The federal government is the first and last point of authority to
(1)secure the borders and
(2)enforce immigration laws
and in both regards
(a)during the past six years the border has become a sieve and
(b)every measure of enforcement activity is precipitously down, even compared to the Clinton years
so yes, Bush is rightly responsible for what you call "hysteria".
He has for six years done nothing, now wants to make an eleventh hour political move to look like he's doing something while the so-called comprehensive measure in the Senate that Bush is pushing for will, by reliable measures, increase the combination of legal and illegal immigration by the year 2020 to 100 million.
Add to those numbers the kind of amendments Bush refuses to oppose like the oone from Durgan which will replace all current immigration judges with new positions open only to the lawyers who now work representing immigrants - in other words, the fox guarding the hen house.
It is in just such "comprehensive" legislation that the murderous details of the legislation is intentionally hid from the public, and Bush knows it and does not give a damn.
His march for this legislation is no different that Clinton's push for his "legacy" with a Israeli "peace" agreement that the Palestinians were never going to approve.
Its is politics pure and simple and there is no an ounce of "reform" in the bill - just 100 more loopholes and phony "enforcement" measures that will have no more "enforcement" put into than the present ones.
Bush, McPain, McKennedy, Frist et al are running a giant con game, nothing more.
I agree 100%.
This legislation will change nothing.