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Flaw in your plot: if there is never any plan enacted, those people will just stay here, period. There will never be any wholesale rounding up and deporting; never. You all need to forget that.

Really!? And what other laws are we going to "never" enforce? And why are Republicans supporting this non-enforcement of our laws? For a few votes!!? To coddle the cheap labor special interests!!?

I truly feel betrayed over this. I thought Bush heard us loudly earlier in the year and that he'd dropped this stupid and very unpopular plan. I worked hard for his re-election and was thrilled when he won. I persuaded several conservatives angry over his earlier talk about amnesty to vote for him when they wanted to write in Tancredo or some such nonsense. I can tell you that the Border Patrol agents feel betrayed when Bush or his administration talks about this amnesty plan. They've told me themselves that they feel that way. What if Bush was similarly betraying our uniformed soldiers instead of just our uniformed border guards? As Republicans we just CAN'T do this! We can't support it!

The 2004 Republican Party Platform says:

We oppose amnesty because it would have the effect of encouraging illegal immigration and would give an unfair advantage to those who have broken our laws.

But this plan IS a form of amnesty!

If someone - the illegal alien or the employer - chooses not to register and participate and they get caught - they will or they should receive the appropriate criminal penalties. But if they register, pay the administrative fee, and participate in this plan, then they don't receive the penalty for being an illegal alien or hiring an illegal alien or for having hired illegal alien in the past. That is amnesty.

It is the same as if the government wanted to know where all the illegal machine guns were. There's been a criminal penalty for owning or selling a machine gun for some time. Let's say the government came up with a plan to let you register your machine gun and that you could own or sell that illegal machine gun only under their new terms. You wouldn't get criminally charged for owning it or selling it only if you registered and participated in the new plan. But if you didn't register or you did it after the deadline you would still be criminally liable for ownership or sale of the illegal machine gun. That would be a gun amnesty plan.

"But this plan IS a form of amnesty!"

No, it's a plea bargain. It's what prosecutors do to criminals all day long, every day, across the U.S.

Pay a fine. Register you, your family, and your employer. Now you're on the grid.

Welcome to the wonderful world of law enforcement.

"I thought Bush heard us loudly earlier in the year and that he'd dropped this stupid and very unpopular plan."

Read the tagline

I truly feel betrayed over this. I thought Bush heard us loudly earlier in the year and that he'd dropped this stupid and very unpopular plan. I worked hard for his re-election and was thrilled when he won.

I worked hard for the president too and I am still thrilled that he won.

Bush never gave any indication that he wouldn't continue to pursue his guestworker plan. You just didn't pay attention. And now you have buyer's remorse.

We all knew that we had a choice between a Bush guestworker plan and Kerry's choice of open borders. Next time pay attention.

For most of us this was NOT the defining issue of the election. If it was for you then maybe you should have supported Kerry because he was your ONLY other choice.

I'm really tired of the whining. Anyone with an ear and an eye knew what we were getting on this issue with a Bush vote.

It's time to quit whining and do what we can to toughen the proposal through Congress.