BUSH HITS THE MIDDLE ON IMMIGRATION

Calls for National Guard to the borders, a guest worker program and a fence. (Washington Times) Barack Obama admitted the plan “has merit” as every other Democrat quoted in the story slammed the plan. ABC News called that “split.” (ABC News) USA Today called the GOP “split.” (USA Today) As Hugh Hewitt notes, “President Bush did exactly what he had to do tonight: Hit the middle, agreeing to the fence, to a large increase in Border Patrol personnel and funding, tamper-proof identification, National Guard back-up of ICE for at least a year, the end of catch-and-release, blunt talk on the impossibility of mass deportation, an insistence on English, and a commitment to a guest worker program that will take pressure off enforcement by funneling large numbers of immigrant workers into the legal line.” (Hugh Hewitt) But then Hugh interviewed the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Julie Myers who said “I don't think we think that fencing is the best way to stop them on the border.” (RadioBlogger) From Dick Durbin: “We know where the House Republicans stand. They want to criminalize undocumented immigrants and the nurses, volunteers and people of faith who help them.” (CNN) CNN managed to air Bush rehearsing, live. (Drudge) Excerpts. (Townhall) The entire text. (Washington Times)