As Shamnesty Bill (Part 2) Heats Up, Be Prepared...

A great summary of the information on this revised immigration 'reform' bill can be found at NumbersUSA, including background information, explanations, and amendments under consideration. This is a very good resource to keep an eye on.

Kudos to Missouri's Senator McCaskill, who told CNN's Lou Dobbs today that she will vote against cloture on the Shamnesty Bill (Part 2). Yes! Feel free to call her office to thank her for representing you accurately (yes, even if you're a Republican), even in the face of what I'm assuming is considerable pressure from her own party.

Michelle Malkin reports today on the status of some of the 'waffling' Senators. These people need some more persuasion:
Lamar Alexander (Tennessee)
Robert Bennett (Utah)
Thad Cochran (Mississippi)
Norm Coleman (Minnesota)
Susan Collins (Maine)
Larry Craig (Idaho)
Pete Domenici (New Mexico)
Judd Gregg (New Hampshire)
Orrin Hatch (Utah)
Jon Kyl (Arizona)
Trent Lott (Mississippi)
Mitch McConnell (Kentucky)
Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
Olympia Snowe (Maine)
Ted Stevens (Alaska)
John Warner (Virginia)

Speaking of, here are three other toll-free numbers that I've seen advertised as being useful for contacting the Senate switchboard. I haven't tried any of them yet, but I may give them a whirl tomorrow:
800-862-5530
877-851-6437
866-220-0044

Just a brief recap from a previous blog...the first vote will be a cloture vote, which will end debate on the bill and move it on to the amendments attached to the bill. These amendments were hand-picked by the 'deal-makers', so they're suspect from the start, and may not include some things that are critically important in protecting Americans and the law. Plus, there are rumblings that if cloture is passed, the deal-makers will simply remove any amendments they don't like while the bill is being discussed in committee with the House. That means that it doesn't really matter what amendments are passed with the bill - the deal-makers have final control over what becomes the law. So, the key is this first cloture vote. If it doesn't pass, the bill itself can't be voted on, and it's dead.

So, give 'em the message! The opposition is gaining momentum, but it's not over yet. It sounds like there is a very small chance Reid will call for a cloture vote Friday evening, but it will most likely happen early next week. So, burn up the phones and e-mails, and drive the point home: no cloture and no amnesty!

There's my two cents.