They would. _...must not be allowed to hold the nation hostage._ Laughably overwrought melodramatic bullshit.

I find it absolutely amazing that the Democratic Leadership was ever convinced that this immigration bill would have been good for their working and middle class base. Seriously the NYT along with the rest of Beltway MSM and the DLC are the about the only idiots left on the planet who believe that NAFTA was good for both the Democratic Party, the base of the party and well, Mexico. How does the NYT explain why the Party's true progressives and populists like Dorgan, Webb and Sanders lead the Democratic opposition to the bill. How does the NYT ignore the fact that at a minimum 65-70% of the public strongly opposed the bill. When I get in arguments with silly left-wingers who think Lou Dobbs is just a right-wing racist along anybody who opposes open borders, I ask them do they seriously believe that 70% of the folks they pass on the street each day are racist. Because if that is the case, I tell them they need medication. Do they believe the folks who support Illegal Immigration because they enjoy exploiting Cheap Latino labor along with avoiding ever having to employ African Americans are not racist???

Evidently the NYT cares more about Mexico's working poor than it does about America's working poor.

Lonewacko, Want an example of why the Republicans could win big in 2008?? It makes me sick to show you this but take a look. http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/06/09/come-saturday-morning-five-myths-about-immigrants-and-health-care/#comments _Center for American Progress on 5 key myths about immigrants that have been given lots of play over the years. The 5 myths are as follows: 1. The US public health insurance programs are over burdened with documented and undocumented immigrants. 2. Immigrants consume large quantities of health care resources. 3. Immigrants come to the US to gain access to health care services. 4. Restricting Immigrants access to the health care system will not affect American citizens. 5. Undocumented immigrants are free riders in the American health care system_ These are the same Clintonista DLCer idiots who told us NAFTA would help lower poverty in Mexico. Therefore reducing the taxpayer burden of the flood of illegal aliens already crossing the border post Simpson-Mazzoli. The Simpson-Mazzoli fiasco being engineered by DLC insider , immigration lawyer and ITAA founder Harris Miller. We now learn that in spite of their being at least 12 million Illegal aliens they really are not much of a financial burden at all. Those lines you see outside your county hospital are cardboard cutouts. What is really sad is that too many readers at websites like FireDogLake are not smart enough to see through the DLC con job. They do not understand the the DLC and CAP are a closed little circle of BFF's of Bill and Hillary like Podesta and Harris Miller who could give shit about the party, its base or for most of America. In power or out of power, these clowns just sponge off the Democratic party making connections that earn themselves millions. CAP is also home to Ruy Teixeira who has sold the Democrats down the river on a rise to dominance through mass legal and illegal immigration strategy for decades.

In the WaPo today are 2 items: an editorial and an op-ed by Janet Napolitano, both basically saying how awful it is that the shamnesty bill failed. Both mention how we have denied the US all this swell enforcement by not passing this bill. Neither seems to recognize that the fact that the enforcement portion of the 1986 amnesty never happened is a large reason why so many US citizens opposed this so-called "reform". Do they really think that we are so stupid that we would believe that they will enforce new laws when they refuse to enforce the laws on the books for the last 20 years? What is stopping them from enforcing these old laws?

long live eh

Someone actually still reads the New York Times????

Spin that the other way, The open borders hard-core - no borders today, no borders tomorrow, no borders forever - must not be allowed to hold the nation hostage. True. Or there will be no Nation. In the future, it will be Ted Kennedy's name, or Bush, that will be used whenever an insult is indicated. And LW is right, that Godwin's law violation is right around the corner. Tin hat authority Geraldo is already over the top in violations, will Linda Chavez be next? Although, the NYT or Chertoff might beat her in the race to alienate and insult the average citizen.

"jeebie we are all hostage", You just don't know that fact yet? When not if this new evil becomes law it will be the end to freedom inside this nation once and for all; If People just talk about doing the right thing! NOTHING WILL BE DONE BUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL JUST BECOME MEXICANS.

Hi, Fred. Agree that evil is afoot, but none of us is a hostage while there is air in the lungs and ammo in the belt. Those who surrender or give up are lost, but not this Nation, not yet. Washington can write all the laws they want, and it won't stop the invasion. They can write all the laws they want, and it won't stop We The People, either.

If they won't enforce the law -- they should get the hell out of the way and let us protect ourselves with our own efforts. Let us build the fence ourselves, let us deputize citizens to grab and deport illegals. I'm a 47-year-old granny but I bet I could nab more illegals in a day's time than half of our incompetent ICE agents.