As we're getting ready to start round 2 of the big immigration bill battle in the Senate, a crystal clear signal has just been sent that the comprehensive immigration bill will be probably be DOA even if it makes it to the House,

"The U.S. House of Representatives this morning voted to withhold federal emergency services funding for "sanctuary cities" that protect illegal immigrants.

Anti-illegal immigration champion Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., sponsored the measure, which he says would apply to cities such as Denver and Boulder. He was elated by its passage, which stunned critics and supporters alike.

....The House passed the amendment, 234 to 189, with 50 Democrats voting in favor.

Tancredo and his staffers hooted and cheered from his office across the street from the Capitol immediately after the vote.

Tancredo has introduced similar amendments at least seven other times since 2004, but each has failed -- often by wide margins."

Folks, if you have 50 Democrats voting to cut federal emergency services funding to sanctuary cities, it's hard to see how you're going to be able to get a bill, that essentially makes the entire United States into one huge sanctuary city, through the House.

That fact that this bill has passed, after failing 7 previous times, tells you that the House, unlike the Senate, has accurately read the mood of the public. Moreover, in the House, again, unlike the Senate, every member is up for reelection in 2008 and it looks like they're just not willing to take a suicidal political stand when they've got to go back in front of the voters in November of next year.

Is there a lesson here for Senate Republicans? Yes, and that lesson should be, "Why push an incredibly unpopular bill that can't become law?" If this bill passes, there will be Republicans in the Senate who will undoubtedly lose their jobs over it -- and for what? So, it can come up in the House in August, stir everybody up again, and then die a horrible death?

This is where the GOP, if they had competent leaders instead of Trent Lott and Mitch McConnell, would simply give up the ghost and say, "Even if we "win" in the Senate and get the bill passed, the voters are going to punish us for it and the bill probably won't pass the House. It's time to just let it die."

Unfortunately, I don't think we're going to be that lucky.