This was the cloture vote to consider the Kennedy-Bush-McCain amnesty bill without holding public hearings like a normal piece of legislation would have. Back on May 21, this same cloture vote passed 69-23. Then, the second cloture vote (to limit debate—i.e., prevent a filibuster) failed 45-60.

So, it's not over yet. But, don't be optimistic. The powers-that-be have all sorts of carrots and sticks to whip Senators in line. The White House and the Senate can hand out or withhold an enormous amount of pork. The press won't tell us about the backroom deals because corruption in the the higher cause of immigration has always been okay with them (as the remarkable lack of publicity about the corruption that undermined the employer sanctions in the "Grand Bargain" of 1986 shows).

So, the crucial second cloture vote, which will come up very shortly while the public's attention has drifted toward getting ready for the Fourth of July weekend, is going to be close and decisive.