Republican negotiators were working to break an impasse on a proposal that would let employers continue to handpick the high-skilled workers they want to get green cards, rather than requiring workers to qualify through a new, government-run point system.
That change, sought by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, with vigorous backing from the high-tech community, could upset the delicate balance underlying the contentious immigration measure. This effort could be enough to redeem years of Cantwell uselessness.
Well, maybe not. But it would be a good start.