A good day for sovereignty -- UPDATED

The Senate's motion to close debate and set the final process for passing the comprehensive immigration reform bill failed miserably. Not only did the Senate fail to obtain the 60 votes needed to invoke cloture, a majority of the Senators voted against the cloture motion. The vote failed by 46-53. This is a failure of Harry Reid's leadership, the bipartisan group's drafting and negotiating tactics, and the President's influence. But it is a great success for the American people who opposed the bill by at least 2-1 margins across party lines.

And it's a good day for sovereignty. The US has to police its borders, discourage illegal immigration, encourage legal immigration and assimilation, and secure the nation. The American People have made their preference clear: secure the border first, then worry about how to deal with long-term illegals who have put down roots in the US. The first steps along those lines -- serious progress in building the border fence that the Congress passed last year and additional progress in deporting illegal aliens who commit crimes in this country.

More on this issue:

First, check out Allahpundit's post at Hotair.com. He runs down who voted, how and when. Senate votes are taken alphabetically first, but the Senators do not have to vote when called upon. After the alphabetical call, the Senators can approach the clerk whenever they choose and cast a vote. As Allahpundit notes, by the time the alphabetical roll had been called, six Senators who voted for cloture on Tuesday (in the 64-35 vote), voted against it today, thereby ensuring a failure and allowing on-the-fence Senators to record the no votes that would give them political cover on this unpopular bill.

Second, Michelle Malkin has a bit of a gloat. But her post also has a great email from a Republican party member in Maine about Senator Susan Collins where s/he noted: "Susan Collins was blasted on local talk radio today by Republicans who said they will not support her re-election next year if she votes for the Immigration bill." Collins voted against cloture. That's effective constituent pressure.

Dean Barnett's also pleased -- the famous photo he chooses to show how celebratory he feels is pretty humorous, albeit a bit over the top. He gives well-deserved praise to Sens. Sessions, Cornyn, Inhofe and DeMint for opposing not only the amnesty without enforcement in the bill, but the backroom dealmaking that led to it.