NYTimes Editorial:

A fight is brewing over Arizona’s new law that turns all of the state’s Latinos, even legal immigrants and citizens, into criminal suspects. [. . .] President Obama has called the law “misguided” and promised to keep an eye on it. But when racial separation finds a foothold in any of the 50 states, the president needs to do more than mildly criticize. He should act. Here’s a partial but urgent to-do list:

DEFEND CIVIL RIGHTS The Justice Department needs to challenge this law forcefully in court. [. . .]

STOP ARIZONA COLD Arizona’s scheme will rely on federal databases to determine immigration status. It will also need the cooperation of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, in accepting detainees. [. . .] In that case, ICE will deny Arizona authorities data, cooperation and scarce resources.

TAKE BACK IMMIGRATION POLICY The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that states cannot make their own immigration laws. The Arizona debacle gives the Obama administration another chance to make it clear that the nation’s immigration policy cannot be left to a ragged patchwork of state and local laws.

[. . . T]he federal government must react forcefully to the Arizona statute. Is our core belief still the welcome and assimilation of newcomers? Arizona has given one answer. It’s time for Mr. Obama to give the other.

(Emphasis supplied.)

Politics is not a battle for the middle. It is a battle for defining the terms of the political debate. It is a battle to be able to say what is the middle. - BTD

Matt Yglesias writes:

That said, the other thing we see here is something that those of us who think Obama is too conservative don’t like to confront. You see a lot of talk about “guts” and being “tough” and “brave” and “bold” but fundamentally we’ve done a terrible job of persuading people in the public that we’re right and there are many issues on which Obama should be more progressive. As Chris Bowers likes to point out, the most credible most beloved messenger on the left is—wait for it—Barack Obama, which tends to make Obama immune to criticism from the left. This is a fundamental problem for shifting the country in a progressive direction. Indeed, in a lot of ways it’s even a problem for Obama himself. But it’s fundamentally a problem of persuasion rather than a problem of Obama’s character.

(Emphasis supplied.) This is a strange paragraph to me. It's one thing to argue that Obama is not likely to care about Left critiques. That may well be. But a bigger problem in my view is the idea that critiquing Obama from the Left is somehow a bad thing to do. I think that has been the point a lot of us have been making. Indeed, the premise of Yglesias' point is that Obama is not very progressive in action (a view I not only believe but argued for many years now.) More . . .

What is Harry Reid trying to pull? The details of the Democrats' immigration bill are coming out, and it's a head-fake. Congress needs to "just say no" to this turkey of a bill.

The bill is a border enhancement bill and not what we need. It's "path to legalization" is 8 years. It's more money for cops and the war on drugs.

It creates biometric national id cards -- today for immigrants. As if they aren't planning them for all of us soon after:

The legislation would require the Social Security Administration to oversee a new system of biometric cards that could be used to prevent hiring of illegal immigrants. It would replace existing verification systems six years after they were enacted.

Then there's this: [more...]

The Wall St. Journal (subscription only) is reporting the feds have opened a criminal investigation into Goldman Sachs.

Wired has outed the guy who sold the lost iPhone 4g prototype to Gizmodo. He says he regrets his mistake.

President Obama interviewed 9th Circuit Appeals Court Judge Sydney Thomas from Montana for the Supreme Court today. More names are now on the list, including:

Obama's list of potential nominees for the court includes Elena Kagan, the U.S. solicitor general; Diane Wood, a U.S. appeals court judge in Chicago and Merrick Garland, a U.S. appeals court judge in Washington, D.C.

Also on the list are: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; Martha Minow, the dean of Harvard Law School; Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm; Ann Claire Williams, a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; and Leah Ward Sears, who retired last year as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia.

Who's going home on Survivor? Right now it looks like Russell unless he pulls off a coup. Tribal council is just starting in this time zone.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Two lawsuits challenging SB 1070, the Arizona immigration law, were filed in federal court today.

In one of the suits filed Thursday, a Tucson police officer, Martin Escobar, 45, a 15-year veteran, claims the law, which requires officers “when practicable” to stop and check the legal status of people they reasonably suspect may be illegal immigrants, would compel him to racially profile.

Mr. Escobar argues that the law does not specify what criteria to use in deciding who might be in the country illegally, and that Tucson’s heavily Hispanic population and proximity to the Mexican border would force him to question people based on their ethnicity, exposing him to civil suits.

I've uploaded the complaint here. [More...]

At a press conference today, the ACLU and other civil rights groups will outline details of a legal challenge they will file to SB 1070, Arizona's immigration law:

The American Civil Liberties Union, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the National Immigration Law Center, which argue the law is unconstitutional, were expected to outline their legal strategy at the Arizona state capitol in Phoenix.

More here. Separately, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will hold a press conference at 5:45 p.m ET outlining the Democrat's immigration law overhaul, which Obama says will be tough to pass this year.

This was the Wednesday night open thread post, which I had called Thursday by mistake. I was fixing it and by accident deleted it. Along with the five or so comments. Really sorry. At least I had the comments open on another screen so I will repost them all together in one comment below.

American Idol: I really liked Sons of Sylvia, especially the lead singer. Don't know who's going home yet.

If you missed Justified on FX Tuesday night, catch a replay, it was really good.

I'm just catching up on today's news. This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Update: Mr. Rubashkin will be sentenced Thursday. Prosecutors are asking for a life sentence but we won't know until tomorrow what the judge decides. Sorry for the error.

There is something seriously wrong with a justice system that imposes a life sentence on a 51 year old non-violent offender. That's what may happen Thursday to Sholom Rubashkin, former CEO of Agriprocessors meat packing plant in Iowa.

Mr. Rubashkin was in charge of the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa, when immigration agents landed in helicopters to detain nearly 400 illegal immigrant workers. In November, Mr. Rubashkin was convicted of 86 counts of federal bank fraud in connection with loans to the company.

Prosecutors, citing Mr. Rubashkin’s “blatant lawlessness, utter lack of remorse, his egregious and repeated attempts to obstruct justice,” have asked Judge Linda R. Reade to impose a life sentence.

I have hardly been a supporter of Agriprocessors. In 2008, I wrote I stopped buying their products due to the treatment of immigrant workers. As TChris explained here: [More...]

George Will is concerned about 'outside agitators' telling Arizonans what to do. I wonder if Will thinks it is ok if an Arizona sheriff talks about it?

Pima County's top lawman says he has no intention of enforcing Arizona's controversial crackdown on illegal immigration. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik calls SB 1070 "racist," "disgusting," and "unnecessary."

You think Will plans to write a column about this? Me netiher.

Speaking for me only

GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa:

I'm wondering if we look at the map of Congressman [Raul] Grijalva's (D-AZ) congressional district if we haven't already ceded that component of Arizona to Mexico judging by the voice that comes out of him [. . .]

GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter of California:

"Would you support deportation of natural-born American citizens that are the children of illegal aliens," Hunter was asked. "I would have to, yes," Hunter said. "... We simply cannot afford what we're doing right now," he said. "... It takes more than just walking across the border to become an American citizen. It's what's in our souls. ..."

The GOP soul reveals a complete loathing of Latinos.

Speaking for me only

George Will:

Arizonans should not be judged disdainfully and from a distance by people whose closest contacts with Hispanics are with fine men and women who trim their lawns and put plates in front of them at restaurants, not with illegal immigrants passing through their back yards at 3 a.m.

(Emphasis supplied.) As most of you probably know, I am Latino. And so is Markos. So are the members of the editorial board of La Opinion. So is Marco Rubio. So is Cesar Conda. And Jeb Bush wakes up next to a Latina.

Will should not project his own limited life experience with Latinos on to other people. BTW, the conservative Arizona Republic newspaper said "[n]ot since the dismal days of our nationally infamous fight over a holiday to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., has the profile of Arizona descended this low." And Arizona Republican Hispanics said "SB 1070 is a direct slap in the face to Hispanic Americans who have fought and died for several American wars."

I suppose the experience with Latinos is different at Beltway cocktail parties.

Speaking for me only

It already feels like Friday to me, this week has been so busy. I'm sure BTD, who is in depositions this week, feels the same way.

For those of you following the news, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.