In the end, immigration reform really was a done deal in the Senate. Debates come down to numbers on Capitol Hill, and the Gang of Eight reform team had the numbers. Needing 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, they started with the Senate's 54 Democrats and then added the four Republican Gang members. With 58 votes in the bag, it wasn't hard to get to 60. So most of the 14 Republicans who ultimately voted to get the Gang bill past a filibuster were extras, not needed for passage but helpful to allow the reformers to claim a broad mandate....
