The resumption of debate on the immigration bill is two hours late. A GOP Hill source says that this reflects that the “clay pigeon” – the agreed list of 24 amendments known only to Reid and McConnell and the grand bargainers – is still being finished.

Right up to the cloture-to-bring-back-the-bill vote today, supporters were wheeling and dealing, trying to ensure “aye” votes by promising senators that their particular amendments would be included. Now the revamped list of amendments — 300 pages long, nearly as long as the bill itself — has to be cleaned up and retyped (so that it isn’t quite so obvious which senators were brought on board with amendment promises)

The messy horse-trading represents, the source claims, “the worst of the Congressional sausage factory.”