Film Shows Kennedy Battle for Immigration Reform

[pampango]

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wirestory?id=10184172&page=1

"The film, "The Senators' Bargain," follows the late Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and other key players in the failed effort to pass landmark immigration reform in 2007. It takes on the complicated task of showing how compromises are made to a bill even before it is debated by lawmakers.

Kennedy, a liberal standard bearer and consummate congressional dealmaker known as "the lion of the Senate," died of cancer last year, aged 77, after 47 years as a senator. Robertson said Kennedy immediately agreed to the project in 2001 and was surprised someone wanted to tackle such an unglamorous subject. "He did get a real kick out of it," she said.

Kennedy and immigration advocates, lawyers and politicians are seen in cramped Capitol Hill meeting rooms discussing what compromises to make with Republicans on immigration. Kennedy makes concessions in exchange for guarantees that millions of illegal immigrants could remain in the United States. The film shows Kennedy and others dealing with the bill's demise in June 2007 after the compromise failed to muster enough votes among lawmakers or sufficient public support.

The story also answers some criticisms of Washington such as the length of time it takes a bill to wend its way to a vote and why politics can be so partisan. People who have seen the film say, "'Now I understand why you are never going to get exactly what you want because you have got to find a compromise,'" Robertson said.

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. I hope the DLC doesn't see this film

They'll pledge to reform immigration in Ted's name..... and then get Tom TanKKKredo and Pat Buchanan to write the bill. :eyes: