by Jeff Morris [courtesy of Blog for America]

    I just saw this on CNN, and it really ticked me off. Yup. Our MSM is at it again! This CNN headline was shortly after followed by another "Obama's Explosive Comments Against Small Town America" headline.

   Explosive? Was CNN and I watching the same speech? Obama said "small town Americans cling to religion, guns, and oppose illegal immigration? ...O.K... Religion-... the one thing they can still believe in. Guns-.... The economically deteriorating neighborhood isn't as safe as it was in better times. Oppose illegal immigration-....You mean just like the majority do in the other 49 States? So where's the talking down  Part?

   Naturally Hillary and McSame couldn't wait to chime in. As should have been expected. I think Pennsylvanians are resilient, said Clinton, not people to be looked down upon....Obama looked down on them?.... This shows he's out of touch with Main Street America, said McCain. Since when is McCain Main Street America? He supports Bush policy in Iraq. That means he's at about 28% approval!

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

I've seen some sniping about driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants in the presidential race, and I just don't get it. Perhaps granting driver's licenses is a reasonable framing for the state level, but it simply is not an issue that our president will need to address. And at any rate, both candidates support them. You see they both support comprehensive immigration reform.

From Senator Clinton:

Hillary has consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar. (Emphasis added, HillaryClinton.com)

From Senator Obama:

by CarlsbadDem [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

While I was cooking up some Thai curry for dinner, I got a phone call inviting me to join a "teleforum" with my congressman, Brian Bilbray (R-Solana Beach, CA-50). Press "1" and suddenly I'm listening to an a woman complain about how pregnant women can come across the border, give birth, and the infant is a US citizen. Bilbray of course gushes about how right she is about how wrong that is. Caller after caller is asking about illegal immigration--some woman's husband was in an ER waiting room for a broken ankle, and a Mexican (she knows this how?) family is there too, and they get served first. Even immigration extremist Bilbray can hardly keep up with the extremism of the callers on this issue. Then someone asks about employers and illegal immigration. And as nauseating as everything I'd already heard was, it didn't come close to preparing me for this.

Bilbray is complaining about people who say we need illegal immigrants because they do the manual labor and other unskilled, but necessary, work:

"What those people are really saying is that we aren't producing enough unskilled, poor workers. They're saying that we aren't producing enough poverty in this country. Well, my answer is that the federal government could produce a lot of poverty if it wanted to. We spend billions on education and training. We could create our own."

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The debate over Proposition 92, which would give community collegestheir own auto-pilot formula in the state budget, is shaping up to be a "battle royale" between state's two largest teachers' unions,the Sacramento Bee reports. The K-12 heavy California TeachersAssociation opposes because they worry they'll lose money, while thesmaller and more community college faculty based Federation of Teacherssupports. The momentum appears to be toward no—Senate Pro Tem DonPerata came out against it today, arguing it was fiscally irresponsible.

Illegal immigration has quickly become the "third rail" of politics and anyone who doesn't get aboard is going to be in trouble, writes DanWalters in today's Bee. Democrats in Congress have tried to do theright thing by pushing for comprehensive immigration reform thataddresses root problems and acknowledges reality. But the Republicansmears and 30-second ads have made real solutions very difficult.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

One of the top Republicans in the state, the politically-ambitious Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, has been indicted on federal corruption charges, the Los Angeles Times reports today. 
 
Carona, who once told CNN he was flirting with a run for Governor or being part of Arnold Schwarzenegger's team as Lt. Gov., is being accused by the feds for using his office for financial gain. The charges come in the wake of numerous scandals Carona has been plagued with over the past few years that the newspaper has been highlighting with regularity.
 
In 2006, Carona barely won the GOP endorsement for re-election as Sheriff. U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who praised Carona's efforts to combat illegal immigration, helped put Carona over the top, and he won re-election.
 
The Flash Report's John Fleischman served as a top aide to Carona for years.

Photo courtesy Los Angeles Times.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

“Illegal” immigration. The word “illegal” used to stop most voters in their tracks. When a public official argued we should provide health care to the children of undocumented immigrants (so that their kids didn’t become a source of infection), the opposition always began with the cry that we should not reward “illegal” behavior.

The behavior decried did not have anything to do with crimes against persons or property. Undocumented immigrants are not dishonest people by nature. They are hardworking people by nature, prepared to accept work at the bottom of the ladder to provide opportunity for their children.

In some sense, this attitude defines America. We have always been a cultural and ethnic polyglot. The common idiom has always been opportunity. If not equal opportunity, then usually a better opportunity than that available in the birth land. Typically, not a better opportunity for the first generation, but for the children and grandchildren.

Millions of immigrants, most from Mexico, have sought that opportunity here – “illegally”.