"However, during the myriad of negotiations that I was involved in during that time, there was one thing that became crystal clear to me. I learned that there was, in fact, a way to pass the DREAM Act. There was a way to attract enough Republican support to be able to attain the elusive 60 votes required to pass anything in the Senate. It was by eliminating the pathway to citizenship through the bill, and substituting instead some form of renewable non-immigrant visa status for the DREAMers.

I explained this concept to the Democrats, but they were reluctant to accept this major concession. I understood then, and I understand now. This is a substantial difference, and for many of the folks involved in this issue, this was, to quote Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and my colleague in the Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform coalition, “a bitter pill to swallow."

Wow, this makes me sad and pisses me off. Why wasn't this version pushed for earlier? I was never aware of this. If the non-immigrant visa alternative could have gotten the 60 votes then, we would all be legal now if such a version had been pushed in 2010. Why does this send a chill down my spine?