DING-DONG, THE BILL IS DEAD. Looks like the immigration "compromise" is dead in the water. Good. Democrats and a handful of Republicans blocked the GOP's efforts to amend the legislation into an unrecognizable mess by a 60-38 vote, and now the whole thing's off the table. Just more evidence for Amy Sullivan's contention that the post-2004 Democratic minority is an effective opposition force that has seen far more victories than defeats. Standing firm against an already mediocre bill that James Sensenbrenner would've made reprehensible during the House-Senate conference may not seem like a major triumph, but four years ago, Democratic unity would have rapidly collapsed and the GOP would have rammed through whatever dystopic enforcement scheme their most nativist members could dream up. This week, Democrats blocked that attempt, and the country will be better for it.
--Ezra Klein
