Oh, really? Here is a anti-Hayworth Mitchell ad , that mentions everything but Hayworth's immigration stance. I don't think you can show me any pro-amnesty Mitchell material. So too can I show you a zillion anti-amnesty ads by putting "immigration ad" as a search at YouTube . I doubt you can show me a single pro-amnesty 2006 election ad.
The GOP memo you tout...
The public wants a comprehensive solution that includes reform on three fronts: (i) strengthening border security/law enforcement to stem the flow of illegal immigration, (ii) enhancing the avenues through which immigrants can lawfully and safely enter the U.S. for work and (iii) creating a compassionate, practical and equitable way for those illegal immigrants already in the U.S. to legally enter the system [i.e. amnesty].
...claims that the electorate wants amnesty, but no one heeding the memo dared put it into their ads. By becoming unpopular, Bush pooped in the GOP punch bowl, resulting in GOP defeat. You go poking around among the many fallen and cry "See here, a border hawk!" It proves nothing.
Bush was prominent in his pro-Amnesty stance. If he had been on the ballot would he have fared better than the anti-illegal GOP congressmen?
I didn't have a problem finding those videos.
The memo clearly states that a vast number of americans AND republicans did not see that plan as "amnesty". But what they all agreed on is ACTION.
So a democrat could run on exactly the same immigration plan as a republican, and BEAT him, because the republican was TALKING the talk but didn't GET THE JOB DONE, so they gave the job to the democrats.
We were in the majority. NOT passing a plan that we talked about put us out of the running on immigration no matter WHAT position we took. Those who wanted the border sealed saw through the bill they passed in october, those who wanted comprehensive reform credited nobody in the Senate for passing a bad bill, they simply said the republicans couldn't get the job done. The anti-illegal people took it out on the "amnesty" folks, but everybody else took it out on ALL the republicans.
It wasn't the only thing, but it was one of MANY things.
BTW, in the end, we didn't lose THAT badly, although in raw vote counts we got trounced. The democrats won't make the mistake we made on immigration, they will pass a bill, and most people will be happy even if it does NOTHING to fix the problem, because most people don't pay attention.