Lawmakers Work on Compromise to Bush Plan (immigrants)

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- Conservatives balking at President Bush's proposal to grant illegal immigrants three-year work permits are floating a counteroffer that would hamper his efforts to woo Hispanic voters in November's election.

It's a dicey political predicament for the president, one that seems likely to push a final vote on key elements of his plan into 2005, well after the November balloting.

Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., and Sens. Zell Miller, D-Ga., and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., are conditioning their support for Bush's plan on Congress agreeing to also broaden the power of state and local police to arrest suspected illegal residents.

"If they don't have this in it, they'll pass that bill over my cold, dead political body," Sessions said of Bush's proposal.

more....................

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-illegal-immigrants,0,3030098.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[aquart]

1. "cold, deal, political body"

That's the way to treat all Bush legislation. Why didn't we think of it sooner?