Cornyn Balks at Senate Immigration Deal

According to MSNBC, Politico, and probably every other major American news source, the Senate has worked out the details of a compromise bill on immigration. The Politico story is of particular interest, in that it says Senator John Cornyn may not want to play ball.

In an increasingly common show of bipartisan unity, Senators Ted Kennedy, John McCain, John Kyl, and Arlen Specter all announced the details of the compromise. The proposed legislation is complicated, involving a "points system" as well as fines and fees along a path to citizenship. It also establishes a temporary legal worker status and mandates the building of the border fence along with doubling the border patrol. All of the presenters have said it isn't perfect, and it will likely inspire some heated debate on both sides of the aisle.

I am curious, though, as to what inspired the Politico to point out that Cornyn wasn't at the ceremony, and also what they know that indicates that Cornyn won't support the deal. If the White House supports legislation offering anything close to amnesty for illegal immigrants (which this bill does, fines and fees notwithstanding), then Cornyn will have painted himself into the worst kind of corner. He will have followed the President all the way into the darkest depths of the breach, only to have Bush suddenly support a position which much of the bloc Cornyn must depend on to get re-elected will find unimaginable.

We'll keep an eye out and see what we can see. Kyl is from Arizona, and so is McCain, who definitely has a vested interest in siding with the majority of American people (or at least a majority of Republicans) on immigration. This may put Cornyn in a position which has no right answer for him, even though the "right" answer is obvious.