Shamnesty Losing Support (Update): DEFEATED

A stunningly silent Chuckie Schumer and soon-to-be former U.S. Senator Lindsey Grahamnesty discuss wrecking America through importing an illegal horde in this AP photo.

May this nonsense die a quick death today, never to be heard from again.

Senate immigration bill lost supporters yesterday and hangs on by a thread heading into this morning's showdown vote, after lawmakers voted down amendments making illegal aliens show roots to get legal status and cutting off their path to citizenship.

This morning's vote is on a parliamentary question about limiting debate, but it boils down to a vote to block the bill.

Just two days ago, 64 senators voted to revive the bill, with many saying they wanted to give the Senate a chance to improve the bill through amendments. But after a messy day in the chamber yesterday, with dozens of objections, arguments on the floor and five amendments defeated, at least a half-dozen senators said publicly or privately that their patience has run out.

"The way this has been handled, I'm not going to take a leap of faith," said Sen. Richard M. Burr, North Carolina Republican, who voted to advance the bill on Tuesday but said the way Democratic leaders ran the floor yesterday left no room to "take a bad bill and make it better."

Sen. Ben Nelson, Nebraska Democrat, said he has voted to keep the bill moving a half-dozen times already on "cloture" votes, but yesterday's debate showed him the bill is probably unsalvageable.

"I've given them six or seven cloture votes," he said. "I think this clay pigeon is becoming a dead duck."

Nothing more underscored the utter cluelessness of the Senate than this Sean Hannity interview with Ohio's Sen. Voinovich, who should be drummed out of office for sheer stupidity.

UPDATE: Kaboom. A crushing defeat for The Swimmer, Dingy Harry, and the rest of the morons who voted for this.
Senate Hands Down a Major Defeat on Immigration Bill

The most dramatic overhaul of the nation's immigration laws in a generation was trounced this morning by a bipartisan filibuster, with the political right and left overwhelming a coalition of Republicans and Democrats who had been seeking compromise on one of the most difficult social and economic issues facing the country.

The 46-53 tally fell dramatically short of the 60 votes needed to overcome opponents' dilatory tactics and parliamentary maneuvers that have dogged the bill for weeks.

Of course, the WaPo (naturally) spins it as a major defeat for President Bush, but did he write the legislation? Did he fail as Senate Majority Leader to get his own party in line?

Major props go out to Michelle Malkin, who, among many others, deserves major credit for helping kill this travesty.