On Brit's show....right now.
Major Garrett said that Frist had said that unless the bill coming out of the Judiciary Committee had the support of a "majority" of the Republican members....he would STILL put up HIS bill in the Senate...
He feels that the product done today does NOT meet the standard he set...so he called a meeting in his office to tell Specter that...Specter feels that it will all be worked out on the Senate floor...
but Frist says the priority to so do something to secure the borders FIRST..and wants to proceed with HIS bill..
Of course, he is in his office now...we will SEE if he has the cojones to stand up to Specter, Graham, DeWine, Brownback...who are all backing the McCain/Kennedy bill.
What do you think about HATCH not only no being there...but PASSING on everything??
That's an interesting twist on things. LOL We'll see tomorrow which approach prevails. I predict that Specter's bill will be the one to come to the floor.
Frist says the priority to so do something to secure the borders FIRST..and wants to proceed with HIS bill.
Specter will point out (correctly) that the Committee Bill does just that.
What do you think about HATCH not only no being there...but PASSING on everything?
Didn't give it much thought. I don't see him as an influential player in this. I also don't see guest worker as a close issue in the Senate. I expect a guest worker program will pass on a filibuster proof majority, given all the DEMs support it, most (if not all) of the so-called RINOs support it, and even some fairly conservative Republicans support it. Plus President Bush says he won't settle for a bill that doesn't have it.
Frist may be trying to set himself up as an independent leader, independent from President Bush that is. It's a facade, I think, in that Senator Frist is (I think) also willing to pass a guest worker program.