Although I am extremely pleased by the results of today’s vote, I know that the damage done will have deep and long ranging consequences.  The under-currents and rifts that this debate has brought to light will not just go away. 

Far from being able to celebrate this stunning victory, I am surprised at how tough a fight this was and at the contempt our elected officials showed for the opinions of everyday Americans.  All because they thought that passing a ‘comprehensive’ immigration bill - drawn up in the back-room by lobbyists, published at the last minute, full of secret provisions and loopholes - was going to be a slam-dunk. 

Lindsey Graham will never be regarded the same again.  His support in South Carolina has been seriously damaged.  His unpopularity will spread through the Republican party of SC as they try to figure out how to spin this debacle to their advantage. 

Not only will many voters in South Carolina be working to unseat Mr. Graham, the nationwide attention to SC’s Senate race will be intense.  Not too long ago, he was just another relatively obscure Senator from a small southern state, now he is the public face of the failed immigration bill, chummy with Ted Kennedy, and famous throughout the country for his inflammatory statements about dissenters in his own party.  The pressure from outside, and inside, SC to unseat Mr. Graham will be intense.

Will the SC Republican party run a challenger to Mr. Graham?  If the state GOP falls in line and supports the incumbent in his re-election campaign - as is typical - the potential loss in 2008 would be disasterous for the party, both in SC and in their bid to re-take control of the Senate.

Who is this McCain you keep talking about?

John McCain’s run for president is all but over.  He was never a front runner, had little support in South Carolina in 2000 and has little SC support now according to recent polls.  Unless the other candidates for president in 2008 all implode in the next few months, he has almost no chance for the GOP nomination in 2008. 

What about McCain running for president as a third party candidate?  Who would his supporters be, the fawning media?  They only like him because he is open and frank about his disagreements with his own party.  Outside the party, he would have even less support.  A pro-illegal immigration, pro-Iraq war candidate would not be very appealling to our divided electorate.

The biggest buffoon of the day has to be Senator Brownback.  Check out the video of him changing his vote on the floor of the Senate.  First he votes for cloture, checks the vote tally, oops, he than changes his vote to against cloture.  In the age of internet video, noone is safe.  Better to stick with your convictions than be seen as another opportunistic pol trying to mimic a weathervane.