[Guest post by DRJ]

I was reading the ABC Blog that discussed the media’s most beloved topic – dueling GOP politicians – and the topic du jour was (in my words) “Does it matter if we ever catch Osama Bin Laden?”

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[Posted by WLS]

Yes, according to Bob Novak in his column yesterday.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/09/hillarys_brier_patch.html 

Hillary has the dubious distinction, not seen since Bob Dole a dozen years ago, of having higher poll numbers in the states where she has not campaigned than in the states where she is spending a substantial amount of her time actually appearing and talking to crowds. 

Seems that the more people actually see of her, the less they like what they see.

That’s a tough way to win a nomination an election.

— WLS

[Posted by WLS]

Rudy Guiliani went on Glenn Beck today and made a minor blunder when he stated unequivocally that being an undocumented person in the US is not a crime under federal law.  Here is what he said:

GLENN: Right. But isn’t illegal immigration a crime in and of itself?

GIULIANI: No.

GLENN: Aren’t you saying —

GIULIANI: Glenn —

GLENN: You’re protecting criminals by saying that being treated as a criminal is unfair.

GIULIANI: Glenn, it’s not a crime. I know that’s very hard for people to understand, but it’s not a federal crime.

GLENN: It’s a misdemeanor but if you’ve been nailed, it is a crime. If you’ve been nailed, ship back and come back, it is a crime.

GIULIANI: Glenn, being an illegal immigrant, the 400,000 were not prosecuted for crimes by the federal government, nor could they be. I was U.S. attorney in the southern district of New York. So believe me, I know this. In fact, when you throw an immigrant out of the country, it’s not a criminal proceeding. It’s a civil proceeding. 

While he’s correct that the overwhelming majority – probably upwards of 95% — of illegal alien cases are handled as civil deportation matters where the only issue is whether the person stays or gets deported, the fact is that illegally entering the US at a place or manner other than as designated by immigration officials is a federal petty misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in prison.

8 U.S.C. Section 1325:

“Any alien who (1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or (2) eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers, or (3) attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact, shall, for the first commission of such an offense, be fined under Title 18 or imprisoned not more than 6 months….

Rudy’s my guy right now, but if he’s going to play the “I was US Attorney” card on law enforcement issues, its up to him to get the law right.
 

The good news: the Washington Post today discusses the issue of illegal alien criminals.

The bad news: the paper suggests that concern over this issue is a passing phase.

Let’s keep up the pressure and show the Washington Post that this is an enduring issue.

I discuss it fully here, at Hot Air.

[Guest post by DRJ]

President Bush is in Sydney, Australia, attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Bush and South Korean President Roh had an unexpectedly testy exchange regarding declaring an end to the Korean conflict that ended 50 years ago in a truce, not a declaration of peace. Roh wanted Bush to declare peace now while Bush repeatedly insisted – three times – that peace can come only after North Korea dismantles its nuclear weapon program. It sounds to me like Roh was trying to tweak America or Bush to score political points with the folks back home. The US diplomatically described it as a “lost in translation” moment.

On the security front, local police commissioner Andrew Scipione describes the APEC summit as the “biggest security event we’ve ever had in this nation” – which is saying something, since Australia hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. Thousands of protesters are expected and the police are understandably concerned about security:

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