Politico has a piece today that mentions eight Senators as working behind the scenes on a bipartisan bill on comprehensive immigration reform. They're names you've seen before and some new ones:
Chuck Schumer - D-NY - the chair of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee
Dick Durbin - D-IL - the powerful Senator is great on family issues, but has been dodgy on the employment ones
Michael Bennet - D-CO - He is not well-known on this issue, but is remembered as being one of the seats expected to go GOP in 2010 but was saved for the Dems by Latino voters
Bob Menendez (D-NJ) - The Dems only Latino Senator, he's great on family issues, but will block employment immigration measures if the family side of the equation is ignored
John McCain (R-AZ) - The old John McCain is back!
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - He's the pragmatist who warned the GOP all through 2012 that they were in big trouble if they continued down the anti path. Proven right, he's now trying to save the GOP from itself on immigration.
Mike Lee (R-UT) - A genuine Tea Party conservative who also is a moderate on immigration issues and comes from a solid red state that has decided not to emulate Arizona. Could give some cover for those on the right.
Sen.-elect Jeff Flake (R-AZ) - He worked with Dems several years ago in the House to produce a really good CIR bill, then pivoted to the right in order to get elected to the Senate. Like McCain, he's back to where he started on this issue.
Sen. Robert Menendez employed as an unpaid intern in his Senate office an illegal immigrant who was a registered sex offender, now under arrest by immigration authorities, The Associated Press has learned. The Homeland Security Department instructed federal agents not to arrest him until after Election Day, a U.S. official involved in the case told the AP.
Posted by: Jack | December 14, 2012 at 01:49 AM
Related:
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=9719F6F9-3A9D-4252-B3C8-86619280CBCD
Maybe this has something to do with the passing over of Steve King:
Goodlatte’s legal acumen has earned compliments from colleagues.
“Goodlatte is a phenomenal lawyer,” said Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), who serves on the Judiciary panel with Goodlatte. “You cannot watch him in committee and not draw the conclusion that he is very, very prepared. He is either a genius, or incredibly prepared.”
Posted by: Jack | December 14, 2012 at 01:08 AM