Pennsylvania's Senator Rick Santorum is in an extremely tough re election race, which many expect him to lose [1]. It has done wonders for his attitude on Immigration.
To the disgust of The Philadelphia Inquirer, which is classical MSM style would much prefer the matter remain suppressed, Santorum is attacking his opponent on the issue, and trumpeting his vote against the Senate's Amnesty/Immigration Acceleration bill. [Suddenly, Senate race is all about immigration [2] -By Tom Infield June 9 2006]
…immigration - to be precise, illegal immigration - suddenly is topic No. 1 in the contentious U.S. Senate race.
Incumbent Republican Rick Santorum - looking to capitalize on an issue that has galvanized his conservative base like no other in recent months - launched a pair of 60-second radio ads last week... “This is an issue that I want folks to know I’m not where the president is on this,” he said in an interview this week about his radio ads.
This is a particularly remarkable development, because generally Santorum has been very much a Bush loyalist. Until recently his voting record on Immigration has been poor [3]. But he is a professional, and in fact immigration is more visible and irritating [4]in the state’s long-stable industrial towns than The Philadelphia Inquirer seems to realize.
Some might find this distasteful opportunism. But to succeed immigration reform needs a coalition [5]. When the rats start boarding your ship, you can be more confident it will float.
Santorum is a welcome sign.