"Fortune Favors The Bold, "and a coward dies a thousand deaths. We are given these words of wisdom by Lucius Cornelius Sulla and William Shakespeare respectively. And what is their import on the current state of the opposition to the Obama Regime? Well, at least, in the area of the ongoing opposition to the mad rush for amnesty. And a mad rush it is. Both in its policy, madness to the core, and the how this legislation is being forced through the world's greatest debating society, the United States Senate. An institution hardly though any successor to either the Roman Senate or any assembly of Athens either under the demos or the Four Hundred.

Besides the bestial poverty of debate and intelligence exhibited by Senators, there is also a vile cowardliness exhibited by the opposition to amnesty. Ordinarily Senator Charles Grassley is an opponent of amnesty, but his performance during the Judiciary Committee mark-up of the bill leaves much to be desired.

But first the result:

NumbersUSA May 10, 2013 by Chris Chmielenski

Senate Judiciary Committee Balks at Enforcement

On the first day of the Senate Judiciary Committee's markup of the Gang of Eight's amnesty bill, one thing was crystal clear — the Democrat-leaning Committee and its two GOP Gang of Eight Members are set on legalizing 11 million illegal aliens before any enforcement takes place. The Committee voted down 5 amendments that would have required measurable enforcement efforts occur before illegal aliens are legalized and given work permits.

On all 5 amendments, the votes fell along party lines with two exceptions - both Senators Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who are members of the Gang of Eight, opposed the amendments. Their votes seem to indicate that the bill would lose Democratic support if enforcement was put before legalization despite a number of different polls that show that Americans support full border security before the rest of the immigration system is addressed.

And from Senator Grassley, hardly Cato the Elder:

Sen. Chuck Grassley - An amendment that would require DHS to reach the 90% apprehension rate, as proposed in the bill, for at least six months before amnesty is given. The bill currently requires DHS to submit a plan describing how they'll try to reach a 90% apprehension rate before amnesty is given.

Even this is not Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam, it is if we must destroy Carthage, do it in six months, if not, then forget about destroying Carthage. We can live with Carthage after all.

And that appears to be the best we get out of Senator Grassley. A short perusal of his other failed amendments to amnesty are also telling, Such as this one:

(Grassley62-13464): AMENDMENTS intended to be proposed by Mr. GRASSLEY
Viz:
1 On page 702, line 11, strike ‘‘(A)’’.
2 On page 702, line 14, strike ‘‘(i)’’ and insert ‘‘(A)’’.
3 On page 702, line 20, strike ‘‘(ii)(I)’’ and insert
4 ‘‘(B)(i)’’.
5 On page 702, line 24, strike ‘‘(II)’’ and insert ‘‘(ii)’’.
6 On page 703, line 3, strike ‘‘(III)’’ and insert ‘‘(iii)’’. 2
ARM13464 S.L.C.
1 On page 703, strike line 8 and all that follows
2 through page 705, line 12, and insert ‘‘employees.’’.
3 On page 710, strike lines 9 through 13.
4 On page 725, strike line 23 and all that follows
5 through page 725, line 2.
6 On page 726, line 3, strike ‘‘(4)’’ and insert ‘‘(3)’’.
7 On page 726, strike lines 9 through 13.
8 On page 726, line 14, strike ‘‘(d)’’ and insert ‘‘(c)’’.
9 On page 733, strike lines 5 through 8.
10 On page 735, strike lines 1 through 6.
11 On page 735, line 7, strike ‘‘(d)’’ and insert ‘‘(c)’’.

How does this inspire Americans to contact their Senators and demand this amendment? No one knows what it means. It inspires nothing. Perhaps Grassley is just going through the motions in his opposition to amnesty?

Compare Grassley's amendment to one from Senator Patrick Leahy, which expands employment authorization for three of the most fraudulent visa programs for aliens who falsely claim domestic abuse or who are random victims of crime anywhere in the world. Or this one that gives the Department of Homeland Security the authority to not build a single inch of fencing as part of the amnesty. Leahy knows to be bold in his demands.

The significance of the nature of the amendments from those who ostensibly oppose amnesty are minor tinkering with details, while those amendments from the cultural Marxists out to elect a new people are creating well disguised loopholes for fraud and eliminating effective obstacles to future illegal immigration. And the RINOs on the Gang of Eight held together to defeat even the minor and quite insignificant changes proposed by opponents of amnesty.

Clearly there is no boldness in the opposition to amnesty in the Senate. Also missing was alternative legislation presented by amnesty opponents to the American people. There is only dying a thousand deaths in the Judiciary Committee. What we get from Grassley is incomprehensible and what we get from Leahy is aggressiveness and boldness in his pursuit of the goal of ending the United States as we know it.

Clearly we have a deficit in a will to victory. This may be the undoing of the nation.