Failure of Compromise: (2nd) Immigration Edition

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.

Presumably, Senate leaders went the extra mile on this one because they thought there was a chance it would pass, and they would "got something done." Emphasis on "something," regardless of how good the bill is.

But by not fighting for truly progressive reform, that didn't kow-tow to the small but noisy anti-immigrant minority, there will be nothing to gain in the aftermath.

The majority will shrug at the defeat of a mushy bill, and wonder why more isn't being done on other pressing issues.

A bold proposal may well have been obstructed too.

But if congressional leaders fought as hard for that and fell short, the public would know who is fighting for progress, and who is getting in the way.

Then it would be clearer to voters how that problem could be fixed.