Photoshop: David Lunde

President Bush heads to Capitol Hill today to try to revive S.1348, the shamnesty bill. He’s getting cocky:

President Bush, wading deeper into an issue that bitterly divides his party, hopes a personal appeal can help persuade skeptical Republicans to resurrect and pass his immigration bill.
Over lunch Tuesday in the Capitol, Bush planned an effort to change enough minds among GOP senators to salvage one of his top domestic priorities. The measure, which legalizes up to 12 million unlawful immigrants and tightens border security, stalled last week in the face of broad Republican opposition.

Bush “will talk about the fact that immigration reform is too important to let this opportunity pass, and this is the best opportunity that we have had in decades to reform the broken immigration system,” said Scott Stanzel, a White House spokesman.

It’s the president’s latest and most overt attempt to sell Congress on the immigration overhaul, which was shaped by his views and drafted by an unlikely liberal-to-conservative coalition in close consultation with two Cabinet secretaries.

“I’ll see you at the bill signing,” Bush predicted Monday.

Yes, it is his bill. And your future. He’ll be trying to win over Republicans who voted down the cloture motion last Thursday. Get in your two cents early and often.

Reminder: The amnesty hotline number to get through to your senator is 1-800-417-7666.

Free fax service: NumbersUSA has one set up right here.

Republicans who voted against amnesty this year & last year:

Allard (R-CO), Bond (R-MO), Bunning (R-KY), Burr (R-NC), Chambliss (R-GA), Coburn (R-OK), Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC), Dole (R-NC), Ensign (R-NV), Grassley (R-IA), Inhofe (R-OK), Isakson (R-GA), Roberts (R-KS), Sessions (R-AL), Shelby (R-AL), Sununu (R-NH), Thune (R-SD), and Vitter (R-LA)

Republicans who voted for the amnesty last year, but voted against it this year:

Alexander (R-TN), Bennett (R-UT), Cochran (R-MS),Coleman (R-MN), Collins (R-ME), Cornyn (R-TX), Craig (R-ID), Domenici (R-NM), Gregg (R-NH), Hatch (R-UT), Hutchison (R-TX), Kyl (R-AZ), Lott (R-MS), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK) Smith (R-OR), Snowe (R-ME), Stevens (R-AK), and Warner (R-VA)

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Sen. Jim DeMint refuses to roll over. Via National Journal:

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said Monday that he will attempt to stop Senate leaders from bringing the immigration bill back to the floor. “This idea we can get 10 more amendments, and we’re going to jam it through, if that’s the plan, I’m going to do everything I can to stop it,” he told reporters.

DeMint is one of the more high profile Senate “dissenters” trying to stop the compromise immigration measure from moving forward.

DeMint said he intends to attend the luncheon meeting with Bush today, and he hopes the president will allow border security and employment verification programs to be enacted separately.

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., one of the architects of the compromise measure, said Monday that the president might be able to convince “persuadable” senators to support the bill. “I think he can certainly shore up people that may be wondering where we’re going with this,” he said. “Certainly he’s not going to persuade Jim DeMint,” Martinez added.

Martinez said Republicans are working to whittle some 300 amendments filed by Republicans to the immigration bill.

DeMint dismissed the effort. “The bill’s not going to get any better,” he said. “So I don’t think the amendments we want are going to be approved.”

And in the AP:

“It just does not make any sense at this point to try to steamroll something that, clearly, people have not liked the process, (and) they don’t like the bill,” DeMint said. “It’s bad for the country, it’s bad for the Republican Party, and I just don’t think there’s any excuse to continue to push it.”

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