And the result of President Bush's immigration speech, after all the hype, was... rather disappointing. Bush threw a few bones to Conservatives, like actually calling illegal immigrants "illegal immigrants." He listed some of the problems illegals cause and crimes they commit on a daily basis. At least those problems and crimes might, at last, enter into discussions on Capitol Hill.

The President mentioned issuing "tamper-proof" ID cards to temporary workers, cracking down on those who employ illegals and ending the "catch and release" program. All of this is a good start toward enforcing our laws. However, his plan to increase the Border Patrol by a paltry 6,000 is a joke, when five times that number is needed.

He made no mention of physical border security, except to note that the National Guard units to be stationed at the border will be used to install some "high tech" fencing, not to patrol or arrest. His refusal to separate border security from the guest worker and amnesty proposals is a sign that he doesn't take this debate seriously enough. Without a real wall, at least in some areas, the hope of securing the border collapses.

Worst of all, as I feared, President Bush wasted his time and ours pushing the amnesty-that's-not-called-amnesty so many Americans dislike. He stated his belief that those who have already sucessfully broken the law should have to "wait in line" to gain citizenship. They will, however, be allowed to live HERE in America while they wait. What sort of punishment or deterrent can that be? Why is it so difficult to understand that the line to enter actually forms on the other side of the border, where millions wait for approval?

Our only hope now is that the House refuses to compromise on amnesty for lawbreakers and a slap in the face to those who respect our laws. I'd rather see no bill signed than one such as the Senate is currently considering. Perhaps then, the border states would take a hand in their own security, since -- as even President Bush had to admit -- "illegal immigration puts pressure on public schools and hospitals, it strains state and local budgets, and brings crime to our communities." The half-measures proposed by the President will do very little to relieve that pressure.