Not quite true. This bill focused a sleeping public on an issue they have not cared about for about 40 years. From this point on, every R candidate ought to be talking about securing the border. The R's ought to be introducing bills weekly to secure the border. And we need to run in 2008 on securing the border. Every democrat must be forced to take a position that will alienate their base or will do the right thing.
Up 'til now, this has been a wedge issue against the R's. Now, if we focus the issue on secure borders, it's a wedge issue against the D's.
If this bill had passed, the public would have gone back to sleep and the borders would have stayed porous. Now we have a chance to actually do something about it.
A chance in 2008 maybe. The Democrats aren't going to give the Republicans a campaign success in immigration reform anytime soon. It suits them better to be crying about the 'injustices' while maintaining the status quo. It is good for fundraising.