• Few clouds   • 46°     Few clouds   • Comment  Senate slips on
border  Posted: May 26, 2006 - 7:58pm  |  Updated: May 27, 2006
- 9:14am  WITH ALL the debate surrounding what was included in
the comprehensive immigration reform bill the Senate passed
Thursday, perhaps the most important issue is what wasn't in it.
Missing was an amendment sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson,
R-Ga., that would have required that the nation's borders be
secured before the implementation of any other aspects of the
reform package. The measure was defeated by a vote of 55-40.
(The comprehensive bill passed 62-36, with both Mr. Isakson and
fellow Georgia Republican Saxby Chambliss voting against it.)
Mr. Isakson's proposal was a sensible compromise between the
House version of immigration reform, which focuses almost
exclusively on border enforcement, and the Senate attempts to
cobble together a complex, comprehensive plan to legalize the
estimated 12 million immigrants who live and work in this
country illegally.  The Isakson ame