My apology if this has been posted previously. Please leave comments; there are 193 so far. We still have to get the word out that Giuliani's and Huckabee's plans are far from tough, and both still support amnesty.
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Politico
Immigration reshapes politics everywhere

By: Jim VandeHei and John F. Harris
December 13, 2007 11:03 AM EST

If there was any doubt about the fearsome power of an anti-immigration message in American politics this election cycle, Republican Bob Latta drove a stake through it on Tuesday.

It’s hard to imagine a more miserable political climate for Republicans — hurting nationally because of the unpopularity of President Bush and the Iraq war, and even more in Ohio because of the economy and local factors that have knocked the GOP off its game over the past two years.

But Latta, running in a special election for a suburban Toledo-based House district, crafted a message — echoed by party officials — that bashed illegal immigrants who live here, drive here or get government-funded health care.

He won by 14 points. Democrats and Republicans alike credit the immigration message for the big margin.

It’s already clear this result is no anomaly. For all the commentary about immigration, the full depth of the issue has yet to sink in to most of this year’s election analysis. Simply put: No other issue has ricocheted with more unpredictable impact across more races at more levels.

So far, the politicians of both parties seared by immigration politics far outnumber those like Latta who have benefited. This issue is the political equivalent of juggling with loaded guns.

• The congressional effort to pair border enforcement with a pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants was devastating to Republicans.

[b]House Minority Leader John A. Boehner told Politico in a recent interview that Republican fundraising “sucksâ€