If you had any doubts that the Specter-McCain-Graham bill creates and amnesty for illegal aliens, listen how carefully its namesakes are parsing their words in support. And listen to the NYT editorial of today that says, of course it’s not amnesty. And then goes on to show how it is.

No matter how many smoke grenades Mr. McCain tosses – his arguments on tv have degenerated to “I can read the dictionary, and this isn’t amnesty by that definition” – he never address the main point. Illegal aliens now here are made qualified for US citizenship by this awful, destructive bill. No matter how many puffs of powder or coats of lipstick you put on this pig, it’s still a pig.

The guestworker programs we should have – instead of this monstrosity – would allow people to work here, even raise families here, pay their taxes and educate their kids. But it wouldn’t make them citizens or even eligible for citizenship. In order to become a citizen, you should have to enter the country legally — as tens of thousands do — stay, pay your taxes, and apply in due course. To say that the McCain amnesty bill is not amnesty is simply to tell an outright lie.

This is one of the issues that defines us as a nation. And defines our presidential candidates on both sides. Messrs. McCain, a sponsor, and Mr. Brownback, who voted for it, have both disqualified themselves from higher office. For McCain, it’s not the first time.