Pure Horserace: Is GOP "Torn Asunder?"

Immigration Bill Has Created A Growing Rift In The Republican Ranks

(CBS)  In her weekly column for CBSNews.com, Kathy Frankovic, the veteran polling director at CBS News, explained why immigration is "really a Republican issue now" in the sense that the GOP is divided over it. Is it ever.

The latest sign of severe unease within the party about the White House-backed immigration reform legislation comes courtesy of the Washington Times, which today reports that the Republican National Committee has fired all 65 of its phone bank operators. The RNC told the Times the move is a result of outdated technology but one former employee says the donations the workers were bringing in were down — mostly as a result of grass-roots anger over the immigration bill.

The RNC refutes that, but it's one in a growing list of signs that this is an issue causing problems for the national party — and its 2008 presidential candidates. Former GOP speechwriter and columnist Peggy Noonan writes that with the bill, combined with other factors, President Bush "has torn the conservative coalition asunder." Bloggers are often not so kind about a proposal they see as providing amnesty to immigrants already in the country illegally.

Caught in the middle of all this, of course, are the party's presidential candidates, most notably Sen. John McCain, a co-sponsor of the legislation. The Arizona senator has been the target for upset conservatives, but he has started fighting back. In an interview with blogger Ed Morrissey, McCain continues to make his case (to a mostly conservative audience) that amnesty is precisely the condition which describes the status quo, which "we all agree is unacceptable."

McCain’s opponents have enjoyed an opportunity to jab at the one-time consensus front-runner — but they aren't immune to feeling the heat on this issue. The Boston Globe points out today that while Mitt Romney has had some fun at McCain's expense, "he has offered no specific solutions of his own" outside of general principles and is "facing increasing questions about what he would do about the problem."

According to a recent CBS News poll, strengthening immigration laws is the top domestic concern among Republican primary voters (40 percent) — and the majority of that group hold hard-line views on the topic. Immigration is clearly an issue that divides the GOP, and one where middle ground is difficult to find. How the candidates negotiate these waters could go a long way towards determining who's in and who's out come next year. — Vaughn Ververs


Take What You Can Get: If you're a top-tier presidential contender, it's not hard to get on television. A cadre of reporters and cameras follows you wherever you go, documenting your every move — including the ones you'd rather have to yourself. But how do you get on TV if you're far lower on the media's totem pole — not deemed newsworthy and lacking the money to throw a bunch of ads on the air?

One answer is to pounce on your pet issue any time it comes up in the news. Republican Reps. Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter haven't gained much traction with their presidential bids, but anyone who's watched the cable news channels' coverage of the immigration bill before Congress has probably seen them criticizing the legislation. Both have made the issue a centerpiece of their campaigns.

Issues other than immigration also provide an opportunity for free publicity. The case of a Georgia man who traveled the world and re-entered the U.S. with a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis wouldn't seem ripe for political gain, but former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson may think otherwise. Thompson, who served as Health and Human Services Secretary in President Bush's first term, was on MSNBC this morning, discussing the country's ability to keep carriers of virulent diseases outside its borders.

The problem with this approach is it doesn't work well for every candidate — but if an opportunity to discuss a return to the gold standard shows up on the news, you can bet Ron Paul will be there. — David Miller


The Intelligence Test: John Edwards has implied throughout his campaign that one thing that makes him a better candidate than Hillary Clinton is his admission that his vote to authorize the Iraq war in 2002 was a mistake — Clinton has said she would not vote for the war knowing what she knows now, but hasn't apologized for her prior decision.

Edwards' tactic has helped him garner support from the party's most stridently anti-war elements and the blogging community. But just when he seemed to have one more opening, it's been taken away. Clinton has taken flak over the past week after it was revealed she had not read the entire National Intelligence Estimate that provided much of the basis for the war. She says she was fully briefed about the contents, but critics wonder how the senator could have voted on such a momentous issue without going through the report itself with a fine-tooth comb.

Perfect opportunity for Edwards to jump in, right? Well, no, because it turns out that despite having indicated he did read the full report, his campaign now says he did not. Not reading the NIE, in and of itself, isn't the problem for Edwards; after all, he apologized for his vote. But he's certainly not in a position to add this particular criticism to his stump speeches. — David Miller


Dodd Goes Green: Sen. Chris Dodd's first ads in Iowa and New Hampshire went directly after his rival Democrats, at least those serving in Congress, for not doing enough to stop the war in Iraq. In his third wave, which hit the air yesterday, the senator from Connecticut is touting his environmental plans. Surrounded by children playing with blow-up globes, the ad touts Dodd's recently unveiled energy plan and claims his in the only one to include a corporate carbon tax. Climate change is a hot topic, and the children singing "We’ve got the whole world in our hands" is a nice touch — but so far, the early advertising hasn't paid off in the polls. — Vaughn Ververs


Gotta Work To Crack The Granite State: CBS News’ Brain Goldsmith chatted with New Hampshire-based pollster Dick Bennett for today's Political Players and discovered that hard work and organization still pay off in the Granite State. Could that be good news for McCain and Clinton? Read the whole interview here.


Editor's Note: Pure Horserace is a daily update of political news as interpreted by the political observers at CBSNews.com. Click here to sign up for the e-mail version.

[tmess-2009]

It is too late for Cheney to step aside for a candidate who has entered the Republican primaries. The president only gets to nominate a replacement vice-president. They still are subject to confirmation hearings in both houses. I can't see Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid standing by and letting Bush anoint the next president.

[nottellin1]

This article highlights the fact that the best way to be heard is to call the RNC or DNC or both and let them know that we will only contribute to a candidate that is against legalizing the invaders of our country. Not the party, just the candidate. Since our government is not hearing us by words, maybe they%u2019ll hear us in lack of support.

[book54552134]

Anyone who believes that Dubya & the GOP are going to simply allow the major political & Constitutionally structural advantage of an incumbent Vice-President to simply slip away is very naive indeed.
Considering how these pirates operate, I believe that an arrangement was made between the Bush family & Cheney, perhaps as early as the summer of 2000, whereby Cheney would resign before Christmas of '07, citing medical problems, thereby allowing Dubya to appoint his brother Jeb in the position of VP, thus allowing Jeb to run for President from an incumbent VP position and allowing him to escape the primary campaign process which would also allow him the ability to raise huge amounts of campaign money without having to spend any of it on the primary process.
Such a coup would allow Dubya to install someone he could rely on to preserve, promote & cement his policies perhaps indefinitely, & Jeb would bend over backwards to preserve & promote his brother's legacy.
Don't let the media filters fool you. Dubya & the GOP intend to take full advantage of this primary political tool - an incumbent VP. Then everyone, including Dubya & Jeb, will feign surprise at the development as Jeb accepts appointment to the position.
If Democrats dare to object, the GOP will simply point to JFK's successful appointment of his brother to a major Cabinet post.
The next several months shall be very interesting indeed.

[bennyblack1]

ALL Congress is supposed to accurately represent the American People...without writing in their own interests. The GOP has shown that they have put blinders on their eyes and they follow him into treachery and take the rest of the country with them. I once believed in the GOP, but now I believe that it is time for a realignment of beliefs. The American people want 2 things at this very moment: 1)a smart withdrawal of our troops so as to not pose a danger to them 2)kick out the immigrants or make them qualify for citizenship. I believe in these two cases, that I would go with the Democrats, though I disagree with a great many other issues on the table today. These two issues are paramount to the survival of the United States as our forefathers have envisioned. Congress ONLY has war powers, and according to the Constitution, they don't need permission to withdraw troops. They can just do it. The president UPHOLDS the Constitution. The Supreme Court ENFORCES the Constitution. The Democrats are such a powerful force right now because of their unity on these two issues. The GOP seems to be divided over whether to look out for their own interests or please the president, neither of which are concerns of the American people. The GOP needs to get it right, get on line, get in tune, and pull their heads out of their proverbial behinds. Let's save the country FIRST, THEN settle the other disputes. After all, if there is no America, there will be NO FREEDOM!

[rightrevtodd]

I love the GOP