The Democrats triangulate Republicans on the border:
Gov. Bill Richardson declared a state of emergency along New Mexico’s 180-mile border with Mexico on Friday, pledging $1.75 million to beef up law enforcement and tackle increasing crime. “Recent developments have convinced me this action is necessary— including violence directed at law enforcement, damage to property and livestock, increased evidence of drug smuggling, and an increase in the number of undocumented immigrants,” Richardson said in a prepared statement.
Richardson is a likely VP choice for the Clinton ticket. His change of heart on immigration is almost certainly rooted in positioning for 2008. As I wrote a few months ago, all Hillary has to do to win is keep her mouth shut and control her more lunatic leftist instincts – in which the press will accomodate her by constantly repeating what a beloved moderate she has become – and stay to the right of the Republicans on securing the border and hammering the national security aspect of stopping illegal immigration.
She won’t actually follow through on it, of course, and she’ll work towards building the AU as her husband did in pushing NAFTA through, but such positioning will get her elected because Bush has destroyed all credibility for Republicans on immigration and security by waging global struggle while leaving the borders wide open.
UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal has figured it out too.