Desertions by Some Senators Could Kill the Immigration Reform Bill on Thursday, but a Cavalry Could be Coming from the Left

All is not yet lost. Although President George W. Bush may not be able to hang on to all his Republicans, there are some key Democrats that could be on the verge of coming around to the wisdom that the American way is to welcome new generations of immigrants.

So before we explain how the voting on key amendments occurred today (in sum, four stupid or ugly amendments plus one good one failed, and one very good one passed, opening the door for various anti-bill Democrats to now vote to pass the bill), take a look at which senators, from which states, could decide the balance.

Among some Democrats that voted against cloture on Tuesday, two from Montana – Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester – are now in play, as are Michigan’s Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and Indiana’s Sen. Evan Bayh, and have new justification to vote for it, after a civil libertarian amendment they supported was approved on Wednesday.