re: Why wasn't DACA a priority for congressional Dems in 2009 and early 2010?

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Here it is ...

LINK

The 55-41 vote was mostly along party lines, though a handful of Democrats — perhaps fearful of their 2012 election outlook — also voted against the DREAM Act.

DREAM Act would have passed if Democrats had shown unity on the measure.

But five Democrats voted against the legislation: Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and both Montana Democrats, Jon Tester and Max Baucus. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced his opposition to the DREAM Act Saturday in a statement Saturday but missed the vote.

Three Republicans crossed party lines to vote for the bill: Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Utah Sen. Bob Bennett.

The DREAM Act’s defeat was a resounding victory for conservatives who have denounced the bill as a mass amnesty plan. But it was a blow for top Senate Democrats and President Barack Obama, who enlisted a half dozen Cabinet secretaries to lobby undecided lawmakers and embark on a media blitz highlighting that the bill would send more people to college, boost military recruitment and help the economy.

“This bill is a law that at its fundamental core is a reward for illegal activity,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on the floor an hour before the vote. “It’s the third time we’ve tried to schedule a vote on it during this lame-duck session; it’s the fifth version of this legislation that has been introduced in the past five months.”

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