Immigration Bill Embarrassment (UPDATED)

Just 24 hours after inept Senate Majority Leader Frist announced at a press conference/patting on the back session that the Senate "had a huge breakthrough" on the pending immigration legislation, the purported deal fell apart. Sen. Frist and the key actors in this 'compromise' (McCain, Kennedy, Specter, Kyl, Cornyn etc.) should be embarrassed.

Frist called it tragic "that we in all likelihood are not going to be able to address a problem that directly affects the American people."

What's tragic is the complete lack of political savvy on the part of these senators. When a deal on important issues facing the nation has almost been reached, don't call a circus-like press conference to commend each other. If you had a deal that you knew would receive the 60 necessary votes to invoke cloture, then by all means, celebrate and have a presser. Until you're sure that you not going to have to ABANDON the legislation before your precious vacation, however, spare us the press conference BS.

UPDATE: More on the Immigration Reform Bill-Tom Foolery, via CSM:

On Thursday, senators thought they had crafted a compromise that would fly with both camps.

"We have a product that is a good product and has the support of more than 60 senators. It takes care of our needs on the border and deals in a very practical way with what to do with those already in our country," says Sen. Mel Martinez (R) of Florida, the only immigrant currently serving in the Senate. He and Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) of Nebraska drafted the compromise plan that produced hopes for a breakthrough Thursday. [...]

"It's important for the American people to know how much bipartisan support there really is for this bill," said Senate majority leader Bill Frist, after a vote to end debate on the bill. The motion, which required 60 votes to pass, failed 38-60.

Add this to the list of Frist failures as Majority leader.

Furthermore, this whole debacle underscores why you don't try to do actual work in an election year.