Is anyone talking about passing the previous Senate immigration bill quickly?

[troublemaker]

It seems that "comprehensive immigration reform" (Guest workers w/ path to citizenship) is a lot more popular than Lou Dobbs lets on. These are striking numbers! (below)

Something like the Senate version of the Bush immigration bill seems to be a legislative crowd pleaser on par with minimum wage. Jimmy Carter likes it. Bush likes it. Hispanics like it. Corporations like it.

So could we just pass it? (Re-introduced, of course) There's no need to re-open the whole debate. It's already written. The votes are there easily... probably by decent margins in both houses now. It would impress the heck out of the public and deepen splits among the Republicans. (I'm looking at it through a political lens but it might also be okay policy)

Quinnipiac University Poll. Nov. 13-19, 2006. N=1,623 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 2.4 (for all adults).

"Do you support or oppose creation of a guest worker program that would allow illegal immigrants to register for temporary legal status and employment?"

Support Oppose Unsure

ALL adults
65 32 3
Republicans
63 34 3
Democrats
67 30 4
Independents
66 31 4

"Currently illegal immigrants cannot apply for citizenship. If the law were changed to allow illegal immigrants to register into a guest worker program, should that program offer them the ability to work toward citizenship over a period of several years

Yes No Unsure
69 27 4

[w4rma]

1. That bill should die. (nt)