Weekend immigration protest encourages Bush's base to jump ship

It's pandering time.  Expect the White House to do whatever it takes to win back their base, which has abandoned him following the border patrol controversy.

Yesterday, while the media focused primary on other issues, tensions escalated in the Southwest on the immigration front.  With the Iraq war, CIA leak trial and all the other corruption investigations that are taking place now on Capitol Hill, it might seem like the battle over the jailed border patrol agents is quite irrelevant.  But electorally speaking, as we get closer to 2008, this is serious business for the Republican Party.  Tensions in that region have reached a boiling point.  Conservative activists and human rights demonstrators marched in Hollywood, California yesterday. 

This story has been the number one issue in the Southwest this weekend.  Just about every advocacy group, from the race-baiting White Peoples Party on the far-right to immigration rights organizations, seems to be butting heads.  Right-wing groups are taking their anger out on the President, and are demanding a full pardon for the border patrol officers.

These two photos, of the many posted on the right-wing SaveOurState.org site, illustrate why Bush's approval rating could dip below 25% if this situation is not defused by the end of the month:


Next Saturday, another anti-immigration rally is scheduled -- this time in Las Vegas.   The racist White Peoples Party is setting up the event.  The Anti-Defamation League might have people out there to conduct a counter-protest.

Even though all eyes are on Washington for many obvious reasons, the Southwest is at war with itself over whether the border patrol agents that shot an unarmed drug dealer should be set free.