Do-Nothing Congress and the Immigration Bill

Rick Moran correctly points out a reason for teh resurrection of the anmesty monstrosity--Congress hasn't done a thing this year, particularly when it comes to anything the Democratic leaders claimed they were going to do.

The reason is simple; this has been a do-nothing Congress from the start. The best laid plans of the new Democratic majority to change the culture in Congress, end the war, and force changes in Medicare (among other proposals the Dems promised voters last November) have mostly fallen by the wayside or been torpedoed by their own members.

This has Congress scrambling to do something before voters begin to notice and wonder why their Congressmen are getting paid 165 grand a year to essentially sit on their collective behinds and rake in donations from lobbyists and cronies.

It has always been America’s “Persian Flaw” – this belief that we send people to Congress in order to “solve problems” like immigration, poverty, or filling in that pothole down the street. Some problems simply aren’t solvable in any real sense by Congress (call your local mayor about the pothole, please) and in fact, fiddling with legislation that purports to do so can make the problem worse.

The immigration bill is a case in point. No one in Congress really believes the bill will “solve” anything except perhaps resolving their electoral problems by bringing a lot of Latino votes their way come November, 2008. It won’t stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States and it is an open question whether it will even slow it down. It may even lead to increased illegals crossing the border hoping that within the next few years, Congress will once again address the issue of illegal immigration by simply declaring lawbreakers as law abiding non-citizens provided they pay up and can prove they’re not out to blow up the Statue of Liberty.

This Congress is dying a death much faster than the GOP majority ever did. As they get ready to head home for the July 4th recess, they Senate in particular needs to look like it is doing something and thus amnest bill.

What a disaster. I would rather they pass a bill to build a bridge to nowhere, at least we would get something for our tax dollars, and least be able to blow it up and sell it for scrap. Can't do that with Senators' salaries.