It would have been smart politics for the Republicans to stay quiet on the issue giving the impression that they are intractable and therefore demoralizing those organizing the AMNESTY RALLIES.

If they wanted to drop the felony provision they should have waited until a later time so that it didn't appear they were buckling under intense pressure.

However, the Republican leadership has never been noted for intellect so they are going the impression that the AMNESTY RALLIES effected change.

I don't think the news services accurately describe the joint statement by Frist and Hastert.

NO AMNESTY! NO GUESTWORKERS! CONTROL THE BORDERS NOW! NOW WE'LL HAVE DRUG ADDICTS FLOODING USA! DO WE PAY FOR THEIR MEDICAL AND PRISON STAYS AS WELL? ILLEGALS BLACKMAILING USA? STOP IT NOW! LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE HERE LEGALLY NOW!

This is crazy! I'm American and I'm NOT an immigrant although my one grandfather was from Denmark in the 1800's and my great grandmother on my dad's side was from Ireland; the rest of family is from USA for generations back and I'm related to John Quincy Adams. My husband's background is English and Irish and American Indian. All legally immigrated to USA 7-8 generations ago! I have hundreds of friends through the years from many countries around the world; many I helped become USA citizens and have helped them through the long process of green cards all the way to their vows of citizenship.
We are ANGRY with ILLEGAL NOT LEGAL BREAKING THE LAW immigrants who sneak in here and work for nothing almost causing problems and then DEMAND RIGHTS TO ENTITLEMENTS THAT DO NOT BELONG TO THEM AS ILLEGALS! WE ARE FURTHER ANGRY WITH THE POLITICIANS WHO DO NOT ENFORCE THE LAWS AND CONTROL OUR BORDERS OR WHO IS IN THE COUNTRY LEGALLY!
Our son has lost hours of work this week because of these marches and is not paid and that is a shame; he is not an immigrant! He lost further work last year in construction as he was making $150 a day and came to work one day and the contractor said $75 now take it or leave it, they work cheaper, pointing to Mexicans! Our Chinese neighbor lost work as 50% at her company walked off for the marches. My husband lost his work as his company closed 9 years ago due to cheaper labor being done in Mexico: he had to retire at 55yo with Teamster pension as he'd worked there 30 years! I have lost work and not received jobs in the past as I was NOT bi-lingual as an Executive Assistant! Furthermore, why should we be forced to read, write and speak Spanish i.e. billboards and signs and workers, when this is America in which we speak ENGLISH?

We are angry: we pay taxes for babies being born to illegals who receive free lunches, free medical, free school, food and social services for people who can't afford them! I didn't even get to complete college in 1973 because I couldn't receive more benefits at that time! Now illegals get free higher education? This is ridiculous!

We know they need work they need jobs and food and medical and school. THEY NEED TO COME HERE LEGALLY. WHEN THEY COME HERE! THEY SEND MOST OF THEIR MONEY BACK TO MEXICO! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS NOT SPENT HERE IN THE USA! MEXICO IS THE 9TH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD. MAKE THEM TAKE CARE OF THEIR PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM JOBS AND MEDICAL AND EDUCATION AND HOUSING! OTHER
IMMIGRANTS COME HERE LEGALLY; MAKE ILLEGALS GO HOME AND WAIT IN LINE LIKE OTHER PEOPLE DID/DO!

IF WE GO TO ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEIR BORDERS ARE SECURE AND CONTROLLED; THEY DO NOT HELP THOSE WHO ENTER AS IMMIGRANTS AND THEY MUST LEARN THE LANGUAGE. IF WE WENT TO MEXICO WE WOULD NOT GET EDUCATION, FOOD, MEDICAL AND HELP IF WE NEEDED IT FOR FREE? WHY IS IT AN ENTITLEMENT TO ILLEGAL LAW BREAKERS? ILLEGAL=NOT LEGAL= BREAKING THE NATIONS LAW OF THE LAND HERE IN THE USA? WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DO PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTAND? THEY TAKE JOBS AT LOWER WAGES SO WE CAN'T GET A DECENT WAGE; OUR TEENAGERS CAN'T GET JOBS SO THEY GO TO THE MILITARY EVEN THOUGH THEY WANT FAST FOOD JOBS. NO ONE HIRES CAUCASIAN "EUROPEAN-AMERICAN" AMERICAN BORN WHITE! WE ARE THE ONES BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST!

I FEED THE HOMELESS AND HUNGRY! I WAS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT A LARGE FOOD PANTRY, CRISIS CENTER IN THE AREA FOR MANY YEARS! I HAVE HELPED ILLEGAL ALIENS. HOWEVER, I AM ANGRY THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CONTROL THE BORDERS! THE LAST 6 OR SO AMNESTY'S WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE LAST ONE THE LAST TIME! THEN THE BORDERS WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN CONTROLLED AND BETTER IMMIGRATION POLICES MADE. THEY WEREN'T! SO HERE WE ARE UMPTEEN YEARS LATER IN A WORSE MESS AND WE GET ANGRY MOBS WHO WANT FREE SOMETHING THINKING THEY BUILT AMERICA! THESE ILLEGAL MOBS DID NOT BUILD AMERICA! LEGAL LAW ABIDING IMMIGRANTS AND THOSE BORN HERE BUILT AMERICA. AMERICANS WILL DO THEIR WORK IF THEY WERE ABLE TO BE PAID A DECENT LIVING WAGE AND COULD BE HIRED!

THIS IS ALL STUPID AND A SHAME. CAN YOU HEAR THE ANGER AND FRUSTRATION? POLITICIANS ARE ALL IN THEIR IVORY TOWERS AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO LIVE WITH NORMAL MIDDLE-CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS! THEY HAVE NEVER WATCHED THEIR COMMUNITIES BEING TAKEN OVER AND CHANGED INTO ANOTHER MINIATURE COUNTRY, ALL SIGNS AND BUSINESSES CHANGED FROM ENGLISH TO SPANISH OR CHINESE! ALL FAMILIAR BUSINESSES TORN DOWN; ALL GOOD HOMES AND LANDSCAPING INCLUDING TREES, BULLDOZED AND TORN DOWN AND NEW ONES BUILT! WALKING INTO STORES AND DOWN THE STREET AND IN TRANSPORTATION AND NOT HEARING ENGLISH BEING SPOKEN ANYMORE! WATCHING OTHER FLAGS BEING FLOWN AND USA HOLIDAYS NOT UNDERSTOOD. NOT BEING ABLE TO GET HELP IN A STORE BECAUSE THEY DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH! SO IT IS DIFFICULT TO BE UNDERSTOOD AND TO GET THINGS DONE! ALL OF A SUDDEN REALIZING WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU GREW UP IS NO LONGER HOME: AND YOU ARE THE MINORITY AND A STRANGER IN YOUR OWN TOWN!
ILLEGALS ARE NOT ENTITLED TO ANYTHING! THEY SHOULD GO HOME AND COME BACK LEGALLY LAWFULLY! WAIT IN LINE LIKE ALL THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE THEM AND NOT EXPECT A BLANKET AMNESTY! IF WE ALL BREAK THE LAW, THE LAW CAN'T BE ENFORCED AND WE BECOME A LAND OF LAW BREAKERS AND THE LAWS CAN'T BE WORTH ANYTHING. AMERICA IS A LAND OF PEOPLE "ONE OUT OF MANY" : "E PLURIBUS UNUM"! AMERICANS. NOT HYPHENATED AMERICANS. TO THESE ILLEGALS: YOU ARE AMERICAN! NOT MEXICAN! NOT INDIAN. NOT INDONESIAN. NOT FILIPINO. NOT JAPANESE OR CHINESE OR ARAB, OR KOREAN! YOU ARE THAT RACE, BUT YOUR ALLEGIANCE BECOMES THAT OF AMERICA AND NO OTHER COUNTRY! ENGLISH IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE LAND. ASSIMILATE. DON'T FORGET YOUR HERITAGE BUT YOUR NEW HERITAGE IS AMERICAN; LEARN AMERICA'S TRUE HISTORY. ACCEPT AMERICA, AS IT IS NOT AS YOUR COUNTRY YOU CAME FROM! YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE DUAL CITIZENSHIP! ASSIMILATE; BECOME AMERICAN. NOT HYPHENATED AMERICAN. THEN YOU REALLY ARE AMERICAN.

No Amnesty AGAIN without securing our borders now to assimilate immigrants we have here legally and close it down until there is an immigration policy that makes sense and takes care of security, jobs and legal assimilation into the USA! ENGLISH speaking only.

Thank you, and sincerely from two Americans, Democrat & Republican, disgusted, very angry, frustrated