Rachel Swarns has a dog-bites-man story in Monday's Times: "Critics Say Politics Is Driving Hearings on Immigration - Meetings Set for G.O.P. Battlegrounds."
"When House leaders announced their plan to hold 21 immigration hearings in 13 states during the August recess, they said it demonstrated a commitment to battling illegal immigration and securing the border.
"But some Democratic and Republican lawmakers said the schedule of the hearings had only heightened their concerns that the Republican leadership was using immigration as a weapon in the battle over fiercely contested House and Senate seats around the country."
Politicians engaging in politics? The horror!
"Several immigration hearings are being held far from the border with Mexico, in districts where Republican lawmakers are engaged in competitive races for the House, including Evansville, Ind.; Concord, N.H.; and Glens Falls, N.Y. Hearings are also being held in Dubuque, Iowa, where Republicans are fighting to hold on to the seat being vacated by Representative Jim Nussle, and in Hamilton, Mont., where Senator Conrad Burns faces a tough challenge."
Since when is controlling the borders simply a local issue?