Thank you for your comment. I'll pass it on

I was sitting in the office of Senator Tom Harkin this afternoon, waiting to meet with some of his staff on nutrition and farm bill issues.

As I waited, the senator's two receptionists were taking one call after another from citizens who were alarmed about the recently struck immigration deal . "Yes, the Senator supports comprehensive immigration reform." And, "No he doesn't consider that it is amnesty." And "No, the senator is not available. His fax number is.." And "I don't want to argue with you, but the Senator doesn't consider it amnesty."

Immigration reform is truly a hot button issue, and nowhere did it strike me more than when one call after another rang into the Senator's office opposing "amnesty."

The momentum for immigration reform seems to have been given a kick start with news of the bipartisan deal in the Senate. Now the question is whether both the Senate and the even more unpredictable House of Representatives can close the deal, even as their constituents are on lines one and two with angry comments.