Arlen Specter's New Immigration Plan--Third Time's A Charm

Here is an odd story. It seems that The Hill, Congress Gossip Blog, and the Politico' Crypt Blog, are all reporting that Arlen Specter is getting ready for a third run at immigration reform. According to the Politico

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said he's floating a plan that would grant legal status to the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants, but offer no path to citizenship.

"It might be the equivalent of a green card," Specter said Thursday. "The main thrust is to bring the 12 million out of the shadows," and eliminate the fear of arrest or deportation.

Specter said conservatives who last month derailed a comprehensive immigration bill might accept his plan because it would not allow the 12 million to seek citizenship status.

Let's see, Specter is saying if you have gotten into the country illegally, all you need to do is sign up for some sort of green card equivalent and you are legal. Isn't that the essence of amnesty? Specter says it isn't. Maybe he is counting on conservatives not noticing. It could happen. Specter knows how Republicans think. After all last month the Senate missed breaking the filibuster by one vote.

In possibly related news, according to the New York Times, Specter went flying with President Bush on Air Force One earlier this week. The Times says he was particularly chatty during the flight. Maybe he found time to listen to the President's advisers. Bush is still in need of a legislative success for his legacy. One vote from achieving cloture must seem doable if you are desperate.

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Senate Crushes Bush's Hopes For Legacy

The AP is reporting that "the Senate drove a stake Thursday through President Bush's plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, likely postponing major action on immigration until after the 2008 elections." Charles Babington writes that

The bill's supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation, which critics assailed as offering amnesty to illegal immigrants. The vote was 46 to 53 in favor of limiting the debate.

Senators in both parties said the issue is so volatile that Congress is highly unlikely to revisit it this fall or next year, when the presidential election will increasingly dominate American politics.

This means the President's legacy of legislative accomplishments will be limited to first term tax cuts. Of course, his string of Presidential failures is legendary.

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