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Two-hundred-thirty-one years ago, a group of extraordinary individuals set forth on this continent a new nation. Fueled by the genius of their ideas regarding life and liberty, they willed our country into being, on the power of their ideals and their commitment to them.

This comes to mind as the debate, or nondebate, surrounding illegal immigration dies again. There really wasn't any debate on the issue last week, because a handful of senators, backed by the White House, attempted to shove what can only be described as an amnesty bill down the throats of their colleagues - and failed.

Would such a bill have made our borders more secure, as advocates claimed? Hardly. Would it have cost, as some economists estimated, $2.5 trillion in increased social services and entitlement spending? At least.

But when you survey the array of immigration laws already on the books - including myriad visa programs - perhaps the most pertinent question was: Did we - do we - really need another law? Of course not.

Proponents pressed on. First came a procedural vote - supported by Republican Sen. Pete Domenici and Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman - to silence opposing voices in the Senate and speed the bill to fruition.

The procedural vote was part of a master plan cooked up by a gang of senators to get an amnesty bill approved. Being in a gang is all the rage in the Senate these days.

But the gang couldn't slip it by the people. Calls and e-mails swamped Capitol Hill, and on Thursday morning the bill - again - was killed.

Americans, including rank-and-file members of the two major parties, are plenty tired of Congress these days. You don't earn a 25 percent approval rating without disgusting more than few of the people.

The fact that it's Democratically controlled means little, I'm guessing. Legislative ineptness combined with attitudes of elitism by members on both sides has left most Americans shaking their fists.

Republicans in particular are angry. Between George W. Bush's blundering and congressional Republicans' arrogance, the base rightly feels abandoned.

The immigration morass is a perfect example of a political ploy in search of a problem foisted upon us as a critical issue. Remember: We have plenty of immigration laws and programs we don't enforce or use today.

A popular comedian tells a tale about having to fly from Flagstaff to Phoenix - an 11-minute jaunt - in a little commuter plane. Four minutes into the flight they have to turn back: "Can't get there with this equipment," he quips.

Two hundred-plus years ago, absent huge staffs and billions of dollars to fuel their egos and agendas, a remarkable group of leaders and thinkers created a nation of singular opportunity.

We are confronted with genuine challenges today, such as Islamo-terrorism or energy independence. Yet when we consider the men and women entrusted with meeting those challenges, these fateful words echo again: "Can't get there with this equipment."