Ted Kennedy wasn’t into his second martini of sorrow of over the demise of the (A) Bill before pundits – especially on the left began yacking about how bad it’s going to be for the GOP in 2008.

First of all let’s take my state, the BIG state of Florida. In case you forgot, “We pick ‘em” when it comes to who get’s the Presidency.

(yeah even when the Democrats screw up the voting – hrrmpt, another story).

As noted, there are those who are saying that because the bill flopped hispanics will now be pissed at the GOP and vote democrat, and so the GOP is doomed in 2008.

Even the WSJ who had a business stake in the debate decried, “The longer-term danger is that the GOP is sending a message to Latinos that it doesn’t want them in the party. And if that message sticks, Republicans could put themselves back in minority party status for a generation or more.”

Maybe in their neck of the woods, but not how it’s going to be here.

The reasons are many, but the hispanic community is actually celebrating the death of the bill here in South Florida. In fact on every radio and television show broadcast – and I’ve been listening to a great many of them – there is great happiness and relief that the bill died.

Again, six of of the largest hispanic rights organizations were against the passage of this bill – that should be telling enough. In just about every local poll conducted there was overwhelming non-support for it, especially among the hispanics and those of Caribbean descent. A local leader that I spoke with called the bill an insult.

“Many of us came here legally, filled out the paperwork, waited our time, took the test and look at the proudest day of our life as the day we raised our right hand and became a citizen of the US. This bill want’s to give away free what we who did the right thing worked so hard to do. It’s an insult.”

Even more telling about this bill is how local news is framing the defeat. In six successive broadcast here on local Miami TV since Thursday the bill’s death was treated as yet another reason why the public views congress with such low approval ratings.

Will there ulimately be a blow back in anyway for the GOP?

First, it’s way too early. In the coming months perhaps people will actually read the disaster this bill was and after wiping their foreheads in relief will be thankful the dang thing died.

Not that there won’t be some consequences for some politicians who tried to push it through. In fact the hispanic reaction is so intense that local hispanic organizations are behind efforts to recall Senator Mel Martinez over his support of the bill.

Again, looking at every poll there was – across the board, among the races, no support for this bill.

Except here in Florida hispanics have traditionally voted democrat nationwide, yet when conservatives show up at the polls they win every time. We proved this in 2000, 2002, and in 2004.

Whether we succeed in 2008 and beyond will depend on how we show up then and on nothing else.