If "courage" can be called "grace under pressure," then the United States Senate has all the grace of a 600-pound gorilla. Earlier this week, efforts to deal with the immigration issue were sidetracked again. This time by a procedural vote.

It was a cowardly way to slip out the back door.

Meanwhile, illegal immigration problems in the country simmer toward a boil. The star-crossed Minutemen — self-appointed border patrolmen — are now planning to expand their efforts into California, Texas and New Mexico. They plan to infiltrate Idaho, Michigan and other states in hopes of driving illegal immigrants out by leaning on businesses who employ them. On the other side, immigrant rights organizations are planning boycotts and protests. Arizona may soon become the target of a major non-violent action.

And what does Congress do?

As impossible as it sounds, it manages to both wring its hands and twiddle its thumbs at the same time.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

The United States Senate simply fiddles around.

The citizens of the country have elected their leaders — hired them, actually — to be strong and bold. They are sent to Washington to lobby and fight for principle and to find practical solutions to dilemmas that bedevil the nation. But Congress is showing its colors.

Some 500,000 illegal immigrants enter America each year. They contribute to Social Security and to the reasonable price of produce and other products. The government is perfectly happy to issue them "Tax Identification Cards" so that the coffers in Washington can be lined with their money. The precedent for issuing a legal document to an illegal resident has already been set by the government itself. Issuing a work permit card should not be such a traumatic decision. Nobody is asking for amnesty. Nobody wants to make illegal aliens citizens. The nation simply wants to be able to keep track of who is here and register people who are helping to drive the nation's economy. If politics is the art of the possible, it's easily possible to get this done.

People are suffering. Violent confrontations are almost inevitable. The country is demanding that leadership take a direction.

It's time for elected officials to fish or cut bait.

If the people serving don't have the stomach to act, there are plenty of worthy candidates waiting in the wings who do.

Git 'er done.