When the mess of an immigration compromise collapsed earlier this month in the Senate, I wrote:
One can only hope Congress’ leaders finally absorb the lesson.
The conservative minority will aim to obstruct legislation no matter how hard you try to accommodate them — short of full-blown capitulation (see Supplemental, Iraq).
Instead of more mushy compromises that impress no one (but the punditocracy) and go nowhere, it’s time for bold, principled proposals that have the potential to spark strong public support, and face down the failed conservative minority.
Otherwise, by futilely trying to make nice with obstructionist conservatives, their failure will become yours too.
They didn’t listen, instead trying to accommodate the conservative minority even more.
And the bill has now failed a second time, only attracting 46 votes as liberal and conservative senators killed the bill for markedly different reasons.