What happened to immigration reform?

Bush insisted on not only a guest worker program, but the worst guest worker program that a twisted mind could invent. It would have immigrant families bouncing back and forth between their countries of origin and the United States, with no rights to do anything but work themselves half to death for unscrupulous U.S. employers, and then be sent back “home” to starve in their old age.

Bush and his ilk were not even willing to allow guest workers, after a time in the program, to get points toward permanent legal residency. A moderate amount of exploitation would not do; they had to have a program that would drain the last drop of blood from the guest worker.

The result of this was that the AFL-CIO and many other labor and community organizations came out against the bill, and others were less than enthusiastic in supporting it.

As the Republican far-right was working full blast against any kind of immigration reform, and progressive forces were also against this bill or at best lukewarm about it, the thing was doomed.