[LS]

Gimme a break. You can't have it both ways---the immigration issue works FOR the GOP. I don't LIKE IT, but it is silly to think that these pro-immigration issues aren't going to help Bush and the GOP. If you recall, Hispanics voted in significant numbers for Republicans PRIOR to Pete Wilson and his support of Prop 209. That turned them off.

It may have been right, but the politics of it was that it alienated many otherwise "conservative" Hispanics in CA. These were the same people who voted in significant numbers for Reagan and Dukmejian.

So you can't on the one hand complain about Bush and the GOP's "open" stance on immigration then think that is going to work in favor of the Dems. One or the other, but not both.

[darth]

I attended today's Greater Houston Partnership Political Outlook luncheon (part of my job description which is apolitical). I can tell you that the Democrats at that meeting were plotting a massive, mud-slinging, vote buying campaign to capture key Texas posts next Fall. The Hispanic vote is growing rapidly even without additional amnesty. Republicans have to play issues like immigration carefully or they will find themselves facing an unbeatable alliance of minorities and white Democrats (like the disaster in CA). G.W. needs to send a few of his troops back here to shore up his home state. Specifically, a few Democrats were giddy that the "brilliant" (their description) Carl Rove was not here to provide adult supervision for Republican races. If Republicans don't want to see Texas turn back to the Democrats, they had better get excited and committed. I attended my Republican Precinct Convention last night. There was 50% of the turnout that we had in 2000 and no fire whatsoever. Ask GOPCapitalist....the RINOs triumphed because conservatives are too busy debating if Rick Perry is pure enough. Get a grip, people! The damn Democrats are showing twice as much backbone and commitment. They're preparing to eat your lunch.