Over the Barrel - - Time for RESULTS

Sometimes inspiration comes from strange places. I've been real sick the last few days. I'd call it "flu-like" symptoms. The next time a pro athlete sits out with "flu-like" symptoms, I will not question it. I watched a lot of TV at all hours of the day and night. Thankfully, the Christmas season inspires some networks to show "Goodfellas", #11 on my all time list http://nylaw2law.blogspot.com/search/label/Favorite%20Movies%20List
There is a part where Henry Hill has hit bottom, and he knows he's going to get whacked, and the ONLY thing he can do is make a deal with the Feds and go in the witness protection program. As abhorrent as this was on every level (giving up the life AND being a rat), he makes the deal and lives up to it's onerous terms. The result is all his cronies are convicted and he gets to survive.

I started thinking about how when you have someone over the barrel, THAT is the time to make a good deal. In my previous post I proposed that baseball do this in the steroids situation. Then I caught some inspiration. There is another situation where making a deal when people are over a barrel could and should be used.....and I've blogged about this before.....IMMIGRATION.

Here are some similarities between steroids in baseball and immigration:

1. The conduct in question was technically illegal, but most people do not view the participants as "criminals".

2. The participants did what they did for the economic benefits to themselves and their families.

3. Congress is "interested" in the problem, and did some talking, but has taken no real action.

4. The participants want to keep participating, and they want to participate "legally".

5. Some participants may not be able to participate "legally", and most people would agree this is just too bad (This one is more obscure, so in baseball if you can't compete without the juice, go sell cars, and in immigration if you are a felon, sorry but we have enough of our own)

6. SOMETHING needs to be done.

I'm not sure if the ballplayers are Henry Hill status yet, but if the beat goes on they may get there. Immigration was way closer to ripeness for a strong deal. http://nylaw2law.blogspot.com/search/label/Immigration (for best effect, read the posts bottom up). The proposal which the Republicans killed earlier this year was a VERY strong bill, which no Democrats would have actually voted for, had the Republicans been astute enough to bring it to a vote. This issue will not go away, but it will not be addressed by Congress again until 2009, in a new administration. If Congress and the next President put partisanship aside, and actually look out for the Country as a whole, they'll cut a strong deal. It will have conditional amnesty, strong conditions and teeth.

Now go home and get your shinebox. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5S-H4uE0y0

Bonus link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4VxewepbYk&feature=related scene where Joe Pesci shoots Spider (played by Michael Imperioli from the Sopranos)