>>>This would have put these people ahead? Why?

I agree, it would've been unacceptable, however I never understood it was going to be that way.
I thought undocumented people should have had to go through a process of 8 years until they became residents, paying fines ($5000) and due taxes (if they owed anything, 'illegals' can pay taxes using IRS form W-7).

>>>>From the other side, which the reps did not seem to care much about, is the president's push for a 'guest worker program' as he called it. These companies would basically do with them as they please under the threat of revoking their temp worker permit and sending them back.

Probably the president thought he was going to seduce those who simply are opposed to the idea of immigration for whatever reason, sort of saying "hey, I just want them as a job force, not to stay here", and still serve the purpose of getting cheap labor.

Don't get me wrong, I have probably the same reservations as you about this downed bill, I just can't stand the fact that nothing will be done in the next years about it, that's why rather than nothing and with all its shortcomings, at least the bill provided a path.

>>>We need letal immigration, not indentured-servants.

I assume you meant 'legal' here, Freudian lapse? <bg>