A bipartisan group of eight senators—including some conservative Wunderkinder—has met and put together a large bill for immigration reform. Rumors are that both Democrats and Republicans understand the immigration system is broken and could be easily fixed with some common sense measures.

It calls for a means to identify and naturalize millions of illegal immigrants here who want to work and live (Democrats) while removing threats to our safety (Republicans); it creates a new agricultural guest worker program (Democrats) but streamlines the green card process for non-Hispanics as well (Republicans). The plan is comprehensive reform (Democrats) but is so straightforward the entire bill fits on four sheets of letter-sized paper (Republicans).

One thing it does not do is award blanket amnesty. All in all, it sounds like a pretty good deal.

So here is our prediction: the President will hate it, argue that it makes too many conservative concessions, and threaten to veto it where it stands. He will then proceed to blame Republicans for failing to get anything done.

After all, it awards no amnesty.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.