The Derb attended a soiree about immigration and has an interesting roundup. I've numbered them and bolded bits:

1. Of GOP '08 serious prospects, only George Allen looks as if he understands the immigration issue. (Unless you think Newt Gingrich is a serious prospect.)

2. Quote on GWB: "He loves his servants. He's a guy with a ranch and lots of Mexican help. Vicente Fox is a guy with a ranch and lots of Mexican help. Of course they got on well."

3. Quote *from* GWB (reportedly): "I spent a lot of time with my baseball team. I understand immigration." (Sounds authentic GWB to me.)

4. Quote from a guy who's been toiling in the immigration-enforcement vineyard for a decade or so: "This administration will never do anything to stop illegal immigration, except grudgingly and half-heartedly. They just don't believe in it. If you squeeze 'em real hard, they'll make a gesture. That's it. They just don't believe in it. Their real effort, their real concentration, is always on finding ways to do nothing about immigration."

5. Grass roots immigration-enforcement groups: They are babes in the wood. The La Raza types run rings round them. They easily fall into factional squabbling. They attract kooky fringe types, and don't know how to get rid of them. The enemy has all the heavy artillery: AILA, Republican elites, pretty much the entire Democratic Party (though there were some kind words for James Webb), all the media, the universities, etc.

6. The Mexican drug cartels have staked out lookout posts on high ground up to 200 miles into U.S. territory. There are armed foreign nationals on U.S. soil, protecting their drug shipment routes. Presented with photographic evidence of this Karl Rove pooh-poohed it.

#2: The LAPL might still have 50s-era a book I saw there once called something like, "Spanish for the Texas Housewife". I should scan that in to go with that comment.

#3: I think he actually said something like that.

#4: Obviously correct.

#5: One way to counteract that is to discredit those on the other side who make themselves available. This site and others have frequently pointed out false or misleading coverage. While many reporters and sources could care less, some don't like being shown to be liars and have modified their reporting. The same goes for lower-tier thought leaders who have blogs with comment sections.

#6: If the Democratic Party ever decided to represent Americans, they could verify that issue, get the photos, and run with it all the way to sure victory. Instead, they'll ignore it and if anyone pays any attention some of their further left members will end up in effect supporting the smugglers.