The Associated Press today reported on the Senate's defeat of the DREAM legislation which would have granted illegal immigrants a "special path" to immigration.  As I have said many times before, legal immigrants are among our finest citizens and contribute an enormous amount to our nation.  Granting illegal immigrants a "pass" would be unfair and disrespectful to those who play by the rules and would send the wrong message. 

Below I have included an excerpt from the article.

But Republican opponents of the bill called it the first step to amnesty, which they contended the Senate rejected back in June.  "I do not believe we should reward illegal behavior,'' Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said.

"This would be the wrong direction,'' added Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. "This would be to signal that once again we're focused on rewarding illegality rather than taking the steps necessary to create a lawful system.''

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., saw a different problem. "I have grave reservations about seeing a part of comprehensive immigration reform going forward, because it weakens our position to get a comprehensive bill,'' he said.

Read the entire article here.