I think they should ignore the extremes.  Ignore the radical left that says "amnesty for all".  Ignore the far right that says "deport them all".  Ignore the corporations who say "give us cheap and indentured labor".

If we are to have sane immigration policy, it needs to be balanced, fair, and enforced.  That means sustainable numbers, protections for immigrants, and protections for American workers as well.  That means some people will be deported.  That means some people won't. 

This is the toughest issue facing politicians today.  The Senate needs to search their souls.  Ask critical questions.  And be especially critical of the corporations as they should have no role in this debate.  Business needs should not shape immigration policy.  It should be about love of country and love of what we stand for - not indentured servants.

Listen to the middle on this.  It is the right thing to do.

Secure the border first

Then deal with the people already here

Dealing with all of them at the same time forces us to get something that we don't fully want in exchange with many unacceptable concessions.

It would be workplace enforcement.  Border security is quite limited in what it can do for us.  I think it would be much more effective to go after employers of illegals (or undocumented workers if you are too PC to call them illegals).

I like to look at what bush has done so far.  It is against the law to hire an illegal alien, with fines and possible jail time.  bush rarely enforces the law.  bush claims that we are fighting a war on terror.  However, he refuses to protect our own borders, indeed putting our own border guards in jail.  We are supposed to be a superpower; however, whenever mexico complains, bush jumps through hoops to appease it.  We may indeed need a guest worker program.  However, I feel bush needs to start enforcing our current laws and protecting our border before we start passing new laws. 

P.S.
The only funny thing is to see bush badmouthing his own supporters with some of the same rhetoric that he has been using on the rest of us for years.

P.P.S.
The old saying - If you get in bed with a snake and it bites you, is the snake to blame or your bad judgment for thinking you could safely sleep with it.

He had some very practical positions in the campaign and I agree with him on a case by case "amnesty" because this is a case by case deal...

But he should never cave to the "Pro immigrant" groups because their insanity is going to destroy working America....

So far, I think he's navigating this just fine.

I don't think those illegal immigration advocate groups are what did it for Webb and I don't recall any of them around...

and I sincerely doubt they were because Webb said "no comprehensive"

and on top of it, Allen was "never met a guest worker Visa I didn't love".

that's just pure bunk if anybody worked for Webb involving this issue specifically it was the "H-1B reform" people.

Immigration Iraq Independence

Go Webb Go

The bill is a series of faustian concessions from all sides except corporations.

Tally up the score sheets, and in most issues, corporations win, whether it is about H-B1 visas, guest-worker programs, or even the new criteria for giving priority to green card applicants.

And having George W. Bush so eager to get this bill pass is not a good sign in my book. Every time our vacation-happy president insists on a policy, such as tax-cuts for the rich, invading Iraq, or destroying Social Security, the effects on the nations are dire.

I agree with you that the focus of any immigration bill should be on corporations, but if Congress lacks the cojones do do that, should we settle for nothing at all?  I dunno, but I tend to be in Webb's camp on this, trying to find a middle ground that can actually pass and be signed into law.  Having said that, I must add that I'm probably less confident on immigration than on about any other issue out there.  It's way too complicated, despite the "black and white" silliness of both extremes in this debate.

I just used the email on Senator Webb's site to suggest a compromise on those illegals already here.  My grandfather had to wait until he became a citizen to bring my grandmother and my father (12 years old at the time) to this great country in 1931.  I grew up in a steel town full of immigrants from Europe and Mexico.  We kids learned English in kindergarten and our parents learned in adult classes.  Citizenship and the right to vote for those who would make our laws and enforce them was THE prize most wanted.  Some didn't and went to their graves as legal permanent residents without citizenship.

Giving those in violation of our laws the right to vote for those who will make and enforce our laws is travesty, not amnesty. I could live with granting them permanent residence without the right to vote after making them jump through the hoops suggested by dubya's "experts", but I cannot accept that they will ever have the same rights as those who came and will come legally.

We have enacted life sentences without the possibility of parole.  How hard can enacting permanent residence without the possibility of citizenship be?

The president, and to a certain point, Congress, is presenting a false choice: thy tell us that we either take this bill or not have anything at all. This is the best compromise that we can get.

This is classic negotiating tactic when you are trying to get other people to accept bad deals.

The reality is that the current bill doesn't bring any real path to citizenship to illegal immigrants, it doesn't stop the flow of illegal immigration, and it makes it easier for corporations to get qualified or unqualified indenture-like labor.

In other words, everything stays the same, except that corporations will get easier access to cheaper and more exploitable labor.

So, if Webb's amendment were applied to a hypothetical bill focused just on giving a path to citizenship to the millions of illegal immigrants in the country, this amendment would probably get the bill pass.

But when they ask you that to get Webb's amendment one must also accept programs that will bring in more workers with weak labor protections, the way the bill demands us to accept it, I must reject the offer and ask for another deal.

Personally, I find Webb's amendment fair. It is the rest of the bill which I can't stand.

do they need to get it done. When it was tabled that was just fine with me and most of the country. How in the heck they can trust Bush and bring that piece of junk back  is beyond me.

Bush is a liar, deceater and just plain a worthless piece of junk. Anyone who trusts someone that says "give me an immigration bill and I will give 2 billion  to secure the border" is a huckster beyond any words of discription.  Some one who does not have the money to give inticing others?

Those who brought it back are selling out the American people. Secure the borders is all we need in 1 bill. Then  bills to go after employers, etc. A comprehensive bill creats comprehensive problems.

Jim Webb showed his inexperience in Washington when he got involved and offered an amendment. I do not care if its so called middle of the road. It sounds like he sold out to corporate Washington and deserves all the flack both sides give him.

Enter muddy waters with no hip wadders and suffer.

But I think it's great that Jim Webb is trying to find a middle ground on this emotional issue.

The situation will only get worse. 

Here is reality - this is such a tough issue that politicians won't have an appetite to revisit it again any time soon. 

The problem with the bill is that it is meant to subsidize corporations with indentured labor.  If they can get the corporate interests out of the bill, it may be salvageable.

They need to fix this bill so that it makes things better.  The question is if this bill can be fixed or if it is so muddied with corporate interests that it cannot.

What good does it do to "secure the border" when we have an industrial/corporate vacuum demanding and getting low-cost labor?  No security effort can withstand that suck, or off-set the money being made.  Illegal immigrants, and U.S. taxpayers are both victims of this charade.  The illegals are vilified, the taxpayers get the bill.  Corporate profits continue to look reeeal good.  And conservatives are too stupid to see themselves played. Nothing new there.

Webb didn't need to get involved in this issue. Yet he decided to try to fix a major flaw in the bill in the case that it passes. This shows a great deal of character and a sense of fairness on his part.