Big business (agriculture, construction, low-end manufacturing, meat packing, etc.) are behind it big time. The bill was essentially written by the lobbyist lawyers for the US Chamber of Commerce, provided pro bono to the few Senators who claim to be the authors.
Unlike the House, running for the senate requires big money contributions. Representatives are close to the people because they have to be--their districts are small, advertising and name establishment are simpler, politics are local and pork buys votes from those to receive it.
Running for the senate requires big money advertising, getting your name and positions well known across a broad spectrum of people and places. Where running for a house seat cost a few hundreds of thousands, running for the senate is usually a multi-million dollar operation.
That kind of money requires big money donors, and big bucks from the RNC. For the Republican party, big money donations means cozying up to big business. Bush is no different, he recognizes that the party needs to satisfy their big business donors and he's doing his part.
Senators were never supposed to be representatives of the people, they were supposed to be representatives of the interests of the State. They were supposed to be the defenders of State's Rights. The 17th Amendment changed all that. Being a senator now is a matter of representing the big campaign donors from your state. Name recognition and party affiliation are what get you elected. Most of voters can't even name their senators, let alone what they stand for.
Likewise, the SPP is being driven by big business who want an open North American marketplace and cheap labor. Big business is international already--patriotism and nationalism are secondary to markets and profits. CEOs don't get fired for being unpatriotic as long as they are making a profit, but let profits fall because of increased labor costs or inability to buy/sell on the international market and CEOs die a rapid death.
The amnesty bill has all to do about pleasing the big business contributors to the Party. Voters are fickle. They'll forget about amnesty by the next election, especially for senators who only have to face them every six years. By then something else will be the voters hot issues and the senators will position themselves accordingly, using the money from their big contributors.
The counter to this is in the House. Running every two years means that voters still remember who you are and what you've done. That's why the House is so much less enamored with the amnesty bill. First, people will remember. Second they're not nearly as beholden to the RNC and big donors. Ultimately, our ace in the hole may be to influence our individual representatives to kill the amnesty bill once our senate traitors pass it.
Get on the phone NOW to your senators.
What a great summary!!!