Immigration Reform Deal Unlikely

Ever since Democrats won control of Congress, the conventional wisdom in Washington has been that President Bush and congressional Democrats would cut a deal on immigration reform. However, the DC-insider newspaper Roll Call reports this morning, "with Republicans looking to regain control of the Senate and Democrats hoping to pad their majority in 2008, neither party appears inclined to make the political sacrifices necessary to pass a broad immigration bill this year," and all sides "may be content to simply duel to a rhetorical draw." GOP and Democratic "aides contend that both parties may be best served by a political impasse over the issue, since such a scenario would allow Members to show they are standing firm on the hot-button issue while avoiding compromises that may upset base voters."

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_88/news/17313-1.html