What Frist is talking about is interesting.
The democrats are refusing to allow ANY amendments to the bill to come to the floor. In other words, they will filibuster any amendment. And you can't do cloture on each amendment, it would take forever.
So Frist is saying that the people who want to present amendments will not vote for cloture because they haven't had a chance to present their amendments.
Reid says it's reasonable not to let any amendments because debating amendments would be "a filibuster by amendment". But if they had started amendments yesterday, they'd be done with them by now. The problem is the amendments would get majorities easily.
One amendment would prohibit FELON illegals from qualifying.
Now Reid is up saying something about the lecturn isn't a car. That's what he said "This is not a car". It's the Chewbacca Defense!!!!
Reid wanted to have the judiciary committee be the conference group -- to make sure the bill doesn't change.
Now he says the lecturn is not a chair.
Frist said that if cloture doesn't pass, he will present HIS bill, which is just border security, which is what we want. I'm sure the democrats will filibuster that one.
Frist says he just wanted 3 amendments tonight, one of which was a democrat amendment, and Reid blocked it. Reid was worried about 20 amendments.
Durbin's noting that they could amend the martinez bill after cloture (since cloture is on the substitute amendment.
But the republicans know that the democrats will block amendments after the cloture vote.
Now reid says he'd CONSIDER something, but he won't, and it's a trick.
I hope they don't invoke cloture tomorrow, we need a vote on Frist.
Frist is moving again for unanimuous consent for only 3 amendments, but Reid is stopping it again.
I never paid much attention to him before, but Reid has a face that just begs for a fist in the middle of it.