What an odd day. Trent Lott, our very own Senatorial Republican Whip, has essentially declared war against the Republican base. Meanwhile, Harry Reid is pleading with George W. Bush to twist enough Republican arms so McCain-Kennedy can live through the night.

To offer a cinematic metaphor, McCain-Kennedy is currently Vito Corleone lying helpless in a hospital bed. Reid is begging W. to play Michael Corleone and rush to the hospital to hide the Godfather before Solazzo’s goons can finish him off. Bush would probably comply, too, but as we’ve long known, this bill’s champions are all a bunch of Fredos, destined to spend the evening crying “Papa!” over their precious bill’s bullet-riddled body.

And while we’re hitting the Fredo meme, here’s what Trent Lott had to say about my senior Senator, a public servant whose immorality has actually registered a body count and yet about whom Lott can see nothing ignoble:

Senator Kennedy, I appreciate the legislative leadership you've been providing. I know it's not easy, you know, your own colleagues and those of us over here have been beating you up. I mean, it's -- you know, you're a nice poster child. Thank you very much for what you do.

The Kopechne family could not be reached for comment. Fredo indeed.

None of these guys understands the politics of this bill. The opposition of the Republican base is principled. The newly found indignation of the GOP’s senate caucus over the bill probably less so. But then there’s the X factor: It’s not just Republicans voters who hate this bill. It’s not just foaming at the mouth nativists with life-sized Tom Tancredo posters in their bedroom whose blood this bill angers. Virtually the entire American electorate detests this atrocious piece of legislation.

If this bill became law, Democratic Nominee Clinton or Obama (who voted for it) would have to spend most of 2008 defending it. He or she would have to convince the country why having a porous national border as a matter of national policy is a good thing. If there aren’t enough good Republicans to kill this bill (a sobering and saddening fact), the Democrats will do it for us.

What if this bill in anything like its current form becomes law? The results for the country will be adverse to say the least. And the Democratic congress will have sunk even lower than a moribund and pathetic GOP.

Comments? Complaints? Contact me at Soxblog@aol.com.