links for 2010-08-11

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum on Wednesday proposed tougher curbs against illegal migrants in his melting-pot state which he said would go "one step further" than a similar contested Arizona law.

The proposal by McCollum, who is lagging in a race to become the Republican candidate for governor, was certain to thrust Florida into the heated immigration debate that is a major issue ahead of November 2 midterm Congressional elections.

"This legislation will provide new enforcement tools for protecting our citizens and will help our state fight the ongoing problem created by illegal immigration," McCollum said, presenting the proposed measures at an event in Orlando.
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The Obama Justice Department is going to be busy filing lawsuits against the states

The jury in the Rod Blagojevich corruption trial sent a note to Judge James Zagel Wednesday afternoon saying that they couldn't reach a decision on a number of counts.

"We've gone beyond reasonable attempts [to reach a verdict]," the jury said in a note. Zagel noted they have reached the impasse without "rancor," or heated infighting.

The jury then asked to go home for the day.

Zagel said he needs further clarification on which charges they are undecided before deciding on the next step.
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Will a plea deal follow tomorrow?

We know the politics of illegal immigration: the open borders libertarian and corporate right wanted access to cheap workers, with the ensuing social costs born by the state. In contrast, Dem interests favor the notion that millions of new constituents will need some public assistance, that 100's of thousands of new federal,state employees will be needed to administer to them, and both groups will record their thanks at the polls — especially important in existing 50/50 state and federal congressional districts of the Southwest.
In short, without the arrival of the illegal alien in massive numbers without education, capital, legality and English, the Hispanic activists and cultural elite have no reason to be, since soon there would be no disparity that can be blamed on oppression or racism — and thus no need for self-appointed collective representation. La Raza would have no raza when a Hilda Lopez marries Larry Smith and their daughter Linda Lopez Smith marries Billy Otomo and so on.

For the Obama administration, the prospect of a nuclearized Iran is dismal to contemplate— it would create major new national-security challenges and crush the president’s dream of ending nuclear proliferation. But the view from Jerusalem is still more dire: a nuclearized Iran represents, among other things, a threat to Israel’s very existence. In the gap between Washington’s and Jerusalem’s views of Iran lies the question: who, if anyone, will stop Iran before it goes nuclear, and how? As Washington and Jerusalem study each other intensely, here’s an inside look at the strategic calculations on both sides—and at how, if things remain on the current course, an Israeli air strike will unfold.
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It is not as if America and Israel have nOT seen the handwriting on the wall the past five years.

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