The Senate Immigration...Breakthrough

The details aren't fully known yet but it does seem Senate Democrats and Republicans may have a deal on border security that this morning's news reports are excitedly saying could lead to a large bipartisan vote for the bill in the Senate by next week.

You can read about it here. Basically, it looks like the Republicans are getting more money for border security, more fencing, and language that would prevent undocumented people from attaining permanent status until border-security measures are completed. What the Democrats are getting is, well, Republican support. And, it seems, a version of "triggers" that isn't quite as onerous as some farther to the right are demanding. But this is all still sketchy. Details will emerge today, tomorrow.

We'll just have to see what the right-wing base makes of this, which will depend in part on what a few key senators do. Rand Paul is one of those. Like a lot of them, he sends coy little signals in this direction and then that direction, mostly against. He's basically just trying to outmaneuver Rubio here--if he can support it while not losing the base and emerging as more important than Rubio, he will, and if he can't, he won't. But I would guess that if he backs it that deflates the opposition a bit.

There's a rhythm to these sorts of things. Everybody gets all excited about a possible bipartisan development. Then the right-wing starts fulminating against it, and the shine wears off. Harry Reid wants to move fast here. Maybe he can finagle a vote before the rage caucus gets fully into gear.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Michael TomaskySpecial Correspondent

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.