates the possibility of Democrats calling any of these guys a another Bush, except McCain of course, but he's toast anyway.